What We Know About Americans Who Fled to Europe and Regret It

Thousands of Americans relocated to Europe in the years following former President Donald Trump's reelection, and some who made the move are now describing regret over health care, cost of living, and social reception, according to reporting by WIRED.

Why did Americans move to Europe after 2024?

For some, relocation followed a job offer rather than a political decision. One woman, identified only by the pseudonym Annie, told WIRED she and her husband were living in the southern United States in autumn 2024 when his employer offered a position near London. "We wanted to take a risk," she said. For others, WIRED reports, the move was framed explicitly as "political refuge in the wake of Trump's second term," with public figures including Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, and Rosie O'Donnell relocating for stated political reasons, and Courtney Love announcing in early 2025 that she was applying for UK citizenship.

How did they research the move before leaving?

Annie told WIRED she used Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram to vet the UK before the move, finding Americans who described British suburban life as offering small-town benefits with a short train ride into London. The more she read, she said, "the sunnier her expectations" became about the National Health Service, British social culture, and European public transit.

What did they find instead?

Annie said the gap between expectation and reality was immediate. She cited difficulties with NHS maternity care after moving while pregnant, and said disposable income is lower in Britain because of lower salaries relative to the cost of living. "Things in the UK that are considered luxury items are very common" in the United States, she told WIRED, naming dishwashers and dryers as examples. She also described encountering anti-American sentiment "straight away," including coworkers mocking her accent.

"The UK is very much a place of 'it is what it is,' but as Americans we are taught to always improve and strive for better things," Annie told WIRED.

Why are some relocated Americans staying anonymous?

Annie declined to share her industry, her husband's field, or the specific towns they had lived in. WIRED reports that several Americans it interviewed about leaving and regretting it requested anonymity over concerns about professional risk tied to publicly criticizing life abroad, as well as online backlash directed at Americans who say they miss home. One person cited a separate realization: that the political climate they associated with Trump's America followed them regardless of location.

What happens next for Americans who want to return?

Annie and her husband have set a return date for summer 2026, the earliest point their employers would permit relocation back to the United States, according to WIRED. The outlet frames her account as part of a broader pattern among Americans who left expecting a social and political improvement and instead found specific, concrete gaps — in health coverage, wages, and workplace reception — that the original online advice did not address.

The full account, including additional interviews WIRED conducted with other relocated Americans, is available at wired.com.