David Huzzard was initially sceptical when a friend of his posted conspiracy theories about QAnon on Facebook in the autumn. He recalls thinking, "Maybe they got tricked."Huzzard is a Virginia Beach 40-year-old pet shop owner who knows how to maintain friendships with people who do not vote the same way as he does. Huzzard is a Democrat living in a small town that narrowly voted for President Joe Biden in 2020.Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter to receive the latest and most interesting stories from The Washington Post.His friend's rhetoric grew stronger. Huzzard's friend shared falsehoods on Facebook about fraud in mail-in ballots shortly before the election. Huzzard and Huzzard's wife were extra cautious to avoid covid-19 because they were due to have a baby in November. They also planned to vote absentee. Huzzard did not address the issue directly with his friend, instead posting a Facebook post that stated: "If your against mail-in voter, then you are against my voting rights, and you're not my friend anymore."Huzzard and his friend were still cordial when they met in person. Huzzard considered inviting his friend and her husband to dinner. Huzzard and his wife became increasingly disinformation-laden about the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccine masks, and decided to stop socializing with them.Trump's era has caused bitter divisions among family members, friends, and couples. The American Enterprise Institute's June study found that 15% of Americans have broken up over politics. 22% of those who did said that they broke up over Trump support.Huzzard's ex-pal is one example of a Republican who has more bipartisan friendships with Democrats than Republicans. Just over half (53%) of Republicans claimed they have at most some Democratic friends, while 32% of Democrats said that they have at the least some Republican friends.Continue the storyIs it possible to stay close when political beliefs diverge, as was the case for Huzzard's friend and Huzzard? According to Daniel A. Cox (AEI's resident scholar on polling, public opinion), the study by the think tank didn't examine how vaccine hesitancy or covid-19 affect friendships.Cox points out that Trump was able to make things that were not previously considered political (such as belief in facts and the efficacy or vaccines) into partisan issues. Trump's followers were so devoted to him that it was difficult for them to take criticism and bear that kind of person.A Hispanic woman said to AEI that she would not be able to have anything to do with anyone who was a fan or follower of DJT. Trump supporters are also ready to leave friends, AEI reports. A study participant said that she unfriended others online and stopped speaking to "people who don't respect our great president Trump." Liberal women were more likely to break ties than other people. A third of them said that they had stopped being friends with someone due to their political views.Cox also says that race is a factor. Black Democrats are a good example. They have few Republican friends so they rarely have the chance to interact across the political aisle. Cox says that people who are strong partisans tend be more socially segregated.But, it's possible to make friendships across political lines. Cox states that Americans who have such connections are less likely to adopt extreme views and stereotypes of the other.Elizabeth Pipko is a 26-year old Republican-leaning White woman who was part of the 2016 Trump campaign. She estimates that most her friends are left-leaning. She's lost many friends due to a mismatch between politics and people she cares about, but she has maintained friendships where she can understand the viewpoints of her friends. Pipko recalled her friend telling Pipko last year that he only wanted to listen when they were discussing Black Lives Matter with a Black male friend. Pipko said they talked for hours and that he viewed her as a friend and not as a Republican. It was pleasant when he spoke to Elizabeth as Elizabeth and not as someone who might disagree with me.How can you decide whether or not to stay close to someone who holds different beliefs from yours? Marisa Franco is a psychologist who specializes on friendship. She is not associated with the AEI Study. She advises people to step back and evaluate the relationship holistically. Ask yourself: Are there any pros? Franco points out that many liberals are people who are also of color. This can make it more difficult for them to have friends with someone from the other political party, as it could threaten their safety and dignity.Franco says, "It's okay to not want friends with people that make you feel unsafe." Friendship is a source of comfort and ease. Franco points out that people who make friends with people of different values don't always feel like they can attain the same ease.-?-This report was contributed by Emily Guskin, Washington Post.Similar ContentEmployees: This summer, you're missing the beachTo see if I was ready to live on the other side, I visited Las Vegas.It was worth millions. It was sold by Big Ag to Sonny Perdue's firm for $250,000.
