Attendees pray during AmericaFest, the first Turning Point USA summit since the death of Charlie Kirk, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. December 20, 2025. REUTERS/Cheney Orr
Democratic strategist and author Jessica Tarlov says liberals have bigger problems with President Donald Trump supporters than Trumpers have with liberals. But that higher standard is leaving MAGA out in the cold with old friends and relatives.
“Trump himself is such a moralfailing that it says something more definitive about you [as a Trumper],” Tarlov said, and this reality appears to be bearing out in survey interviews of both Republicans and Democrats.
“Even though we don't post political things, we've literally, my husband and I have lost friends,” one Trump supporter told Bulwark surveyors. “My stepmother, her niece didn't even go to her — didn’t invite her own parents to her wedding. And when her father died, she never even went to say ‘goodbye’ to him or even went to the funeral.”
Another Trump supporter lamented the “finger pointing” and “blaming.”
“I have a sister who is very, very far left and it is next to impossible to have a decent conversation with her because it's just, I feel like it's, um, there's no common sense, I feel like, and no worldly experience, I guess,” she told analysts. “That bothers me.”
But Democrats appear unbending in their ethics, according to interviews.
“This one close friend, we no longer speak,” one never-Trumper told Bulwark analysts. “I'm sure you've heard QAnon and all of that stuff, right? She's absolutely crazy. So, our relationship has been totally severed. I have a really good friend who went through breast cancer — but she's quite young as well — went through breast cancer a few years ago. And she's a big, big supporter of Trump and doesn't believe he's taking away funding for cancer research. Like, how can you not believe that?”
“So, it's kind of just made me take a step back and look at them,” the woman added. “That's not to say that they're bad people. Their rebuttal to me is, ‘well, you're a Democrat, I'm a Republican, we both want what's best for America.’ Well, no, in my opinion. You don't want what's best for America, or you wouldn't have voted for Donald Trump.”
Another Democrat said he is quick to avoid Trump supporters in his own circle and would immediately pull affection if he ever detects an affinity for the president.
“I have a friend who happens to be an immigrant. He works in finance and he's also gay and he voted for Donald Trump. I don't know what is his reasoning for that. I think he realizes most of his friends are very progressive, so he doesn't really talk about it. So, we don't ever speak about it, but I realistically found that out and I'm like, what the f—— is wrong with this person? I don't understand his reasoning,” the respondent said. “I don't really want to know or care. I just know that I would never have sex with that person.”