To think asking someone if their family support Trump is insulting?

[ethelb]

My MIL (sorry, and yes there is back story) asked sneerily if my American family support Donald Trump, when we were staying there over Christmas.

I answered that she had met them before (liberal east coasters who are very nice) and knew that wasn't true.

She and BIL (who was also there) immediately got very defensive and snapped there was no way they could have known my family's political persuasion and that they had every right to ask.

I think they were being deliberately rude. DH begs to differ.

AIBU?

ethelb not so. The Nazis never won a majority in the German parliament.

You could equally argue trump did not win the popular vote...

However, Both trump, and the nazis in 1932, won the largest number of seats in democratic elections.

Gilmartin doesn't mean they didn't win a democratic election.

I

Sounds like she was asking to wind you up, rather than to elicit information.

Sorry about that.

I think whether Hitler and the Nazis won an election in the same way as Trump is ever so slightly a red herring. You might not like Trump but, and now actually I have to stop the comparison because it's just so fucking belittling of all the horrors of the Holocaust. Please stop.

I really think it was a valid question to ask.

I have American family and was asked by several people over the Christmas if they (the Americans) had voted Trump/ were pleased about it. I get it, people are nosey about that stuff.

I was happy to answer that they were ardent Trumpers. Why not? I can't stand the fucker but my relatives are entitled to their opinion and their vote. There's certainly no need for me to get shirty about being asked!

It reads like OP believes that all people who voted for Trump deserve to be insulted, that's why she sees it as insulting to even ask if her family might have. I don't agree that all Trump voters deserve derision, so it feels to me like OP is one who started with insulting views. Did they just ask to push your buttons, indeed?

Maybe OP knew her MIL meant the question as a focused insult, but that's not clearly what OP wrote. Mind, saying someone they had a "right to ask" about relatives' of relative's political views, is certainly weird, too.

Without the back story, no idea.

I know some truly lovely people who voted Trump. Horribly misguided but lovely. My family there voted Hillary. I know some lovely people who voted Brexit.
I hate Trump and think Brexit was foolish beyond measure. Am I supposed to cut these people out of my life?

My sister married an American,they live in the south.Her family - DH and adult DCs - didn't support Trump,but lots of DBro in laws family did.They are all lovely caring people and I just don't understand it at all,but it's not my country,I know from talking to American friends how differently we see things in Europe.
So I din''t think it's rude to ask,but I think ifasked in the wrong tone of voice it could be....

It depends where your family live. Trump won at least half the East Coast and got a third of the votes in NY.
The Nazi's in 1932 got a third of the votes, so basically the same as Trump in NY.
UKIP got less than 10% of the votes in the UK general election.

It seems to me that Trump got the swing voters b/c they think he might bring back jobs to their area. The swing-voters seem to imply they won't vote for him next time if he doesn't seem to be delivering on jobs.

Almost all Trump appointments look like mega-capitalist tea-party darling cronies: the Tea Party is staunchly free-market & against social services, govt. subsidies for private industry (except military & tobacco!!), and well-paid govt. paid jobs (except their own!). I can't see better prospects for working stiffs, but Trump might still win in 2020 if the Democrats put up someone with a boring message & poor charisma.

I'm British living in the Southern US.

I don't think the question is insulting. I know lots of very nice, intelligent and kind people who incomprehensibly voted for Trump.

Voting for Trump doesn't equal evil or stupid even though I might not be able to understand why those people made that decision.

I suspect as a pp said the backstory is relevant in this case.

Its fine to compare and contrast the rise of Trump and the rise of Nazis. I object to "being silenced" as people like to say, especially on a discussion board.

OP, I hope you are ok. While we in the UK might not have appreciated how polarizing Trump is, it sounds like your MIL can be a PITA in general and this is the kind of thing she does to wind you up.