How Are Your Trump-Loving Relatives Dealing With Recent Events?

While political differences between family members are nothing new, the differences that have emerged over the past five years feel differently. In some cases, strongly liberal or conservative relatives have gone from tacitly agreeing to avoid discussing politics to declaring certain family members with opposing viewpoints “dead to them.”

The 2016 election exacerbated existing political polarization, fueling both sides throughout the Trump administration. This has come more than annoying relatives who disagree with you about tax rates or health plans. For some, it crossed a line where it was believed that someone supporting a certain politician or ideology was morally impaired – to the point that a common ancestry was not a sufficient reason to continue the relationship.

And then last week there was an internal terrorist attack on the US Capitol. For some Trump supporters, this was a turning point. Seeing footage of tear gas fired in the Rotunda as their fellow enthusiasts waving the Confederate flags, they have reached a point where they no longer want (or cannot) defend or support the president. Others had a completely different reaction: They doubled their loyalty to the outgoing commander-in-chief and became increasingly ingrained in ideologies rooted in white supremacy .

However, for some families with right-wing uncles who are aware of recent events, there is now an opportunity to have productive political discussions and begin reconciliation. And given how difficult the past four years have been, people may feel pressure to address the issue immediately before the moment passes (or the upcoming second Trump impeachment trials will force people to fall back on their old beliefs). In other families, after last week, some members may become even more radical, and now they need to decide how – and whether to – continue to maintain any relationship with them .

Tell us in the comments: Was the attack on the Capitol last week a turning point for your family? Was this the last straw for members who previously supported Trump but now see him in a different light and want to make amends? Or has it exacerbated existing political divisions, perhaps forcing your family to completely cut out certain members and give up any chance of fixing the fence?

If you had your first conversations about reconciliation and moving forward, what strategies worked? What have you tried that didn’t work or made things worse?