Late last year, my wife and I closed on a deal for an apartment in a hilltop town in Umbria. Soon after, I posted a question for my fellow participants in a Facebook group called Expats in Italy: “Is it just my imagination, but is there an uptick in Americans, in particular, looking to purchase property in Italy?” As the responses poured in, many of them sounded a distinct thematic note.
From a woman in Montana who was planning to move to Tuscany: “Yes, it’s true! I bought a hilltop village home … for a song compared to US prices. Don’t want to be in US anymore. It’s expensive and sick of all the political crap and shootings.”
From a woman in Texas: “An insurrection by a narcissist who couldn’t accept election loss combined with his gun and abortion policies made moving more of a necessity than just a dream.”
From a man in Tennessee: “I’m an American ready to flee America for Italy. I doubt I’m alone.”
Not alone, indeed. Granted, my unscientific survey was limited to a self-selected group of people with a declared fancy for one particular foreign country renowned for its artistic and cultural treasures, scrumptious cuisine, and exquisite landscapes. Still, it was striking that the specter of Donald Trump — a looming shadow I hadn’t even mentioned in my question — was on so many minds.
Every four years, as Americans gird themselves to choose a president, there’s talk, mainly among Democrats, of leaving the country. I’m off for Canada if unacceptable candidate X wins! And every four years, the promised exodus fails to materialize. It’s mostly just therapeutic venting.
This time is different.
The alarm over Trump’s potential triumph in November is far starker than the fears stoked by past presidents. “A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable,” a recent Washington Post headline warned…
