David Litt, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, has publicly acknowledged that avoiding or shunning conservative family members due to political differences was a mistake. Litt expressed that such actions do not represent a moral stance but rather a political failure, as cutting off people based on politics only deepens societal divisions and empowers extremists. He advocates for courage in engaging across political lines instead of isolation. This perspective has sparked debate, with some arguing that lowering one's guard amid ongoing political harm equates to complicity and that normalizing harmful ideologies is unacceptable. Psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert commented that the combination of "therapy culture" and "cancel culture" has contributed to societal fragmentation by encouraging political estrangement within families, a trend that has persisted since former President Donald Trump's first term.