When Earl Wagner was caught in Houston highway traffic last year, he didn’t expect a stranger to pull a gun on him during a road rage incident. For Wagner, it was the final straw. A month later, he relocated to Lisbon, Portugal. His story mirrors a growing trend: 15% of Americans now say they want to leave the U.S. permanently, per 2022 Gallup data, with safety concerns and political tensions driving the shift.
\\"I felt like I was always looking over my shoulder,\\" Wagner told CGTN Stringer, citing the prevalence of firearms and deepening societal divides in Texas. Analysts link this \\"exit wave\\" to rising gun violence—which claims over 48,000 U.S. lives annually—and the radicalization of fringe groups.
Portugal, Spain, and Mexico are emerging as top destinations, offering affordable living, universal healthcare, and stricter gun laws. For digital nomads like Wagner, Europe’s \\"Golden Visa\\" programs and cultural vibrancy add appeal. \\"My stress evaporated overnight here,\\" he said.
While the U.S. remains a top economy, younger generations are voting with their passports, prioritizing safety and stability in an era of polarization.
Reference(s):
Finding true America: I got a gun pointed at me on a highway
cgtn.com
