One of my favorite quotes I've heard from someone is, "It is okay to empathize and not sympathize."

I think it is incredibly important to empathize and understand why someone would support Trump. That's a huge step in figuring out how to dismantle the structure that put him in the white house.

However, sympathizing is different because it is validating someone's actions. Yes. They are human, but that doesn't mean they should always be met with sympathy and not with anger. I also don't want to tell anyone else how to approach them because I don't know how much Trump supporters have traumatized someone else. I'm a white cis woman, albeit queer and disabled, and I haven't been as affected by Trump's harm as others.

No one can help their feelings, but it is their responsibility to process them and take accountability for their actions. And there are consequences for not. The same applies to Trump supporters.

And I just realized I have therapy in a moment, but I think I've written enough!