PBS News Hour | Judy Woodruff reflects on Crossroads town hall in Wisconsin | Season 2024 | Montana PBS

FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, JUDY WOODRUFF HAS BEEN EXPLORING THE WAYS OUR COUNTRY’S POLITICAL DIVISIONS HAVE AFFECTED OUR PERSONAL LIVES, CREATING RIFTS BETWEEN FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITIES.

AS PART OF THAT SERIES, CALLED “AMERICA AT A CROSSROADS,” IN MILWAUKEE THIS PAST WEEK, JUDY MET WITH MORE THAN 50 WISCONSIN RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM FOR A FRANK DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AS A COUNTRY.

HERE’S A BIT OF THAT DISCUSSION.

>> I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT WANT TO THROW THE RACIST CARD AT ME AND I WANT TO LET PEOPLE KNOW AS A TRUMP SUPPORTER, I AM NOT RACIST AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TRUMP IS, EITHER.

>> AS A BLACK MAN THE ONLY THING , THAT HE TRIES TO IDENTIFY WITH IS MY STRUGGLE.

NOT ME BEING A PARENT, NOT ME BEING A PERSON TRYING TO WORK AND PAY BILLS AND BUY A HOME AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

JOHN: THAT IS PART OF A PBS SPECIAL THAT AIRS TOMORROW NIGHT CALLED “CROSSROADS: A CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA.”

AND JUDY JOINS ME NOW.

PEOPLE FEELING THAT DIVISION PERSONALLY, HOW COMMON WAS IT?

>> WE HEARD SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE TRUMP SUPPORTERS SAY THEY HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WILL NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM, THAT WOMEN JUST SAID IT HAS REALLY HURT HER WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND HER FAMILY, ANOTHER WOMAN TOLD US SHE LOST CUSTOMERS, A WOMAN WHO OWNED A SHOOTING RANGE AND A BEAUTY SALON AND WHEN HER CUSTOMERS LEARNED SHE WAS SUPPORTING TRUMP AND AFFECTED THEM AND THEY STOPPED PATRONIZING HER BUSINESS.

ON THE OTHER HAND WE HEARD PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY MUCH DEMOCRATS SUPPORTING BIDEN AND HARRIS, SAYING IT CAUSED DEEP SPLITS IN THEIR FAMILY AS WELL SO WE KNOW NOW AND WE HAVE HEARD THIS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.

JOHN: DID ANYTHING IN THE DISCUSSION SURPRISE YOU?

>> A LOT OF THINGS.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE ASKED PEOPLE ABOUT SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT WERE THE REASONS THEY MAINLY SUPPORT EITHER TRUMP OR HARRIS.

WE HAD A TRUMP SUPPORTER TALK ABOUT HER FAMILY, SHE SAID WE ARE A FAMILY OF IMMIGRANTS BUT WE BELIEVE IN COMING ACROSS THE BORDER AND DOING IT BY THE BOOKS, BEING LEGAL AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE IN ALLOWING PEOPLE TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY AND TAKES JOBS AND FRANKLY TAKE THE PLACE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID THEIR DUES.

I THINK IF YOU ARE ASKING ME WHAT SURPRISED ME, AFTER THE CONVERSATIONS, AND WE TALKED TO ANOTHER GENTLEMAN BY THE WAY WHO IS A DACA RECIPIENT, HE CAME UNDOCUMENTED WITH HIS PARENTS AND NOW HE IS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PERSON AND STILL CANNOT VOTE AND DOES NOT HAVE CITIZENSHIP STATUS.

SO AFTER THE SESSION WE SAW HIM TALKING WITH THE WOMAN WHO HAD SAID I DO NOT LIKE PEOPLE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER AND TAKING UP SPACE IN OUR COUNTRY.

WE SAW THE SAME THING AROUND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, PEOPLE WHO HAD DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW TALKING WITH ONE ANOTHER.

SO THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF COMMON GROUND, IT IS JUST THAT YOU DO NOT HEAR ABOUT IT IN THE PUBLIC SPACE.

JOHN: DID YOU COME AWAY FROM THIS MORE OR LESS HOPEFUL ABOUT POLITICAL DISCOURSE?

>> YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS ANSWER, BUT IT IS BOTH.

YOU CANNOT HELP BUT BE DISCOURAGED WHEN SOME PEOPLE EXPRESS VERY STRONG FEELINGS ON ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND MOST PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM TOLD US THAT THEY BELIEVE COMPROMISE IS A GOOD IDEA AND WE SHOULD BE SEEKING COMMON GROUND BUT THEY ALSO SAID THERE ARE THINGS I DO NOT WANT TO COMPROMISE ON.

I THINK MANY OF THE PEOPLE WERE ON GOOD BEHAVIOR, FRANKLY.

THEY KNEW WE WERE FILMING THIS AND WE PROBABLY GOT THE BEST ANSWERS THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE.

WE HAD A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR FROM UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN WHO SAID PEOPLE MIGHT BE MORE CANDID BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, TRAVELING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN MILWAUKEE MONDAY NIGHT, YOU GOT THE SENSE PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THE DIVISION.

YES THEY HAVE STRONG FEELINGS, YES THEY HAVE STRONG PRINCIPLES, BUT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION AS A SOCIETY, AS A PEOPLE, AND TO ME THERE WAS THIS SENSE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US FIGURE OUT A WAY THROUGH THIS.

JOHN: IT SOUNDS LIKE A FASCINATING CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

“CROSSROADS: A CONVERSATION WITH AMERICA” AIRS TOMORROW NIGHT ON PBS AT 9:00 P.M. EASTERN, 8:00 CENTRAL.