Two weeks ago, after a decade, my father and I finally engaged in a constructive dialogue about American politics, and I owe it to Donald Trump.
Since that pivotal day ten years ago when Trump dramatically descended the golden escalator at Trump Tower to declare his presidential run, my father’s fascination grew. He found Trump’s boldness and magnetic personality captivating, mistakenly believing he was acting in the best interest of the Indian-American community.
While he thankfully never turned our home into a shrine for MAGA merchandise, my father’s support for Trump was far from subtle. My progressive beliefs often clashed with his fiscal conservatism. Eventually, I gave up on engaging him politically. When he broached topics relating to Trump or politics, I would cleverly pivot to avoid what my mother affectionately calls “World War III.”
Our recent conversation unfolded like this:
“Have you read the news lately?” my dad asked as he drove me home.
Here we go again. I anticipated where this discussion was headed, and having just endured a tough week of midterms, I wanted to minimize conflict. So I opted for brevity in my response.
“No,” I fibbed. “Been busy.” Trying to remain calm, I mentally prepared the most measured and politically neutral reply. Yet, before I could finalize my thoughts, he interjected.
“Trump is ruining this country. I thought he would make things better, but he’s only making them worse.”
In that moment, I realized I had been too quick to judge my father. Maybe other conservative parents are also beginning to distance themselves from Trump as he undermines crucial American institutions. Just three months into his second term, Trump has implemented a federal hiring freeze and introduced the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by tech mogul Elon Musk, aimed at dismantling numerous longstanding federal jobs. He also eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion, pulled out of the World Health Organization, and pardoned January 6th rioters, among various other executive actions. And let’s not overlook the fact that Trump himself has 34 felony convictions.
