I Wrote An Article About Trump—Here Are The Messages His Supporters Sent Me

A little over a year ago, I was talking with a family member about the slate of Democratic candidates in the presidential primary. We had different opinions on who our favorite was. We had different opinions on who was the best person for the job. We had different opinions on who had the best chance of beating Donald Trump. But one thing we did agree on — Donald Trump needed to be stopped.

My initial favorite — the one whose policies were most aligned with my own values — did not win the Democratic primary. And while I do still believe that she would have made an excellent President, my opinion has changed since a year ago. Because even though another Democratic candidates’ policies more closely aligned with my own, I do believe that Joe Biden — together with Kamala Harris — is the best person for the job for a key reason. He will bring this country back together. They will help us heal.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about how to cope when a family member is voting for Trump. I didn’t say that I hated them; rather, I admitted that a large part of the reason I’m so confused and hurt is because I love them. Contrary to what some people misinterpreted, I did not advocate for breaking apart families (though I do think that boundaries are healthy, and toxic people — regardless of the source of toxicity — aren’t automatically entitled to be in our lives). I wrote that I held hope for change and forgiveness. I advocated for surrounding yourself with people who share your values and advocating for change.

In response, my inbox was flooded with hateful and violent messages. Like this little gem.

Dude then goes on to tell me that I “deserve to get punched in the face.”

Or there was this one that I woke up to one morning: “Go fuck yourself.”

These are just a few of the messages I received.

This is what Trump stands for. Hate and violence. This is what he promotes. This is what he spreads.

This isn’t just my opinion. This is fact. Just a week ago, he told the Proud Boys — a known white supremacist group — to “stand down and stand by.” In June 2020, he tweeted, “when the looting starts the shooting starts.” He infamously defended white nationalists in 2017, saying there were “some very fine people on both sides.” And a nationwide review by ABC News found “at least 54 criminal cases where Trump was invoked in direct connection with violent acts, threats of violence or allegations of assault.” The review didn’t find a single criminal case filed in federal or state court in which a violent act or a threat was made in the name of President Barack Obama or President George W. Bush.

Conversely, Joe Biden rarely has a bad word to say about even his harshest critics. When Trump was hospitalized for COVID-19 complications last week, Biden halted all negative political ads. He is kind and compassionate. Not only is he empathetic, but he uses that empathy to build bridges and connect people. And while I might still think some of the other primary candidates had better policies, I have no doubt that he was get us on a path of improvement, progress, and healing.

While Trump goes off the rails, throwing temper tantrums and wielding Twitter rants, Joe maintains grace and dignity. He understands that nothing — absolutely nothing — will be accomplished by spinning out in a dumpster fire of hate, name-calling, and blame.

“There’s no more fitting place than here today in Gettysburg to talk about the cost of division, about how much it has cost America in the past, about how much it is costing us now, and why I believe in this moment we must come together,” Biden said to a small, socially distanced crowd in Pennsylvania on October 6. “Today, once again, we are a house divided. But that, my friends, can no longer be. We are facing too many crises. We have too much work to do. We have too bright a future.”

We are without a doubt worse — far worse — than we were four years ago, and it isn’t just because Trump’s policies have resulted in family separations, tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, and the loss of civil rights protections for the LGBTQ community (though those things should be enough to make you want to vote him out). He is also tearing us apart. Enough. ENOUGH.

This needs to end. And we have the power to end it. Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Do it early. Do it by mail or in person. Go with a friend or go alone. But please do it. For all our sakes.