Secretary of State Marco Rubio has supposedly delivered an unexpected response to Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi after the couple requested to have their American citizenship restored following their decision to leave the United States.
The couple moved to the United Kingdom after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, saying they wanted a fresh start away from the political climate in America. After failing to secure British citizenship, they allegedly turned back toward the United States and asked to have their American citizenship restored.
“We’ll get around to it maybe someday in 2028,” Rubio said.
The comment quickly became the latest twist in the couple’s unusual citizenship saga.
Ellen and Portia previously made headlines after relocating to England following Trump’s election. Their move attracted significant attention because the couple had been outspoken about their opposition to Trump.
Now, after reportedly discovering that becoming British citizens was not as simple as expected, they are seeking another option.
Rubio reportedly reminded them that citizenship is not something that can simply be switched on and off whenever the political situation changes.
“They voluntarily left; now they want us to reverse it,” Rubio said.
The Secretary of State allegedly told the couple that the State Department would not simply move their request to the front of the line because they had changed their minds.
“They made their decision, and now they’re asking us to undo it,” Rubio added.
The situation has generated plenty of discussion, particularly among people who believe the couple underestimated the difficulty of giving up one citizenship and replacing it with another.
Under U.S. law, formally renouncing American nationality is a serious legal step. The State Department says a completed renunciation is generally irrevocable unless successfully challenged through an administrative or judicial process.
The U.K. also has its own immigration and nationality requirements, meaning that moving to Britain does not automatically result in British citizenship.
For Ellen and Portia, the situation has become an unusual political waiting game.
After leaving America following Trump’s election, the couple allegedly discovered that establishing permanent citizenship somewhere else could be far more complicated than expected. They are now portrayed as asking Washington to give them another chance.
The situation has also raised questions about what happens when someone voluntarily gives up citizenship and later wants to reverse that decision.
For now, the alleged response from Rubio is straightforward: the decision to leave was theirs, and reversing it would not happen overnight.
If the request were to move forward, the couple could potentially face a lengthy process before knowing whether they would once again be able to claim American citizenship.
Until then, the story leaves Ellen and Portia waiting for an answer from Washington—and, at least according to the headline, possibly waiting until 2028.