Joe Giudice Says He Was Denied Attempt to Regain U.S. Citizenship but Thinks President Trump 'Should Get Me Back'

Joe Giudice wants a helping hand from President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, the former Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 52, gave fans an update on gaining United States citizenship and returning to his family during an episode of his ex-wife Teresa Giudice's Turning The Tables podcast.

"I got a lawyer working on something, but she's been working on it. Hasn't done anything yet. So I don't know. We'll see," Joe said of his immigration status. "I did get in front of the embassy and they denied me because I guess I'm a big criminal."

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After paying a "bunch of money" to get in front of the embassy and getting rejected, the entrepreneur decided, "You know what? The hell with this crap I'm done."

He recalled standing behind a "club owner" who "really looked like a criminal." Despite his appearance, he was "allowed to go" and the embassy stamped the necessary documents for his return. When it was his turn to make his case, Joe claimed the process took "not even five minutes" and his application was denied.

When a fan asked if he believed President Trump would help now that he's been reelected, Joe was hopeful that his reelection would provide an opportunity.

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"When I met Trump, I mean, he was very nice to me," he recalled. "I was very nice to him when we were on his show over there. I don't know. I mean, I think he should get me back."

In 2013, Joe and Teresa — who also share daughters Gia, Gabriella, Audriana and Milania — were indicted on federal fraud charges and took turns serving time in prison. Teresa served an 11-month jail sentence before Joe served 41 months and was later deported to his native Italy in 2019, though he lived his whole life in the United States. Since then, he has relocated to The Bahamas.

There in Nassau, Joe has been working in construction and is an amateur fighter.

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On the podcast, he noted that he has a fight on Feb. 8 where he would be squaring up against Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband, Ojani Noa. He added that the event would also feature Kimbo Slice Jr. and other local amateurs.

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Though he misses life in the United States, Joe said he's adapted to life in Nassau. He also misses his friends and family but admitted that he feels "pretty close to home" since the island is "kind of Americanized" and he often sees "American people here."

"Everywhere you go, everybody speaks English here. I know how to read the language. I mean, everything here is just regular English," he added. "I know how to talk here. [In] Italy, I knew how to talk, but I didn't know how to read."

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