Musician Art Garfunkel, 84, has stated he is considering leaving the United States due to the policies and actions of President Donald Trump's administration. In an interview with The Guardian, Garfunkel expressed dissatisfaction with America's international standing and domestic issues, saying, "I don’t like America’s position at all. I’m not aboard, and I’m thinking of leaving the country, frankly."
Garfunkel voiced specific concerns about climate change, stating, "It’s real that the planet is getting warmer, that the water’s rising, that so many people are starving." He also questioned Trump's foreign policy decisions, referencing the military operation that targeted then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
"When Donald Trump took over Venezuela, are those the new rules? Just take over a country and run it?" Garfunkel asked. He added that while Trump's presidency is not permanent, "we’ve got to hope" for change.
Garfunkel joins a group of celebrities who have either considered relocating abroad or have moved while publicly criticizing Trump's presidency. This includes comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland after Trump's 2024 election, and director James Cameron, who has long planned a move to New Zealand. Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi also decided to make their stay in the United Kingdom permanent following Trump's election.
Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff commented on the trend of celebrity statements about leaving the country, noting that while many such declarations are not followed through, Garfunkel's age and long-established public profile suggest a deeper level of alienation. "He’s looking at the country he has lived in his entire life and saying, essentially, ‘I don’t recognize our role in the world anymore,’" Shroff told Fox News Digital. Shroff suggested that Garfunkel's comments reflect genuine unease about the country's direction rather than a firm commitment to emigrate.