Jensen, a retired professor, also sees it as a moral absolute. 'I told him, 'If this is your attitude, we can't be cool anymore,' ' Davis said.

But they see their differences now as ones of basic morality, core values and character, and that cannot be overlooked.ĭavis, 42, a consultant who is Black, said he simply could not abide his friend downplaying police brutality, and harping instead on the looting and violence happening amid the mostly peaceful protests. It's one thing to disagree about something such as tax policy, they said. They are among the many Americans for whom political rifts have deepened. Politics I Can't Work With You! How Political Fights Leave Workplaces Divided 'I just hung up on my end and proceeded to just block him in every possible way,' said Joni Jensen from New York, still fuming over the guy she felt compelled to dump.Īnd betraying just a tinge of regret about cutting off his cousins, Ricardo Deforest of Tampa, Fla., conceded, 'I hate to say it because family is everything,' before unabashedly proclaiming, 'I disowned them. Lose my number,' ' said Shama Davis from Los Angeles, recalling when he 'unfriended' a guy he'd been friends with since high school 25 years ago. Even decades-long relationships have been caving under the pressure, giving new meaning to 'social distancing.'

A recent survey shows just how much the nation's bitter political divide is causing social splintering and taking a toll on friendships. If you find yourself fighting with a friend over politics, or frustrated and furious with your nearest and dearest over whom they're supporting for president, you're hardly alone.

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