We travel internationally a lot. Lately when we meet someone abroad, one of the first things my wife does is apologize for Trump.
I imagine Trump supporters (except the rich ones maybe) probably don’t travel abroad as much anyway.
I’m about to visit Japan, for an international event. One of the attendees is almost certainly maga (and very rich). There will also be a lot of Europeans, including a couple who are liberal communists (in a democratic EU way, not a society way.) I’m a little curious how that’s going to go.
I highly doubt that more than a few Americans (and leftoids, at that) are trying to pass as Canadian 
on trips north of the border. Any that do - treat it as imitation being a bizarre form of flattery.
What would not be surprising is MAGAs not wearing their gear on trips to the great white north, if they have any remnants of good sense.
On the reverse side, during a recent week in Maine I spotted only one Quebec license plate.* Maybe they’ve switched to U.S. rentals to blend in.
*more than made up for by a plethora of Massholes.
Canadians have been avoiding US travel ever since Trump started his trade war and talks of annexing us.
Trying to pass as Canadian in Canada seems stupid. Surely you’d be caught out. I assumed the question was about trying to pass as Canadian in third countries. And honestly, i probably could do that if i tried, especially somewhere far away, like Japan. My accent isn’t that different, I’ve visited Canada on many occasions, i follow Canadian sports as much as US sports, and follow Canadian politics a little, enough to pass as a politically disconnected person. The only sticking point is the lying part.
Most of us can’t tell the difference ( and are Cdns really getting bent out of shape over it?)
We’re getting a little bent out of shape over it. They may be using our flags, but they’ll still act like Americans, and now we’re going to get blamed for that.
From the article:
Another American from Michigan told CNN that during their travels in Greece, she and her friend lied to their waiter and told him they were Canadian after being sneered at for being American one too many times during their Euro holiday this summer.
When he asked where in Canada they were from, her friend blurted out Ontario. What they didn’t expect was that the waiter knew more about the province than they did, and started excitedly reeling off places that they knew nothing about. Their plan quickly unraveled.
“After that we kind of decided not to do it again because it was pretty awkward not being able to back that up. It was just like a silly idea,” said Grace, 22, a Republican who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of backlash.
Of course, they knew nothing about Ontario. Never expected anything different.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of plagiarism.”
Oscar Wilde
I share with a few million Americans the slight cheatcode that I can honestly put the flag of Puerto Rico on my lapel or bag and the worst that can happen is someone will confuse it with Cuba (talk about imitation!). Maybe I should also add a Bad Bunny concert tour t-shirt just to be sure.
I wonder if the American accent is enough to instantly betray a U.S. person in Canada. If not, then the best approach is just to keep one’s head low. Plus, no need to wear a maple flag in Canada anymore than one needs wear a US flag in the USA.
I always found this quite remarkable, but apparently every (native English-speaking) Canadian can instantly detect my American accent although I have lived here for 57 years, while I cannot really detect a Canadian accent, except for a few words. But if I were going abroad, I would certainly use my Canadian passport. And no Greek waiter will know more about Montreal than I do.
The only time I remember anyone getting in my face about place of origin for political reasons was years ago when purchasing stuff in the Seattle area. The cashier thought it would be a good idea to mock my being from Ohio* (apparently living in what at the time was a swing state offended her).
Not the best way to win a person over to your side.
*must have had to show I.D. or else she was psychic.
This has been common since at least the 1980 s
I like graphics. So naturally I like flags.
I have a union jack Tshirt and a Japanese flag hoodie.
I don’t try to pass myself off as anything. Not that I’ll be traveling but I wear my shirts whenever I please.
I have lots of American and state flags. I have to say I’ve not worn American flag shirt, even on the summer holidays, this year.
I’m certainly not ashamed to be American. I am ashamed of some people in my country. But the MAGAs have hijacked the flag iconography the last couple years. So flag wear is curtailed.
I think its ridiculous to try and say your a Canadian if your not.
Americans who say (and have said to me) “My apologies, I didn’t vote for Trump” are being disingenuous. They aren’t saying “I voted for Harris.”. None would say “My apologies, I voted Libertarian.”
What they are saying, to avoid being blamed or disadvantaged is “I didn’t think it could get this bad, so I didn’t vote at all (or didn’t vote against)”. Never mind that glosses over their material contribution towards the calamity.
So they are privatising gains, whilst socialising losses.
I would not apologize to anyone about who I did or did not vote for.
It’s nunya, first off.
Second if you ask me you might see a nasty stare.
This is where caring if your not American gets me.
Just because you care, maybe commiserate a bit(thx btw) you don’t get to ask me who I voted for.
If I offer it, that’s on me.
What’s old is new again. Flag jacking by Americans of the Canadian flag was a thing among the budget traveler crowd in the 1980’s in China and SE Asia.
I never went for that, and frankly have never lied about being an American when asked directly by someone. Made for some interesting times, and sometimes the reaction was a pleasant surprise.
But you actually live in Montreal.
I can recognize a Canadian accent. I was also shocked when i listened to some guy from Greenland to realize that he had, to my ears, a distinct Danish accent when speaking English.