From a president stepping down, to two assassination attempts on a presidential candidate, to Republicans' decisive electoral victory, 2024 has been a highly charged political year. But ahead of the holiday season, most Americans are deciding to leave everything-politics behind, and give thanks to their loved ones at the Thanksgiving table, a new poll says.
The new poll by CBS News/YouGov sampled over 2,200 U.S. adults nationwide between November 19-22. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.
The survey found that 71% of Americans will try to avoid talking about politics at the Thanksgiving table, while only 29% will try to talk about it.
When broken down by party, 72% of Harris voters will try to avoid it while 28% will talk about it. By comparison, Trump supporters seem more open to discuss politics, with 38% being willing to open the subject, while 62% will try to avoid it.
Similarly, when asked to choose from a list, it's family and friends that Americans say they're thankful for this year, with 79% of respondents choosing that category. Health ranks at a close second place, with 71% of Americans being most thankful for it.
Politics, however, remains at the bottom of the options, with only 16% of Americans saying they're especially thankful for it in 2024. Other categories included freedom, which ranked at third place at 58%, faith tied at fourth place with peace, which both received 49% of support from respondents.
Many people also report that they'll be gathering with like-minded voters this Thanksgiving, with Harris voters saying they'll mostly be with fellow Harris supporters and Trump voters saying they'll mostly be with fellow Trump supporters.
When that happens, they'll be relatively more open to political discussion than those who'll be spending the holiday with a mix of voters, or with those who mostly voted for the other candidate, CBS News explains.
The figures come as voters across the country seem worried about how the holidays will play out amid a highly politically charged year.
That is the case for Jon May, 39, has felt politics seep into his relationships with his family— many of whom are conservative and evangelical Christian— more and more in recent years, particularly since President-elect Donald Trump rose to prominence in 2016.
"I talk to them less. I see them less," May told The New York Times, who supported Vice President Kamala Harris in the election and is gay. He will drive from his home in Memphis to his parents' home in Olive Branch, Miss., for Thanksgiving lunch, then spend the rest of the day on a friend's farm, where he can really unwind.
Likewise, Michael Alvarez, 27, was worried to be the "line liberal voice" among them. He's been preparing himself to sidestep arguments with his big family in Houston, Texas, just like one he had shortly before Thanksgiving 2020 about the myth of the stolen election.
But to his surprise, Alvarez's family has had family members reach out since the election to tell him that they love him, that they don't want him to feel hurt or sad about the outcome— and that they hope he will feel welcome at Thanksgiving.
"They've taken down the yard signs now, so that's one less thing to worry about when I go there," Alvarez told the Times. "They've been pretty magnanimous so far."
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