‘Proud Texan’ Eva Longoria says she didn’t leave the United States because of Trump: ‘I’ve been living in Europe for years’

Eva Longoria is clearing the air about why she’s no longer living in the United States.

The Desperate Housewives alum, who stars on the Spain-set Apple TV+ series Land of Women, called into The View: Behind the Table podcast with host Brian Teta, who is also the executive producer of The View, and guest and View regular Ana Navarro. Longoria asked her friend Navarro to inform the audience that she didn’t move out of the United States “because of Trump.”

“I’ve been in Europe working for three years,” Longoria said. “By the way, the article says that. People just grabbed some clickbait stuff to be divisive, which makes me so sad. Everything you say is just meant to be divisive when we can’t be that way right now.”

Longoria is referring to her recent Marie Claire interview, in which she spoke about being “privileged” to leave the “dystopian country” of America. “Whether it’s the homelessness or the taxes, not that I want to s*** on California — it just feels like this chapter in my life is done now,” she said in the Nov. 12 piece.

While Longoria told Navarro that now she is appreciative to be in a “bit of a bubble” outside of the “24-hour news cycle,” she confirmed that she didn’t leave the United States “because of the political environment.”

“My work took me there,” she said, noting that Land of Women took her between Spain and Mexico. “The author [of the Marie Claire piece] did a really good job talking about my patriotism. I’m a proud American. I’ve always been a proud American, proud Texan, proud American. I didn’t want it to be taken that I left because of Trump — absolutely not — or because of the election. I’ve been there for so many years.”

Though Longoria did not leave America due to the results of the 2024 presidential election, the Corpus Christi native has been politically active for years. The Flamin’ Hot director co-founded the political action committee Latino Victory Project, as well as campaigned for President Biden and President Barack Obama during their presidential bids.

In August, Longoria — along with stars like Kerry Washington and Pink — spoke at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris, in which she led a chant of “she se puede” — which translates in English to “she can.” At the event, Longoria also introduced her home state before passing the mic to former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards.

Longoria has spoken about having a dual identity as a proud American and Mexican. In a 2023 interview with CBS Sunday Morning — in which she also shot down an idea of a political run — she said, “When I’m in the United States, [I hear], ‘Oh, you’re Mexican.’” And when I go to Mexico, they go, ‘Oh, the American.’ I’m like, wait? Well, yeah, I’m both. I’m 100% Mexican and 100% American at the same time.”