As President Donald Trump settles into his second term in office, his influence abroad is already being felt — and not positively. Foreign leaders and citizens, particularly in Europe and Canada, are reacting strongly against his policies, sparking economic boycotts, diplomatic tensions and growing public backlash.
The effects of this backlash can be seen most prominently in the economic decline of American companies, such as Tesla. The electric vehicle company was founded by Elon Musk, who is now the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to The Guardian, because European buyers were dissatisfied with the Trump Administration, Tesla’s value is down 15%.
Digital activism has been surging worldwide. In Canada, apps such as Buy Beaver, Maple Scan and Is This Canadian? have been created to allow users to scan barcodes to avoid products made in the United States and suggest locally-made alternatives. Meanwhile, hockey arenas have become stages for protests, as Canadian fans have been booing the American National Anthem when U.S. teams come to visit.
Similarly, the Danish grocery company Salling Group has made it easier to identify American-made products by indicating them with a black star on shelves. In Sweden, a Facebook group with over 70,000 members shares tips on boycotting American goods and searching for alternatives.
In an era where shopping choices have become political statements, Zoe Gardner, an organizer for the U.K.-based Stop Trump Coalition, framed the movement bluntly to The Guardian.
“People are so furious, and this is about taking back power. Already across Europe, we are seeing sales of Tesla falling off a cliff because Musk encapsulates so much of the problem with the Trump administration, both its culture of horrible racism and the economic side,” she said.
The response from international leaders has been just as fierce. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the Trump administration’s tariffs on Canadian goods, saying it is “a very dumb thing to do,” according to Reuters.
In retaliation, Trudeau placed a 25% tariff on American imports to Canada. Trump threatened another increase in tariffs in response, as well as accusing Trudeau of failing to stop fentanyl from entering the United States and mockingly referring to him as “governor” of Canada, calling it the “51st state.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has taken these threats very seriously, according to the BBC. She also noted that none of Trump’s secretaries have reached out to her about the new tariffs.
“We didn’t want this trade war. We did everything that was required under the executive order to make sure our border was safe and secure. This is a bogus excuse on the part of the Trump administration against us,” Joly said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently corrected Trump’s false claim that Europe is being “paid back” for aid sent to Ukraine, which Trump said is unfair to U.S. taxpayers. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, Trump claimed that the U.S. had provided $350 billion to Ukraine, compared to Europe’s $100 billion, which he said was given “in the form of a loan.”
According to FactCheck.org, this claim is misleading at best. While a small amount of money has been paid back to Europe, the majority was not paid in the form of a loan. Additionally, since the start of the war in Ukraine, Congress has only spent about $174.2 billion on aid.
Trump’s second term has been shaping up to be divisive internationally, and it’s clear that the world isn’t just watching, it’s pushing back, even at the checkout line. With tensions rising and global confidence in the Trump administration sinking, many foreign citizens and leaders are making their message clear: they’re not staying silent.
