After one year into Donald Trump’s second term, an American-Danish family in Copenhagen feels the backlash of U.S. politics more personally than ever.
Life Between Two Countries
Natalie Gulsrud has lived in Denmark for 17 years. Originally from the United States, she is married to a Dane and raising three children in Copenhagen. Normally, she says, being both American and Danish blended easily. But in the past year, especially since Donald Trump’s return to office, she has started to notice a harsher tone.
On a recent weekday, Natalie was walking her five-year-old daughter Ruby to the American embassy for a passport renewal. As they approached the building, a few passing drivers honked and raised their middle fingers. It stunned Ruby. For Natalie, it was another sign of how emotionally charged attitudes toward America have become.
A Year Marked by Political Tension
Exactly one year has passed since Donald Trump was sworn in as president for the second time before a jubilant crowd in Washington D.C. What followed has been a year filled with controversy, from his social media outbursts to his renewed interest in U.S. relations with Denmark and especially Greenland. His earlier attempt to buy Greenland years ago had already drawn widespread criticism and misunderstanding across the Atlantic. For Danes, Trump’s rhetoric about Greenland and Danish sovereignty is part of a long pattern of uneasy moments between the two nations, as explored in this discussion of Trump tensions and Danish architecture.
Like many Americans abroad, Natalie says she feels caught between two worlds. In Denmark, she faces frustration directed toward Trump and the U.S. government. In the U.S., her family is politically divided. These crosscurrents make it difficult to find common ground.
Changing Times and Fractured Families
Natalie recalls more optimistic decades when political disagreements rarely divided families. Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, she remembers broad faith in progress and international cooperation. Now, she says, political anger quickly spills into personal relationships.
Her own brother, once a supporter of the progressive Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, became a Trump voter in 2016 and stayed loyal through each election. What started as polite discussions about policy eventually turned into silence. They rarely talk politics anymore.
Among her extended family in the U.S., she describes a patchwork of views. Some are Democrats, others Republicans, and most prefer to avoid political talk altogether. The younger generation, she believes, is more open to conversation despite disagreement. They focus on work, sports, or everyday life instead. Natalie says it is a conscious choice to keep peace at family gatherings.
Understanding the Anger
Even though Natalie feels uncomfortable being targeted while visiting her own embassy, she tries to see things from the Danish perspective. Many Danes are confused or angry about America’s political polarization and foreign tone. She encourages her children to respond with empathy rather than defensiveness. When they encounter criticism, she reminds them that frustration often comes from fear or confusion.
That perspective helps her make sense of painful moments, like being insulted in public or criticized for U.S. politics she did not choose. In conversations with Danish friends, she finds space to explain the complex realities of her homeland. She hopes understanding can replace resentment.
Life Moving Forward
Despite tensions, Natalie loves living in Denmark. She appreciates the safety, strong social system, and open cultural life. For her, Denmark still represents what the American dream once promised: equality, opportunity, and mutual trust. But she also misses the idealism she remembers from her early years in America.
She remains hopeful that dialogue and empathy can bridge divides both in her own family and in broader international relations. Her story is just one example of how global politics can touch daily life—even far from Washington or Copenhagen’s political heart.
For now, Natalie and her Danish husband focus on raising their three children to value curiosity and understanding, not hostility. In her words, the best response to a political storm is teaching the next generation to listen.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Trump Tensions Put Danish Architecture Firm on Edge
The Danish Dream: Best Immigration Lawyers in Denmark for Foreigners
DR: Efter et år med Trump mærker amerikansk-dansk familie en hård tone
