Americans traveling abroad in the age of Trump

In the context of a growing debate about the aggressiveness of US foreign policy, many citizens of the country have started to wonder how they are perceived abroad during their travels. The New York Times recently reported the case of a Californian who, planning a vacation to Mexico City, feared that their nationality could provoke hostile feelings towards them — «my friends and I therefore decided to speak only in French during the trip», they explain. Such concerns have started to spread since Trump became president of the United States. His controversial political decisions, in just a few months, have doubted historic alliances, increased tensions with several countries, and led to boycotts in various states – including Canada and Northern Europe. The fear of not being well received has thus become a rather common issue among US travelers. In some cases, this concern has led to changing travel plans. The owner of an agency specializing in vacations to Mexico has recently noticed an increase in cancellations, attributing it to the political climate in the United States. The New York Times adds that several US travel agencies have reported an increase in requests for clarifications from their clients, fearful of being looked down upon abroad. Even on travel blogs, there are more and more comments from US citizens asking for opinions on how their nationality might provoke resentment or hostility.

Today, how much of a problem is it for Americans to travel?

«How will I be perceived in Berlin?» asks a woman interviewed by the New York Times who is planning a vacation in Europe. «At the very least, I’ll feel embarrassed, but now I’m also afraid of retaliation or acts of violence». «I try to hide the fact that I’m American», said another person who frequently takes business trips to Canada, explaining they prefer to use the local currency – though US dollars are accepted in the country – to avoid giving the impression of coming from the United States. In Canada, in fact, hostility towards Trump is very strong, as he not only claimed to want to annex the country to the USA (an obviously unfeasible proposal), but also repeatedly discredited then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with the new Prime Minister Carney declaring the historic friendship between the two countries over. And let’s not even mention how the Greenlanders welcomed—or rather did not welcome—Vice President Vance, who arrived on the island for a quick inspection of a military base. Furthermore, Trump approved tariffs of up to 25 percent on goods imported from Canada – a measure seen as extremely aggressive politically, which sparked what is considered an all-out trade war. In response, many Canadians began a boycott of US-made products. Many also canceled their vacations in the United States. However, despite the resentment towards the USA being fueled by Canadian institutions, there have been no reports of violence or discrimination against US citizens in the country.

The same is true in Denmark. Here too, there are various forms of boycotts against US products or businesses, due to Trump’s stances, who adopted increasingly threatening and aggressive rhetoric, such as claiming he wanted to take control of Greenland – an island that is part of Danish territory. The fact remains that, just like in Canada, US citizens are not targeted: «We have a problem with the Trump administration, not with the American people», said a Danish citizen who runs a Facebook group – with over 80,000 members – encouraging the boycott of US goods: users post lists of products not to buy because they are linked to the United States, offering European alternatives. Various forms of boycott have also spread in Sweden and Norway — in both cases as a protest against the Trump administration’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The most visible retaliation so far has been directed at Tesla: in Sweden, between January 2024 and January 2025, the brand’s sales decreased by 44 percent, while in Norway they fell by 38 percentage points.