Voters view each other with growing hostility across party lines

President Joe Biden tried to explain this week that he doesn’t really think Donald Trump supporters are “trash”, but that doesn’t mean other people don’t believe that label is sometimes inappropriate.

“I would say some of them are trash,” he said. Samantha Leister32 years old who went to see Kamala Harris at a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

What about the rest? Leyster, whose parents and father-in-law support Trump, says they are “misguided.”

That same day, at a Trump rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the idea of ​​voting for Harris was unimaginable.

“I just think they are uneducated and believe all the lies,” said Sean VanderheydenTrump, 44, attended the meeting with Trump along with his wife and two young daughters. “It’s unfortunate.”

Vanderheyden still has faith in some people who support the Democratic vice president, saying, “I hope they open their eyes.”

An enduring truth of American politics that will surely outlive controversy over Biden’s comments and this year’s presidential campaign—is that many Trump and Harris voters view each other with disdain and suspicion. At best, they are embarrassed by people who support the other party and are worried about the future of the country. after the elections.

The wariness among Americans is not new, but interviews with voters in battleground states suggest it is only getting deeper and more compelling. It divided families and friends and drove people further into their political tribes.

Some say they believe the country is heading toward an even more dramatic split.

Braxton WadfordThe 20-year-old predicted there would be a “mass exodus” of Americans after the election, no matter who wins. He said people on both sides could not imagine living under the leadership of an opposition party.

“The American Dream is turning into leaving America,” said Wadford, who voted early for Trump in North Carolina.

Jennifer PhelanThe 60-year-old is volunteering for Harris’ campaign in the same state, encouraging undecided voters to vote for the vice president. She’s nervous about the election and doesn’t understand why it’s so close.

“It’s very much like a cartoon about good and evil,” she said at a Harris rally in Raleigh.

Political hostility has been building for some time, fueled by historical upheavals. There was the outbreak of a global pandemic, a violent insurrection at the US Capitol and nationwide protests against racial injustice – all in just one year.

Pew Research Center found that Democrats and Republicans increasingly view members of the other party as unintelligent, lazy, immoral or dishonest. And almost everyone has a very or somewhat unfavorable opinion of the other side, according to AP-NORC Poll from September.

Travis WatersTrump, 54, said Trump supporters are “out of touch with reality.” He doesn’t have any close Trump supporters, and he has no intention of adding any.

“I think the people I choose to associate with are not those who support the invasion of the Capitol, say. Haitians eat domestic animals and lie,” Waters said while waiting in line at Harrisburg’s event.

Trump has been a dominant figure in American politics for nearly a decade, promoting polarization, demonizing his political opponents and instilling a sense of persecution among his followers.

“Look at how they treated you,” he said at one of his rallies this week. “They treated you like trash.”

This was a reference to Biden’s comments after Trump’s recent event at Madison Square Gardenwhere the comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

During a campaign call organized by the Latino advocacy group Voto Latino, Biden said “the only trash I see out there are his supporters.” His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American.”

Biden later stressed that he was referring to rhetoric, not Trump supporters. And Harris said she doesn’t agree with “any criticism of people based on who they vote for.”

Norma JeffcoatThe 72-year-old said she was hurt by criticism over her support for Trump.

“I have people close to me who think I’m voting for a racist,” she said at a rally in North Carolina. “It breaks my heart. I love my country very much.”

Jeffcoat is fiercely loyal to the former president, who she says has suffered unfairly from criminal prosecution, political attacks and assassination attempts.

The Trump flag hanging outside her home was torn to pieces by the wind, but she rejected her husband’s attempt to replace it.

“I said no,” Jeffcoat said. “It will remain there until after the election because it symbolizes everything he has been through.”

Nick SundquistTrump, 47, said Trump was a hypocrite by criticizing Biden for his “garbage” comment.

“It’s ironic that Donald Trump is using name-calling to his advantage,” he said at a Harris rally in Wisconsin. “We’re not the ones who need to worry about storming the Capitol.”

He said he occasionally talks about the election with his brother and father, who support Trump, but “it’s not going very well.”

This has been a common refrain among others who describe policy discussions as more trouble than they’re worth.

“Everything we say, they have a funny answer,” said Debi Franz66. “It’s terrible to say this because we don’t communicate anymore. It’s no use.”

Her husband, Phil, 68, agreed.

“I just avoid it,” he said as they waited for Harris to take the stage in Madison.

But at least one person decided to give it a try this week.

Annette UhlenbergThe 52-year-old attended Harris’ rally in Raleigh and said she was inspired by conversations about rising above political differences.

So she took a photo with her campaign sign, wrote a message about “country over party,” and sent it to three of her friends who she thought would vote for Trump.

None of them answered immediately.

But perhaps, Uhlenberg hopes, it will “at least open the door to conversation.”

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Republished with permission from The Associated Press.

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