My kids won’t come to Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Holidays are meant to glow with kinship and shared tables—but what happens when political rifts and moral stands leave a father caught between his kids and his clan? Here unfolds the fraught, heartfelt tale of a man with two college daughters, raised apart from the Trump fervor of his parents and siblings.

Post-election, the girls ditch the family chat and holiday plans, citing votes that wound their lives and values. Grandma demands he cut their funding—college, insurance, flights—he holds firm, backing their adult choice. Siblings cry “divider”; he stands by his own. Is he the asshole here? Let’s carve into this bitter spread.

This isn’t just a no-show—it’s a rift born of principle, testing a father’s loyalties. His daughters, one lesbian, see votes as blows—Trump’s record looms large; 65% of LGBTQ+ youth fear policy shifts (Trevor Project, 2023). Dr. Deborah Tannen murmurs, “Family splits over politics signal deeper values—love can’t erase impact” (from You Just Don’t Understand). His deal—grades for support—holds no holiday clause; cutting them off bends trust to coercion.

Dr. John Gottman might add, “Alliance nurtures—control severs” (from The Seven Principles). His “no” to mom, a shield for their wings—could he host them solo, sidestep the storm? Perhaps. Now, chat erupts, he stands fast—his kids soar; family fumes. Readers, is his back too stiff, or their push too hard?

Many users nestled close to his steady helm, pointing out that his girls’ exit—fleeing rape-condoning votes—earned his nod, and that he’d every right to shun mom’s cash-cut ploy as cruel. Others cast a tender eye on the clan’s gall, noting their “character” defense rang hollow—sighing that holidays shouldn’t chain kids to bigots.

Plenty rallied for his pivot—skip the kin, feast with the girls, they urged—some praising his spine amid the fray. The chorus hummed clear: he’s not the asshole here, but a dad lifting his own over a table turned sour.

This holiday tale isn’t just about empty seats—it’s a fragile weave of love and limits, where a father’s bond meets a family’s ballot-born divide. Votes for Trump, a rapist in their eyes, drove his daughters away; mom’s “cut them off” barb aimed to drag them back. Was his stand too lone, a wall where a bridge might’ve bent?

Or did their choice—values over turkey—earn a shield he had to raise? Christmas looms, his hearth split. What do you feel—did he guard too fierce, or they push too far? How would you plate this tender clash? Share your thoughts, your own echoes of kin’s rift, below—let’s sift this unserved feast together!