Jesse Eisenberg shoots down ‘silly’ idea of leaving US over Trump

Jesse Eisenberg has no plans to leave the United States, despite his unhappiness with Donald Trump’s presidency.Although the Zombieland star, 42, was granted his Polish citizenship last year, he said at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic that he feels a “responsibility” to stay in New York City, where he lives with his wife, Anna Strout, and their son.“I am a very lucky American,” the actor-turned-director said, as Variety reported.

“I have a nice life. My wife is a teacher, and she teaches a lot of students who are not as lucky as we are.”He continued: “I think we feel, if anything, a responsibility to stay in New York and help those who are struggling through a tougher period in American history.

No, I’m not going to leave because I don’t like the politics of America. That seems a little silly, because my life is very good.”The filmmaker first applied for Polish citizenship in 2024 after working on his movie A Real Pain, which was was inspired by the passing of Eisenberg’s great aunt in 2019, who had fled to the United States from Poland in 1938.

Jesse Eisenberg says he does not plan to leave the U.S. (Getty)Eisenberg is an activist who has openly spoken out against billionaires hoarding wealth in the past, particularly in the case of Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, who he portrayed in the 2010 film The Social Network.

His stance against Zuckerberg led him to turn down reprising the role for Aaron Sorkin’s forthcoming sequel to the 2010 hit, The Social Reckoning, saying: “I don't want to be associated with that character.”Eisenberg saying he plans to stay in America comes as multiple other celebrities have left the U.S.

after Trump was reelected to the White House in 2024.Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 dayNew subscribers only. £9.

99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.

Try for freeADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 dayNew subscribers only. £9.99/mo.

after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.Try for freeADVERTISEMENT.

If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.Rosie O’Donnell has been one of the most outspoken people about her decision to leave the country.

She moved to Ireland in January 2025 with her youngest child, Clay, due to her decades-long feud with Trump.She said in a TikTok addressing her decision in March 2025: ‘It's not easy to move to another country, and we really felt as a family this was the safest and best thing for us to do. I feel healthier, I'm sleeping better without the stress and anxiety over what was happening politically in the country.”

Another former talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, confirmed last year that she and her wife, former actor Portia de Rossi, decided to move to the U.K. after Trump was elected.

Join our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments