Travel experts are advising Americans traveling abroad to be prepared for "confrontational coversations" about President Donald Trump by curious and concerned international citizens, CNN reports.
“Pretty much as soon as they realize I’m American, hear my accent, it’s almost an immediate discussion. They want to talk about the president,” travel influencer Lauren Gay tells CNN.
Gay, who says she is part of the "92 percent" of Black women who voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, that when traveling overseas, she is always hesitant to talk politics, because she "never assumes a stranger’s reaction will be in line with her views."
When traveling in Ireland, Gay's rideshare driver jumped right in on the subject of Trump.
"“He asked how we could do this again,” referring to Trump’s second term. “He said he couldn’t believe it happened a second time — the Irish don’t mince their words,” she says.
And while some tour operators have strict "no politics" policies, sometimes it's just impossible to avoid, CNN says.
One Trump supporter was on a group trip in Switzerland and was approached by a cattle rancher from New Zealand, who "groaned" and asked her, "What about Trump?"
“So then you start building sympathy, because you can be a Trump supporter, but still not like, you know, the kind of bad things that come out of politics,” says Trump supporter Angie Roach.
Gay's experiences with this began during Trump's first term when she was approached by a stranger in England who heard her American accent and said, ", “Oh, that president of yours, I’m so sorry. Can I give you a hug?” she recalls.
Luxury travel agent Josh Geller says that although American travel to Europe is "booming," he is aware of how Trump has affected travel abroad.
"I'l ask when they come back, ‘What was it like for you?’ And they’ll say, ‘Oh, it was still great. People are really curious how we’re dealing with the current political climate in America,’” he says.
Traveler Nicole Hernandez tells CNN that “I can count the amount of times on two hands that I met someone and they were like, ‘What’s your name? Where are you from? Did you vote for Trump?’”
Hernandez advises any American traveling abroad to be prepared for these kinds of confrontational conversations.
“Just be ready for people to push the question,” she says. “And if you’re not comfortable talking about it, to have a response ready," she says.
Gay agrees, saying, “The world is watching, and they’re judging us for it.”