A screenshot of the publication 'The Eagle' featuring an opinion piece by student Mari Santos, a political science student studying abroad for the semester in Scotland at the University of Glasgow. (Ethan Mahimainathan, The Eagle via AP)2025-03-24T20:05:08Z LONDON (AP) The urgent care doctor cocked an eyebrow at Mari Santos and her American accent.It was four days after President Donald Trumps inauguration, and Santos was a student with a stomach bug in the first weeks of an overseas semester in Glasgow, Scotland. A doctor arrived to see her after a six-hour wait. But before asking what ailed her, he said this: Interesting time to be an American, I suppose.Until then, Santos, 20, had not been thinking about Trump just her 104-degree fever and concern about being sick while abroad. But the president and his triumphant return to the White House, she says, were on her physicians mind, giving the American University student an instant education in geopolitics. The lesson, as she sees it: Theres a kind of chilling in the air. I knew that maybe that Europe is not in general big fan of American politics, Santos said, but I didnt expect it to be such like a personal thing. The United States and its center of gravity occupy a unique space in the international conversation. People the world over talk about America its policies, its proclivities, its place in the world. They have for generations. They did it during the Iraq War. They did it during the first Trump administration. And two months into Trump 2.0, at least in many European and English-speaking countries, its happening again sometimes even more intensely. People from other countries have questions about Trump and trustAnswering for America under the new Trump administration is becoming a delicate experience for some of the estimated 5 million U.S. citizens living in other countries.From Santos in Scotland to others in New Zealand, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, Republican and Democratic expats alike told The Associated Press in recent weeks that the moment they are revealed to be American changes virtually every conversation to, in essence, What about Trump? At its root, this change is about whom to trust among those thought until now to be allies, in world politics and in life. Trump, known for insisting the truth is what he says it is, is now the voice of America not VOA, the independent news service that told the nations story for eight decades until he silenced it March 16. The president himself has set an example in which trust is almost beside the point. Who do I trust? I mean, who do you trust? Do you trust anybody? he said during an interview last month with The Spectator, when asked how much he trusts people like Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post.What comes after the revelation that someone is American, U.S. citizens overseas say, are awkward questions, pauses and euphemisms but almost always a reference to America under Trump in 2025.Before this year, the typical follow-up would be asking where exactly Im from and what brought me to France, said Anthony Mucia, 31, a Nebraska native who lives in Toulouse, France and has been overseas for six years. Twice now, the first thing someone asked me was, Are you glad to be in France now? He also gets looks that he interprets as a bit of shock or uneasiness. Almost like it automatically turned into an embarrassing topic. Whats bending these interactions, expats say, is Trumps flurry of orders and statements that have upended 80 years of international order and spooked markets.Hes talked about how the U.S. will one way or the other capture Greenland from Denmark, take back Panama and make Canada the 51st U.S. state. He wants to empty and develop war-battered Gaza, and has cut off U.S. aid to the worlds neediest people. Hes falsely blamed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for starting the Russian invasion and ended a White House meeting with Zelenskyy after berating the Ukrainian leader. Trump has let Europes leaders know that the U.S. is not a staunch ally in facing the Russian threat. And hes set off tariff wars with China, Canada and Mexico. Not smoothing the American experience overseas is the backlash developing against Trumps association with Elon Musk and Tesla, which has fueled growing boycott movements. People are joining Facebook groups to exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region particularly Denmark, where Trumps moves have set the Danish Viking blood boiling, one man told The Associated Press.So far, the interactions are less hostile than wary, Americans overseas say. But anti-U.S. sentiment is emerging as a concern on the cusp of whats expected to be a record-setting international travel season for Americans. Prepare to talk about whats going onJake Lamb, 32, moved from Colorado to Auckland, New Zealand in 2023. He said says hes noticed a significant shift in the types and frequency of questions Im asked over the past year. Kiwis remain friendly about it, but theyve been saying they might have to hide Lamb or vouch that hes one of the good ones if Trump escalates conflicts with former allies. He thinks that the good humor belies wariness.I am concerned that it may become difficult for some not to hold individual Americans responsible, Lamb, a volunteer coordinator for a charity and who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris, said in an email.Elizabeth Van Horne, 33, has lived in France since 2013. For years, she said, people would ask why on Earth Id come to live in France if I could live in the U.S: Its so beautiful, theres so much potential, so much opportunity, like living in a TV show.Now, that romanticized image has completely changed, Van Horne, a Democrat, said in an email. Early in March, a postal worker told her its sad to watch.For me, she said, that conversation summed it up: Je suis desole pour vous Im sorry for you.For Trump supporters abroad, it can be complicatedGeorganne Burke, a Syracuse, N.Y., native living in Ottawa, supported Trump in all three elections and is the chairwoman of Republicans Overseas in Canada. Shes a dual citizen, which makes her something like the Peace Bridge that links the two nations in Buffalo, N.Y.Trumps tariff war, his manner and his provocative talk about how Canada only works as the 51st U.S. state has everybodys hair on fire, she said in an interview. Burke, 77, says shes received threats and had a tense talk with an anti-Trump co-worker. People ask her, How could anyone vote for him?An invitation to speak about trade near the end of March, she says, came with the organizer saying that he was pretty sure that most of the people will be polite. Burke accepted the invitation.She says anti-American sentiment was bad during the Iraq war under President George W. Bush in 2003. But now its different. Then, it was kind of more on the politicians, as the targets of public ire, Burke said in a recent interview. Now, its much more personal. Burkes counterpart in London, Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, says walking around as an American in another country remains more positive than negative. In interviews with media outlets, he readily acknowledges Trump can be obnoxious. But Swenson, 62, is an investment banker, and he says the president and America remain good for business. Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, poses for a photograph in London, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Greg Swenson of Republicans Overseas UK, poses for a photograph in London, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In the private capital world, which is not affected by day-to-day (market) volatility, there is just a huge amount of optimism, Swenson said. That means, he says, that investors want to work with U.S. vendors and customers, seeking American credibility through an affiliation with the president.As for what people overseas think of Americans right now: A survey of social media, neighbors and others shows plenty are curious and concerned. When an American dad posted on Reddit his worry that his family wont be welcomed in Ireland, an Irish dad who asked the AP to identify him by his Reddit handle responded this way:A lot of people like me are really, really alienated and angry at the US and Americans, wrote MDMB13. But the good news is were Irish so youll never know because (we) bury our feelings in a far-off place and let them fester over decades. He ended his comment with a smile emoji. LAURIE KELLMAN Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. She is based in London. twitter facebook mailto