At the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, a video of Vice President J.D. Vance being booed went viral. The scene took place immediately after the crowd had roared for United States’ athletes, suggesting a distinction between the crowd’s perception of American athletes versus American political elites. This moment tells a broader story about how the world views the U.S. right now, not in the context of the Olympics but rather in the context of global politics. 

Donald Trump’s election in Nov. 2024 marked the start of a rapid downturn in global relationships— already struggling alliances were essentially obliterated as soon as Trump took office in January 2025. These international tensions were highlighted further in Davos, Switzerland during the 2026 World Economic Forum, where the Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney—the U.S.’s long term ally—delivered a speech that called attention to the U.S.’s recent actions and acknowledged a departure from the long-standing world order. He subtly urged other countries to come together in the face of American-induced adversity, hinting that Canada would pursue other options in place of the United States. 

Former New York Times journalist, Masha Gessen, further exemplifies this international perspective through their work. Gessen grew up in the Soviet Union, and highlights that there are close parallels between Soviet autocracy and the practices of Trump. There is irony in the U.S.’s long term hatred for Russia and Vladimir Putin combined with the fact that Trump is now adopting exceedingly similar lexicon and manipulation tactics. 

Overall, the consensus is simple: global actors are not the biggest fans of the United States right now.

Yet, it is interesting to note the way in which American residents increasingly distinguish themselves from their political elites. The moment in the opening ceremony in which American athletes were supported and Vance was heavily booed indicates a potential gap in hatred for the United States— American residents and their international counterparts are able to make a clear distinction between the people and their representatives. 

This is important. 

Under the current circumstances of the United States, many American residents are looking everywhere for support, a seemingly impossible ask in a time where the American political elites are pushing hard back against helping other nations. There is, of course, an element of the international landscape that is becoming increasingly hostile to Americans– specifically regarding their ability to travel and live abroad. But there also seems to be a growing soft spot for American residents that has never existed before. 

The United States’ rapid shift toward a political regime resembling authoritarianism seems to invite sympathy that international actors had not previously felt toward American residents, especially as so many Americans organize and speak out against the Trump administration. 

This juxtaposition—the contrast between hatred for the United States government and pity toward victims of the government—paints a picture that is almost heartening. In a country that has historically been hostile toward individuals living in authoritarian regimes like Russia, it does not make sense that people would be able to separate the people from the regime they fall under. Yet, it seems like they are. 

The United States’ actions should be strongly condemned by actors around the world— that is not a question. However, the international community’s support for the American people is unprecedented given current circumstances. It introduces a sense of hopefulness that has never presented itself before, and it offers glimmers of hope and validation that these widely-acknowledged horrific circumstances are temporary.

This is the mindset Americans must learn to adopt toward their international counterparts.