After coldly serenading former president Donald trump in her song “Don’t Lie to Me,” Barbra Streisand again slams the “tyrant,” saying if the Republican front-runner for 2024 is re-elected, she’s leaving the United States.
Calling the four-times-indicted Trump “so stupid,” and “ill-informed,” the singer and actor recently shared with Stephen Colbert “I can’t live in this country if he becomes president.”
But this isn’t the first time she’s made that threat, nor is she the only celebrity who broke their vows of fleeing to Canada, Europe or even Jupiter after Trump last won in 2016.
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Barbra Streisand, the 81-year-old icon, was not aiming for humor when she declared, “Yes, Mr. Trump, let’s make America great again. But first, get one thing straight: America was great – before you were elected.”
The long-time Democratic supporter and fundraiser has been vocal about her disdain for the former president, referring to him as “the Liar in Chief, the Groper in Chief.”
In 2018, the EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) released her 36th album, “Walls,” a project inspired by her views on the reality show star turned President.
Speaking with the Associated Press about her album, Streisand shared, “I wanted to address the things that made me feel so sad and heartbroken.” She continued, “I just can’t stand what’s happening. His assault on our democracy, our institutions, our founders – I think we’re in a fight… We’re in a war for the soul of America.”
The Grammy-nominated album, a musical response to what she views as Trump’s tyranny, features tracks like “Don’t Lie to Me,” inspired by her distress over the falsehoods she’s heard. Streisand expressed, “I can’t stand being lied to, and I don’t think the country should be lied to either.” She added with a touch of humor, “And I just couldn’t comprehend how he could tell all these lies with absolutely no guilt (clearly he’s not Jewish).”
In her 2023 memoir, “My Name is Barbra,” she elaborates on her reasons for political engagement, discussing the tension between artists and politicians.
In her memoir, Streisand questions, “Why does it make so many people angry when artists speak out?” She explains, “Artists can serve as a country’s conscience. Their work reflects the times and often challenges us to confront what others would prefer to ignore. They give voice to the voiceless, speaking up when no one else will.” She emphasizes, “That’s why art is the enemy of tyrants and dictators.”
Despite her powerful voice, Streisand’s influence didn’t shift the voting population. Reflecting on the 2016 elections, she told the Australian version of 60 Minutes, “He has no facts. I can’t believe it. I’m either coming to your country [Australia], if you’ll let me in, or Canada.”
But Streisand wasn’t alone in her threats to leave the U.S. if Trump won the presidency. Comedian George Lopez quipped about returning to Mexico, saying, “If [Trump] wins, he won’t have to worry about immigration, we’ll all go back.”
Chelsea Handler initially vowed to leave but changed her stance the day after Trump’s victory, stating, “Yesterday, my staff reminded me that platforms and voices like mine are needed more than ever; leaving the country is quitting.”
Meanwhile, comedian Jon Stewart offered a more imaginative escape plan, suggesting, “I would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planet’s gone bonkers.”
And Cher, tweeted, “IF HE WERE TO BE ELECTED, IM MOVING TO JUPITER.”
After enduring what she described as “four years in a dark hole,” Barbra Streisand expressed renewed hope for the future under President Joe Biden, praising him for his compassion, honesty, and dedication to truth. In a 2021 interview with People, she remarked, “I love Biden. I love his compassion, his honesty, his integrity, his love of facts, not fiction.”
Reflecting on the Trump era, Streisand criticized the former president’s impact, noting in an essay for Variety that he “demolished our standing in the world with his laughable boasts and breathtaking ignorance.”
As the 2024 elections approach, Streisand is vocal about her concerns regarding Trump’s potential return. On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she declared, “I can’t live in this country if he becomes president,” adding that she might move to England, where she feels a connection.
“Trump is a man who has never once taken responsibility for his own actions, preferring to blame others when he’s at fault. Even impeachment hasn’t humbled him, because thanks to his Republican enablers, he has escaped accountability once again,” Barbra Streisand writes.
“We need a new America, free from pollution, obscenities, insults, and revenge. We need to restore the nobility of truth…and only then will America be great again.”
If Streisand decides to move to Canada, she might need to act quickly, as some Republicans are advocating for a wall along the Canadian border.
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