A longtime Washington state couple took each other to have and to hold, for better or for worse – until Donald Trump forced them apart.
Gayle McCormick, of Bellingham, was shocked when her hubby of 22 years, Bill, mentioned he was planning on voting for Trump during the primaries, Reuters reported.
“My jaw kind of dropped, and this was before the primaries, so it wasn’t even known yet who was going to be the nominee, and I didn’t speak for the rest of the luncheon and we didn’t talk about it,” the retired California prison guard said.
“I was incensed. I said, ‘I can’t believe that somebody I could be married to could vote for someone whose track record is so obviously poor in terms of civil liberties, his feelings about women, how he treats people in general,’” she continued.
Eventually, Bill changed his mind about Trump and wrote-in former House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich in November — but Gayle had decided it was too late to make their marriage great again.
Now separated, Gayle said at her new home in Bellingham that she remains close to her ex.
“I like the fact that Bill and I are staying connected for the positive stuff in our lives. I’m very, very proud of that, for him and me,” she said. “I think we’ve done a marvelous job in doing that and maintaining the friendships that we’ve made together. I’m very proud of that.”
But, she added, she’s also frightened – for herself and the country.
“I’m scared I have to find a new dentist. I have to find a new doctor,” she said. “Those are things that don’t seem like much, but when you’re 73 and you have diabetes and you’ve had a stroke, it gets scary to find new people and starting over.”
She added: “I think that women’s rights are in jeopardy. I’m really frightened at his cabinet choices.”
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found 39 percent of respondents have argued with family and friends over politics. Sixteen percent said they stopped talking to a family member or friend altogether.
The poll also found, though, that 21 percent said they became friends with someone they didn’t know because of the election.
The poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It has a credibility interval — which is similar to margin of error — of 1 percentage point.
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