American journalist says Trump turns US identity into embarrassment abroad
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- American journalist in the UK says her nationality has become a source of shame under Trump.
- Public perception of Americans abroad shifted from admiration to fear and pity.
American journalist Helen Kirwan Taylor, who has lived in the United Kingdom for decades with her British husband, says her nationality has become a source of embarrassment. Writing in the British paper i, she described a recent airport incident in Austria where a security officer reacted with shock upon seeing her passport, shouting, "You’re American?" Taylor said she instinctively apologized both to him and to fellow travelers.
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She was required twice to prove her residence in the UK and spent the entire border process fearing she might be denied entry. Observers on the scene, she said, gave her silent, judgmental looks.
Trump shapes perception
Taylor attributes the experience to the image of the United States under President Donald Trump. She says Trump portrays the country as "uneducated, conspiratorial, violent, dishonest, racist, and bullying, having lost its Christian values and seeking to destroy what remains of democracy worldwide".
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She also cited Trump’s criticism of NATO’s role in Afghanistan as further damaging US-UK relations.
Mixed reactions among Americans abroad
Through conversations with friends and colleagues, Taylor identified three groups of Americans abroad. Some openly support Trump, often for financial or political gain. Others feel deep shame and moral despair, seeing the country’s values collapse. A third group remains loyal to the American people rather than the administration, finding hope in solidarity among citizens resisting Trump’s policies.
From pride to embarrassment
Taylor concludes that the United States is no longer seen as a "beacon of values." She says American culture has shifted from admired to embarrassing, provoking fear or pity rather than respect.
