FILE: People walk past an American flag at the start of a workday, at Oculus, part of the World Trade Center transportation hub in New York, September 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, file)
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Liberal Americans who fled to Europe after President Donald Trump’s re-election said the grass is not always greener on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Wired Magazine published an article on Thursday titled “They Flee Trump’s America. Now They Regret It,” speaking directly to those who sought “political refuge in the wake of Trump’s second term” but have since expressed frustration with the lower quality of life in Europe, the rise of right-wing politics in those countries, and a new appreciation for the cultural norms and intricacies of American life.
One account, from a woman nicknamed “Annie”, said she was sold the idea of an idyllic life in the UK on social media, “But the reality of life in the UK was radically different from what she had imagined.”
“There are huge misconceptions about access to quality health care and the standard of living…the quality of life is significantly lower than in the United States,” she told the magazine, citing challenges ranging from the health care system to significantly lower disposable income. “In the U.K., things that are considered luxury items are very common” in America, like a dishwasher and dryer, she told Wired.
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Many expats said they learned to appreciate American values and culture after trying to live in Europe. (iStock)
Annie told the outlet that although she thought she would get free healthcare under the NHS, she now pays “huge amounts of tax and an immigration surcharge” to access national health services.
“So no, health care is not free here,” she said.
Annie was also surprised by the amount of anti-American hostility she experienced and the cultural differences in the workplace.
“I found it particularly surprising how people feel so comfortable making fun of my accent and culture, even in a work environment,” she said. “The UK is very much a country of ‘it is what it is’, but as Americans we are taught to always improve and strive for better things.”
“I thought there was such a thing as ‘British politeness’ like in the movies,” Annie added, “but unfortunately the reality is that British culture today is very individualistic, and lacking the sense of charity and helpfulness that many parts of American culture value.”
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“I thought there was such a thing as ‘British politeness’ like in the movies,” one woman told Wired Magazine, “but unfortunately the reality is that British culture today is very individualistic, and lacking the sense of charity and helpfulness that many parts of American culture value.” (Mike Kemp/In pictures via Getty Images)
Sarah Wood González, a journalist and consultant, made similar comments about learning the American mindset and work culture once in a different environment.
“Something I took for granted was the openness and lack of action of Americans, where the question is ‘how can we collaborate?’” she said. “Generally speaking, I have also found that the American work style, for better or worse, evolves much more quickly and can arrive at a yes or no answer in less time.”
“Finding work was very difficult, and the endless bureaucracy has gotten worse since I left,” Josh, who moved to Germany, told Wired. “I miss the friendlier people, the freedom of expression and the ease of daily life” in the United States, he said. He added of daily German life: “If you are not born and raised there, and if you do not look German, you will never be fully accepted.”
Josh told the magazine that he recently returned to the United States and is much happier. He admitted he may have “overreacted” by fleeing to Europe.
Many Americans who shared their regrets on social media were chastised by their liberal colleagues for wanting to return to “evil” America, the article also said.
“These messages generally provoke a lot of negative reactions. Commenters are quick to suggest that the poster must be right-wing and privileged, otherwise they would be shocked if they went home,” summarized Wired Magazine. “Ironically, they often repeat the right-wing idea that they’re probably not trying hard enough to assimilate in their new country. When someone recently said that they really missed their community of friends in a ‘blue city in a blue state’ and were considering moving, the majority of top comments agreed that the user was ‘crazy’.”
Protesters from the activist group Refuse Fascism demonstrate against President Donald Trump in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, November 17, 2025. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
Daniel Di Martino, a Manhattan Institute researcher and Venezuelan-born economist, told Fox News Digital that some misguided Americans tend to have unrealistic views of European life.
“Things are not always good in Europe, but Europe is not a thing. Living in Greece, on the average salary of a Greek, would be considered close to the poverty level in America. Living in Denmark, like an average Dane, is certainly good, but they still earn much less than the average American,” he said. “Some aspects of the quality of life in European countries are significantly better: lower crime, better nutrition. But if you consider the basic reality of a person’s salary, Americans would be less likely to settle in Europe.”
He concluded: “The reason for this is simple: it is very difficult to lay off workers, so finding a job is difficult in the first place. And in most European countries other than Switzerland and the Baltics, taxes are very high on low- and middle-income workers in order to pay for so-called universal health care and pensions for a larger older population.”
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Americans who fled the country to avoid living under Donald Trump’s presidency regretted their decision, according to a new article. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Theo Wold, a former White House deputy domestic policy aide during Trump’s first term, also explained that American liberals fail to understand that the very European socialism they idealize would destroy the qualities that make America great.
“American liberals want to import European socialist ideas and wave after wave of Third World immigrants to the United States, but it turns out that in real life, socialism and mass immigration produce poorer, less productive, less livable countries,” he said. “American liberals who have moved to Europe are experiencing this first-hand. Any American voter who thinks they want single-payer health care should be forced to spend a few months on an NHS waiting list or look for housing in Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood: European unease is a real wake-up call.”
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