The US under Donald Trump: politics divides a Swiss-American family
A year after Donald Trump’s re-election, Swiss public broadcaster SRF's reporter Kathrin Winzenried returns to Cody, Wyoming, to meet members of her extended family. Political conversations remain difficult. Progressive voices have largely fallen silent, as avoiding the topic often seems easier than confronting deep divisions.
Political discussions were already sensitive before the 2024 election. Eighteen months later, differences within the Winzenried family have become more pronounced. Politics is now less a matter of opinion than of identity and moral positioning. For some, Trump is the right leader; for others, he is a symptom of a broken system.
What has changed is not only the political landscape, but also a sense of security and shared assumptions. Conversations about politics are increasingly avoided. Some family members openly support Trump, others harbour doubts. Among progressives, there is a feeling that silence can amount to complicity in policies they view as dangerous.
Political polarisation in the US not only affects politics and the media, but also families. A representative survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)External link in October 2024 shows the extent to which political differences affect private life:
A total of 2,201 adults from all regions of the US were surveyed. Of these 41% of respondents said they had argued with a family member over controversial issues. Around one in five Americans report being estranged from family members, blocking someone on social media or skipping a family event as a result of political disagreements.
The study highlights that political conflict is increasingly avoided at family gatherings such as Christmas or Thanksgiving.
The progressives
The two progressive members of the family, Hanna and Jason Winzenried, appear weary. They speak of fear, of what they see as the gradual normalisation of authoritarian tendencies, and of red lines being pushed further and further. “I think he’s a fascist,” says Jason Winzenried. “An autocratic wannabe dictator.”
Jason finds it harder than ever to raise political issues with his parents, siblings and in-laws. Most of the extended family votes Republican. He says he once assumed that everyone shared the same goal of wanting what was best for the country, differing only on how to achieve it. With Trump’s policy agenda, including the publicly discussed “Project 2025”, that assumption has become harder for him to maintain.
His sister Hanna lives in Denver, a Democratic stronghold. For the mother of twins, living in a diverse environment that reflects her political values is important. Within the family, however, she often feels like an outsider. Aware that she is in the minority, she tends to hold back during political discussions. “I realise that I hurt feelings when I express myself freely,” she says.
The MAGA movement
The eldest sibling, Katie Winzenried, describes herself as “right of centre” and says she is largely satisfied with Trump’s policies. “Every president does things you like and things you don’t like,” she says.
Her husband Chris supports Trump and the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, even though Trump’s policies have cost his business around $1.5 million (CHF1.15 million) over the past year. “What’s good for the country isn’t necessarily good for you,” he says.
Chris insists that Trump supporters act out of conviction rather than hostility. This, he says, is often difficult for people in Europe to understand. He also rejects being labelled “far right”, a term he associates with extreme connotations, and is cautious about applying it to himself.
The conservatives
Other family members describe themselves as conservative, but not radical. The parents, Jay and Valerie Winzenried, and their middle daughter Kirsten see themselves as pragmatic and grounded. They are sceptical of state intervention, but do not consider their views extreme. For them, conservatism means order, personal responsibility and a limited role for government.
Trump is not admired, but accepted as the lesser of two evils. “The problem is that we’re all forced into a box,” says Jay Winzenried. “We can either vote for one idiot or the other.”
Carefully avoiding conflict
Despite deep political differences, the family remains close. Political discussions are often deliberately avoided to preserve harmony. Small group conversations, mutual restraint and careful topic selection help make family gatherings possible. Talking about Trump or US politics often feels like walking on eggshells.
Valerie Winzenried has taken on the role of the informal peacemaker at family events, keeping conversations on neutral ground and preventing political conflicts from escalating. The situation illustrates how family cohesion can sometimes depend on quietly accepting differences rather than confronting them head-on.
Between frustration and hope
Jason Winzenried says he has largely avoided political conversations within the family since Trump’s re-election. What troubles him most is not a single policy decision, but the broader direction of the country: the rhetoric, the pace of change and the people gaining power. “It’s not my home anymore,” he says, adding that he fears the United States is “moving towards an autocracy”. He has even considered emigrating.
His father Jay takes a different view. He believes change must be pursued from within. “Maybe I’m naive,” he says, “but I believe in our 250-year history of democracy.”
Between Jason’s frustration and Jay’s optimism lies the tension that runs through the family. As Jay puts it: “We are very divided politically. There is fear, but also a strong belief that the family bonds will hold.”
About the author
The author: SRF reporter Kathrin Winzenried first filmed her relativesExternal link in the west of the US before the Trump election in 2024. She returned at Christmas 2025 and shows how political attitudes and family relationships have changed
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