"No Politics Among Relatives"... US Family Divisions Reach Extreme Levels

Former President Trump in Legal Battle with Nephew
Governor Walz's Older Brother: "Completely Oppose My Brother's Ideology"
Kennedy Family Criticizes Brother Supporting Trump

On the 10th (local time), local residents in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, are watching the presidential candidate TV debate broadcasted on a large screen. Source=Yonhap News

Family divisions caused by political differences in American society are reported to be at an unprecedented level.

On the 14th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported, "It has become common to avoid political discussions at family gatherings for the sake of harmony," adding, "Severe political polarization and resulting family estrangement have reached a serious level." With the upcoming presidential election in November, the nation has become deeply divided between supporters of the Republican and Democratic parties.

In particular, the NYT reported, "Even Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, have been divided due to serious differences of opinion within their families." His niece, Mary Trump, published a book exposing allegations of inheritance tax evasion and scandals within the Trump family during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In response, former President Trump filed a lawsuit, and they are currently engaged in a legal battle.

Additionally, the recent division within Governor Walz's family has come to light. After accepting the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention on the 21st of last month, a rift with his older brother Jeff surfaced. Jeff, a supporter of former President Trump, posted harsh criticisms of Walz on his social media. He said, "(Walz) is not someone to entrust the future to," and "I am 100% opposed to all of his ideologies." In an interview with the media, Jeff mentioned, "I did not hear directly from Walz about his vice presidential nomination. I found out through the radio," adding, "That made me feel very bad." The two are known to have not spoken for about eight years due to political differences.

The Kennedy family, known as a 'political dynasty,' is also unable to avoid family divisions. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared his support for former President Trump, unlike his siblings. In response, five of his siblings?Kathleen, Courtney, Kerry, Chris, and Rory Kennedy?issued a statement on the 23rd of last month, saying, "We trust Harris and Walz," and criticized him, stating, "Our brother Bobby's (Kennedy Jr.'s nickname) decision to support Trump is a betrayal of the values our father and family have cherished most." Kennedy Jr. is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. He has long campaigned against vaccines and vaccination mandates, even comparing vaccine mandates to the totalitarianism of Nazi Germany.