As we stare down another four years of Donald Trump, there’s been a lot of discourse about people cutting off their Trump-supporting family members after the election. In one story I found, a father is cutting off his Trump-supporting sons financially, and people are debating on whether he’s gone too far as a parent.
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Here’s the full story in g_scotty_brahms own words: “Is my brother an ‘am I the asshole’ candidate for wanting to cut off his sons financially for voting for Trump? Like many Americans, my brother and I, both in our 50s, have been talking back and forth following the election. In the spirit of full disclosure, we are both Democrats.”
“Long story short, he is angry at his two sons, both in their 20s, for voting for Trump. He is thinking about cutting them off financially in all respects so that they understand how Trump’s policies will impact them firsthand.”
“The irony here is that it is the reverse argument. You often hear younger voters disagreeing with their MAGA parents, but this is the opposite.”
“My brother doesn’t understand how his two sons, who have lived a life of privilege, feel like they have been violated by society, enough so that they feel Trump hears them and their struggles.”
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“My brother said to me about his sons: ‘What these young men need is a little dose of reality. Get out in the world and start paying their own way.'”
“‘There’s a common thread with his followers: complain and blame everyone for their problems. Whether they are in school, living at home off of their parents, or working a trade job. King Trump will save them and make everything better. Take some personal responsibility and make it happen for yourself instead of crying about everything you hear on TikTok.'”
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“‘I’ve decided to pass on the [college] expenses to my two Trump-supporting sons so they can truly feel firsthand the cost and expense of his absolutely stupid policy decisions, which includes food, gas, and college expenses. Wondering if I pass on these [food, gas, and college] expenses in year one or phase them in year two?”
“I am wondering if a lot of parents feel like my brother. Are there Democrat parents of voting-age MAGA men who feel they failed with their sons because they voted for Trump? Is this common?”
Folks in the comments had a range of opinions on this one, yet the story wasn’t uncommon. One user felt the dad was NOT the asshole and, in fact, should save his money in case Trump’s administration tanks the economy.
“If the new administration wrecks the economy as they have repeatedly promised, dad may need that money for retirement,” user Fantastic-Problem832 wrote. “Let the kids take out loans like everyone else, and they can really reap what they have sown if the Dept. of Education gets eliminated!”
Another user agreed that the dad was 100% justified and felt his actions would act as a learning lesson for his two sons as adults in the real world.
“They are adults and should pay their own way, even more so given this situation,” user FloofyDireWolf wrote. “Trump is against student loan forgiveness, the Affordable Care Act, etc., and the sons can learn what that means for them and how it impacts their feelings about Trump and future elections.”
One parent shared a similar experience, refusing to cook Thanksgiving dinner for their Trump-voting son.
“I am a Democrat parent of a Trump-voting 27-year-old white male. Luckily, I raised him to take care of himself, although I definitely helped until age 21. But I decided against cooking Thanksgiving dinner for him and his wife for the third year in a row,” user International_Ad2712 said. “Last year, I cooked 90% of the meal myself and also ended up washing 100% of the dishes myself, in their house, while my son and his 24-year-old wife slept. So I’m retiring from that job! Thanks for letting me vent.”
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Not everyone felt that the dad was justified in his actions. User Lurkerque had a much different stance and felt that he was going to ruin his relationship with his sons over politics.
“His cutting them off will not show them how Trump’s policies will impact them; it will show them how Dad’s policies will impact them. Not paying for their college when you said you would just makes you the asshole. If he goes through with that, his sons will stop speaking to him. He will not have a relationship with them, he will not meet his grandchildren, and he won’t have anyone to care about him when he’s old. If he’s okay with that, that’s fine, but it sounds like he’s a face painter and willing to cut off his nose to spite his face. I don’t care who my friends and family voted for, and I’ll never ask. If his political stance is more important than his family, he’s the asshole. Republicans weathered Biden. Democrats will weather Trump. It’s really not the end of the world, and anyone who is ‘stress-vomiting’ about all this really needs to get a grip.”
User Adcscooter agreed, saying that there were better “hills to die on” than an election.
“I personally think there are much better hills to die on. This isn’t a second cousin we’re talking about. These are his sons. My youngest daughter and I disagree politically. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to not help her out if she needed it. So your brother is the asshole. You’re the asshole if you even have to ask. You are both in your 50s, grow up and act like it. Everyone praising your brother on here needs to grow up as well.”
This user felt that a better way for the dad to handle the situation would be to engage in political discussions with his sons instead of punishing them for their votes.
“Rather than withholding support, a more productive approach might be to engage in discussions that encourage critical thinking. Helping children understand the full consequences of the policies they support, especially the ones that affect their own lives, might lead to a more informed and thoughtful perspective,” user TheartistEd wrote. “This might involve discussing the economic or social consequences of certain policies rather than emotionally reacting to their political choices. Teaching children to think critically and independently about their decisions is likely to be more impactful than trying to ‘punish’ them for their votes.”
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I want to know what you think. Is the dad the asshole for cutting off his sons financially for voting for Trump, or is it justified? Let us know in the comments below.
