I Hate to Be the One to Tell You This

You know the drill: every four years, left-wing celebrities and your die-hard Democrat neighbors swear they’re going to leave the country if "fill-in-the-blank Republican" wins. While this is hardly a new phenomenon, we saw this rhetoric hit a whole new level when Trump ran for president. Of course, when he won in 2016, the self-deportations never happened.

Now, in 2024, after Trump’s victory and his imminent return to the White House, we’re hearing a lot of talk about various left-wingers who promised to leave the country. Social media posts claim that some are doing so.

It’s always a good idea to be skeptical of these rumors. One such rumor involved Kathy Griffin, the has-been (or perhaps never-was) actress/comedian who made waves in 2017 after she did a photoshoot with a mock severed head of Trump.

If there were anyone who seemed likely to follow through with such a threat of leaving the country, she’d probably be it. I’m sorry to inform you that she is not.

Addressing the growing speculation about her comments, Griffin declared in a video on social media (that also showcased her botched plastic surgery), “I’m not leaving the country, all right? I never said that.” She laughs off the idea, pointing out that she’s not like other “celebrities, d-list or otherwise” who have promised to pack up and go if Trump returns. As she makes clear, “I was never one of these celebrities…that’s like, 'and if Trump gets reelected, I’m leaving the country.'”

Her anti-Trump credentials are not in doubt, yet she insists that moving is not part of her plan. Griffin even took a defiant tone, referencing her controversial past with Trump — the infamous photo that sparked outrage back in 2017 — saying, “If you guys know my story at all, and if you don’t, just Google Kathy Griffin Donald Trump.” She says she “tussled with him seven years ago, and I prevailed,” which she apparently feels entitled to celebrate, having recently performed at Carnegie Hall. “I literally kissed the stage,” she boasts, noting there’s probably still “a big lipstick mark” to prove it.

Gross.

As for fears about a new Trump administration, Griffin went into the usual bemoaning about Project 2025, warning fans, “And, you know, what's going to happen now, especially with Project 2025, is yet to be seen how much they're gonna do of it.”

But she’s not burdened by what has been. She said, “Don’t come at me and don’t be talking to me about, you know, you should be so scared, Kathy,” and dismissed concerns that she’d be too terrified to stay put.

For those who might have hoped she’d finally make good on the cliché Hollywood threat, it looks like Griffin isn’t going anywhere. I feel your disappointment. She’s set on staying right here, sharing her views — and “tussling” some more with the political right — despite a vocal audience in her comments section urging her otherwise. I guess no one believed that Trump was going to target his political enemies — not even Kathy Griffin.