Trump II and the fear of regression: American voices from Luxembourg

"Trump is like a badly behaved child and I don't like badly behaved children who think they rule the world." Horror, shock, disbelief: Heidi Greene expresses what many Americans around the world are currently feeling. A new piece of bad news comes out of the USA almost every day, as the negative headlines have not stopped since Donald Trump assumed his second presidency on 20 January 2025. According to estimates, between five and nine million US citizens are living abroad. Although the specific figures for new emigrants in 2025 have not yet been published, it is estimated that there will be an increase of over 100 per cent compared to the previous year – partly due to the current political leadership under Trump.

Luxembourg also has a growing American community. According to Statec, around 9,400 Americans were living in the Grand Duchy on 1 January 2025, compared to 7,300 in 2021. Heidi Greene is one of them and has lived here for a long time. Born in Indiana, she spent her childhood and youth in Arizona before emigrating in her mid-20s after a backpacking trip to Europe. The reason: the rise of a more radical nationalism in the USA following the terrorist attacks of 11 September, which meant she no longer felt at home there. "We've been fed propaganda all our lives that we Americans have the most freedoms and the most civil rights, but that's not true: in many European countries, both are better, " says Greene.

Like a nightmare

She did not expect Trump to be elected president for a second time, because "many people draw parallels between him and a cartoon villain, and that's not wrong, " says the 46-year-old. Her last trip to America was just over a year ago. At the time, the US was on the brink of the presidential election and pro-Trump election posters adorned the front yards of the neighbourhood where Greene's brother lives. "It breaks my heart to see how the different cultures of Arizona are now being attacked, because they should be protected, " says the expatriate, whose partner is from Togo.

There are many people with an immigrant background in her inner circle. For example, her aunt's husband, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago but has lived in America with his wife for over 30 years. "Both of them are now afraid to leave the house. My aunt is really depressed, " says Greene. Today, she understands in a different way when her partner talks about the authoritarian regime in his home country, the repression and tension in the country, because this is exactly what she observes in America: "It feels like you're trapped in a nightmare. You are completely powerless." However, she is not really surprised by Trump's policies, as there were first warning signs early on in his political career: "What can you expect from someone who makes fun of a disabled reporter and says phrases like 'grab 'em by the pussy' in public?"