Public Comment

Known as the Trump Effect, President Trump’s presidential election has had a substantial impact on personal relationships. In various articles and newspaper reports on this issue we learn of the many friendships and marriages that have come to end. In one highly publicized instance, for example, a woman who was a California prison guard divorced her husband of 22 years when she was 73 because he voted for Trump. She explained that she felt “betrayed”. 

During difficult times many Americans over the years change their political perspective. One woman complained that her husband of 24 years shifted to the political right. Although she tolerated his politics for a long while his support for Trump was too much. When she filed for divorce she explained, “I just couldn’t see sharing a bed with somebody that agreed with what Trump was doing”. 

Undoubtedly, marriages that are built on a strong foundation are unlikely to break up because of political differences. On the other hand politics is not only very important to many Americans. It has been becoming more so. In fact, one lawyer claims that she has not seen so many couples fighting over politics in her 35 years of practice. 

According to the research, 11 percent of married couples have ended their relationship because of political differences. Among younger couples, 22 percent broke off because of political tensions. If we take into account the aggregate adverse impact of political tensions on both marriages and partnerships, almost 30 percent of Americans are engaged in unhappy relationships. 

Although there is certainly an overlap with regard to how couples react to Trump and Trumpism, there tends to be a marked gender difference. The majority of women, 60 percent, vote for Democrats, which suggests that they favor a liberal perspective. But only a minority of men, 47 percent, vote for Democrats. How do we account for the difference? According to a Pew research poll, 80 percent of Americans believe that women are more compassionate than men. As the evidence confirms, that’s right. They are also more empathetic. By applying their strengths to their political activities, it is likely that women will play a major role in unseating Donald Trump this November.