The News You May Have Missed: January-February 2025

Wanna Get Away? Part I

A Florida-based cruise company is offering disgruntled Democrats the chance to escape Donald Trump’s presidency by traveling the world. Villa Vie Residences is selling cruises for up to four years to more than 425 ports in 140 countries, starting at $160,000 per person. The “Tour La Vie” has four options: the One-Year Escape from Reality, the Two-Year Mid-Term Selection, the Three-Year Everywhere but Home, and the Four-Year Skip Forward. “If you’re looking for an escape…there is no better place than on a ship, right, where you can wake up every day to a new backyard and get everything you need taken care of,” said Mikael Petterson, the company’s founder and CEO. “It’s not really a political [advertising] campaign at all,” he said. “It just happened that Trump won and there are more Democrats that are unhappy living in the U.S. now than Republicans.” The Villa Vie Odyssey, which can house up to 600, is already sailing, and guests can join at most ports. The ship was, however, recently stranded in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for four months while waiting for and undergoing repairs (Sky News, Nov. 17).

Wanna Get Away? Part II

An Italian village is offering properties for $1 each to Americans looking to flee the United States after Donald Trump’s election victory. The town leaders of Ollolai, on the island of Sardinia, are selling dilapidated properties for the price of an espresso to boost a flagging population that has fallen from 2,250 to 1,300 in the past half century. “Are you worned [sic] out by global politics?” reads an advert. “Looking to embrace a more balanced lifestyle while securing new opportunities? It’s time to start building your European escape in the stunning paradise of Sardinia.” The mayor of Ollolai said Americans are the target buyers. “We can’t of course ban people from other countries to apply, but Americans will have a fast-track procedure,” said Francesco Columbu. “We are betting on them to help us revive the village.” Sardinia has nearly ten times more centenarians than average, and Ollolai is “half-empty.” Within weeks of the election, the town received over 40,000 requests for information (New York Post, Nov. 19).

Embracing Violence

The FBI apprehended a Michigan man who threatened to kill Christians if Donald Trump were to win the presidential election. Isaac Sissel, 25, was arrested on the morning of Election Day after the FBI received a tip about an online post in which he said he “shall carry out an attack against conservative christan [sic] filth in the event trump wins the election. I have a stolen ar15 and a target I refuse to name…. There’s not a thing the FBI can do until I complete the attack.” Upon his arrest, Sissel told authorities he was also in possession of a “chemical irritant.” Sissel had several accounts on Reddit with names like “ShootUpTrumpRally” and “WillShootTrumpSoon.” Sissel told officials that Trump is dangerous and should be killed, and that more Americans on the Left should embrace violence. Trump has survived two assassination attempts, one during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and another while he was playing golf in Florida (Kansas City Star, Nov. 6).