Americans in France on being asked 'are you for Trump?'

Ruth Miller’s backpack is worth a thousand words. 

This Brittany resident, 71, carries on her back a bag with a picture of US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s face. Next to Ocasio-Cortez, in white letters, reads “a woman’s place is in the resistance.” 

Miller, who moved to France from the US in 2015, has had the backpack for about two years and decorated it herself. Since then, she says more than half the time she goes out with it, someone comments on the bag’s display of American politics.  

From there usually sparks one of the many conversations she has had with French people over the years about the US. Sometimes it’s someone expressing support for Ocasio-Cortez. Other times, it’s a person asking her about the presidential election. She’s even discussed politics with her doctor and veterinarian here in France.  

“I’m always happy to talk about it,” said Miller, who is active with Democrats Abroad Brittany. “I feel like it’s part of my responsibility.” 

Miller is far from the only American in France to find themselves repeatedly unpacking US politics. Americans from both sides of the political spectrum say moving to France has sparked frequent, sometimes unexpected discussions about their home country. 

The conversations come at a time when more Americans are moving to France. At the same time, according to an early 2026 poll, French respondents said they increasingly view the US under Trump as an enemy country. As a result, for some Americans in the Hexagon, sharing their nationality with a French person quickly sparks a discussion about everything from the electoral college and gerrymandering to New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. Or, their interlocutor may skip the chatter entirely, and ask, ‘you’re not for Trump, are you?’

At the heart of these interactions lies a key cultural difference. A 2025 Alliance Francaise article notes that while Americans prefer more casual small talk, the French enter quickly into deep, bold topics. 

Members of the US Republican party in France find the French not only question their political affiliations, they sometimes challenge them, said Republicans Overseas France media director Paul Reen. The organization has about 200 members.

“Unfortunately, many French people think Trump is racist and fascist and sexist, so they just get angry and walk away,” Reen told The Connexion. 

Despite this, there’s a growing number of French people willing to have an open dialogue and migrating to the right, he said. 

Reen noted French people bring up a wide range of global-facing US policy issues, like tariffs, Ukraine, Palestine and, more recently, the Iran War. Most share similar opinions - from condemning the Iran War to supporting Palestine. 

“The minority will stay and listen,” Reen said. “The majority just get angry.” 

Leila Meresman, spokesperson for Democrats Abroad France, said American politics remain a fixture of French fascination: “I don't think a day goes by when I talk to French people [...] where somebody will not ask me once they figure out that I'm American, ‘what the heck is going on with Trump and the US administration?’”

Democrats Abroad France does not publish membership numbers per country, spokesperson Amy Porter said. 

Meresman noted that French people are “extremely well informed” and it's always a pleasure for her to talk about politics. However, that was not the case for one American who contacted The Connexion last June. 

“I am fed up with having to be responsible for and explain my native country’s decisions to people in France,” the reader wrote. 

A master’s student in Paris from the US, Micah Polsky said some people immediately ask them if they support Trump. 

“That’s not how you start a conversation,” they said. 

Still, Polsky told The Connexion that they enjoy discussing politics and explaining how the US government works. They have even developed some “canned responses” to explain concepts like the voting system that come up often.    

Addressing the Trump question is particularly tricky for members of the Republican party. 

“'Oh you’re American, you don’t like Trump I hope’ - that's how a Frenchman will start the conversation,” Reen said. “So you’re immediately on your backfoot.” 

It is an experience Republicans coming from the States don’t expect at first, Reen said. He suggested joining groups like Republicans Overseas France and having some facts ready to share in a discussion.

“Try to stay friendly and don't get confrontational,” he said. “Maybe you can change some hearts and minds.” 

While in France political discussions spark frequently, in a 2024 survey by the American Psychology Association, 72% of US adults polled said they hoped to avoid discussing politics with their family over the holidays. That was shortly after the divisive election that sealed Trump’s second term.  

Christopher Davis, a Franco-American teacher in Lille, has integrated that election’s results into his teaching. He often explains the American political situation to his post graduate-level students and said they are curious about everything from immigration, to understanding the Republican voter base. 

In the wake of Trump's re-election and his tariffs on Europe, some Americans worried about their safety when visiting France. A tourist interviewed by BBC last year said he covered the US flag logo on his hat before stepping out in Paris. 

Most Americans The Connexion spoke to said they haven’t encountered any politics-related hostility. 

“People have the ability to differentiate a citizen from the government,” Davis said. He added that making an effort to speak French and respecting the local culture greatly improves Americans’ perception in France. 

As a word of advice for those less willing to discuss politics: “you’re allowed to say, this isn’t really my area of expertise,” Polsky said.   

According to a recent analysis cited last year by BBC, the US expat community in France is overwhelmingly pessimistic about their home country’s future. But for Davis, like many others, the chance to talk about the US situation is more of an opportunity than a burden. 

“I'm sad for my country, in a sense, where I don't recognize the direction we're taking,” he said. “That's why I feel that it's important to explain it, rather than to just let it by.” 

If you’re an American who’s had similar conversations in France, we’d love to hear about your experience. Please contact us at feedback@connexionfrance.com.