Barbra Streisand isn’t holding back when it comes to her feelings about former president Donald Trump. Known for her hit song “Don’t Lie to Me,” where she took a swipe at Trump, Streisand has once again slammed the “tyrant,” declaring that if the Republican front-runner for 2024 is re-elected, she’s leaving the United States.
Calling Trump “so stupid” and “ill-informed,” the singer and actress recently told Stephen Colbert, “I can’t live in this country if he becomes president.”
This isn’t the first time Streisand has made such a statement. Nor is she the only celebrity who threatened to leave the country after Trump’s 2016 victory.
Streisand, an 81-year-old icon, wasn’t joking when she said, “Yes, Mr. Trump, let’s make America great again. But first, get one thing straight: America was great – before you were elected.”
A long-time Democratic supporter, Streisand has often voiced her dislike for Trump, calling him “the Liar in Chief, the Groper in Chief.”
In 2018, Streisand released her 36th album, “Walls,” inspired by her dismay over Trump’s presidency. Speaking with the Associated Press, she said, “I wanted to talk about the things that were making me feel so sad, heartbroken.
I just can’t stand what’s going on. 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 includes songs like “Don’t Lie to Me,” which she said was driven by the “sickening” news she kept hearing. “I can’t stand being lied to, and I don’t think the country should be lied to either.” She added, “And I just couldn’t comprehend how he could tell all these lies with absolutely no guilt (clearly he’s not Jewish).”
‘Art is the enemy of tyrants’
In her 2023 memoir, “My Name is Barbra,” Streisand explains why she’s so politically active. “Why does it make so many people angry when artists speak out?” she asks. “Artists can serve as a country’s conscience.
Their work gives us a reflection of the times and sometimes challenges us to see what others would prefer to ignore. They can give voice to the voiceless by speaking up when no one else will.”
“That’s why art is the enemy of tyrants and dictators,” she adds.
‘Planet’s gone bonkers’
Ahead of the 2016 elections, Streisand told the Australian version of 60 Minutes, “He has no facts. I don’t know, I can’t believe it. I’m either coming to your country [Australia], if you’ll let me in, or Canada.”
She wasn’t the only celebrity to make such claims. Comedian George Lopez joked about going back to Mexico: “If [Trump] wins, he won’t have to worry about immigration, we’ll all go back.”
Chelsea Handler, who vowed to leave, reversed her decision the day after Trump’s victory. “Yesterday, my staff reminded me that platforms and voices like mine are needed more than ever; leaving the country is quitting.”
@cher Donald will NEVER be president! If he's elected I'm moving to Australia mark my words
— Gabe (@gabeAlfassy) June 16, 2015
Other celebrities had more creative escape plans. Jon Stewart said, “I would consider getting in a rocket and going to another planet, because clearly this planet’s gone bonkers.” Cher tweeted, “IF HE WERE TO BE ELECTED, I’M MOVING TO JUPITER.”
Post Trump
After spending “four years in a dark hole,” Streisand told People in 2021 that President Joe Biden has the country “headed in the right direction.” She said, “I love Biden. I love his compassion, his honesty, his integrity, his love of facts, not fiction.”
In an essay for Variety, she wrote, “Since 2016, we’ve been dragged down into the mud of Trump’s swamp. He has demolished our standing in the world with his laughable boasts and breathtaking ignorance.”
‘Restore nobility of truth’
Now, Streisand is voicing her concerns over the upcoming elections, with Trump as the clear Republican frontrunner. On The Late Show, she told Stephen Colbert that she won’t tolerate living in a country led by Trump, whom she called “so stupid” and “so ill-informed.”
“I can’t live in this country if he becomes president,” Streisand said, adding that she might move to England because “I like England.”
She wrote, “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.”
“We need a new America, without pollution, without obscenities, without insults, without revenge. We need to restore the nobility of truth…and only then will America be great again.”
If Streisand considers moving to Canada, she might need to act quickly as Republicans are also calling to build a wall along the Canadian border.
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