Relations between Italy and the US have cooled in recent months, as the once-close bond between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has soured amid disputes over tariffs, Greenland and NATO.

The US State Department also issued a worldwide security caution in March, urging all Americans abroad to stay alert and signaling growing anti-American sentiment overseas.

It’s left some Americans in Italy thinking more about how they’re perceived.

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“I feel that increasingly, Italians view Americans as ‘Yankee go home’,” one American resident in Florence tells The Local, referring to a slogan commonly seen in graffiti in the city.

“When I first arrived in Italy five years ago, we were widely welcomed by cab drivers and restaurant workers who were struggling for business during Covid. But now we are here in such large numbers, especially where I live in Florence, that we are often considered a nuisance.”

Anthony Joseph Durrett, living in Casarello, Alessandria, has noticed a "moderate" change in how people from the US are perceived, saying: “Most Italians feel sorry for us.”

Colleen, who has lived in Perugia for 23 years, expresses feeling “very embarrassed and betrayed” as an American living abroad during the current administration.

“Until Donald Trump’s bizarre treatment of America’s allies in Europe, [I] have never felt the need to apologize to my friends for being an American,” she says.

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David, originally from Texas and living in Lecco since March, says Italians and other Europeans who ask him for his opinion are "visibly relieved" when he assures them that he does not support Trump.

"The only time the current American government comes up in conversation – which is rare – is when Italians and other Europeans want to find out whether we support Trump and MAGA," he says. "When we assure them that we don't, they are visibly relieved."

Linda Tosti, a dual citizen living in Arona, agrees: “People in my comune are welcoming and for the most part recognize that Trump is not the majority of the US.”

Not every reader sees things this way.

“I’m mixed,” said one anonymous reader from Naples, saying they agree with Trump’s criticisms of allies not doing enough, but disagree with the US president’s “confrontational tactics.”

Paul, living near Padova, says the president is "acting in what he sees as the best interests of the US. Just as any other world leader would do for their country," pointing to Trump's stance on NATO and European defence spending.

He says he hopes Trump and Meloni "will work out their differences."

Many readers express concern about the longer-term impact on the relationship between the two countries.

"Italy and the EU are important, long-term allies, and they should be treated with more respect," says Wes Isley, an American from Virginia now living in Vasto, Abruzzo.

"I fear Trump will permanently damage these relationships, and when the US truly needs support, they'll be less likely to help."

For now, he says, Italians "distinguish between politicians and everyday Americans, but I fear if Trump, Rubio, Hegseth and others don't soon soften their approaches, Italians may lose their love for citizens, too."

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts and experiences for our survey.