Divided Thanksgiving: El Paso woman uninvited to grandson’s party because she voted for Trump

With the country divided over the results of the recent presidential election, Thanksgiving dinner may have been a little more contentious for many Americans than in the past.

The election has left some dreading potentially frustrating conversations with relatives today about politics.

Even the president-elect recently acknowledged his name is causing division for many families. “We’ve just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw and tensions just don’t heal overnight,” Donald Trump said.

Perhaps sensing difficult dialogue around the table, Trump released a Thanksgiving message, saying, “It’s time to restore the bonds of trust between citizens.”

West El Pasoan Teresa Toner told ABC-7 she hopes to mend a political divide in her family. Toner was uninvited to her grandson’s birthday party in Austin after her daughters learned she voted for Trump.

“(I was told) I was not to talk to them or see them, and they don’t live here, so and I had a trip planned, so it was like, ‘don’t come,'” Toner said.

Toner told ABC-7 she always votes “pro-life” and felt this election was crucial to avoid a “constitutional crisis.”

“I didn’t vote for Trump per se, but I definitely knew what the other party would do because I have seen it happen,” Toner added.

“It has been hard, yes, but my feelings toward them have not changed, you know, I love them very much,” Toner said, “It has been difficult because my decisions are based on respect for people, respect for the unborn.”

Adolpho Telles, Chairman of the Republican Party of El Paso, told ABC-7, that on election night, a UTEP student was in the Lincoln Room watching election returns. During a live broadcast, the student’s mother spotted her, called her on her cell phone, and told her she was embarrassing the family.

“She left in tears,” Telles said.

ABC-7 asked El Pasoan Patrick Ramirez if anyone in his family was dead set against Trump and likely to be upset this Thanksgiving. “Yes and I’m going to say ‘no comment’ with that,” Ramirez said.

“I will probably will try to avoid the topic,” Steve Sample said.

According to a new CNN/ORC poll, 53 percent of Americans were dreading talking politics over turkey. 58 percent of Republicans were eager to talk politics while 63 percent of democrats wanted no part of it.

“This is Thanksgiving. It’s time to remember and commune with family and friends, we’re going to try to keep it civil,” Erin Smith told ABC-7.

“I avoid it like a plague, old recipe you know, when it comes to politics, sex and religion, you just don’t talk about it,” Nestor Infanzon said.