{"id":45916,"date":"2025-03-19T17:34:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T17:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/?p=45916"},"modified":"2025-03-20T16:03:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T16:03:15","slug":"in-group-criticism-amy-barrett-gavin-newsom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buildersmovement.org\/2025\/03\/19\/in-group-criticism-amy-barrett-gavin-newsom\/","title":{"rendered":"In-Group Backlash: Amy Coney Barrett and Gavin Newsom"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent weeks, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and California Governor Gavin Newsom have faced harsh criticism \u2014 not from their usual adversaries, but from people who would have normally considered themselves allies.<\/span><\/p>\n

This backlash highlights how our toxic divides can lead to team-based expectations and disappointments. Many of us see our divides in warlike, good-versus-bad terms, across a wide range of issues. This can make an ally disagreeing <\/span>on even a single issue<\/span><\/i> feel like a major betrayal \u2014 no matter that it\u2019s easy for rational, compassionate people to disagree on many of the contentious issues around us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Barrett\u2019s Surprising Vote<\/h3>\n

Justice Barrett, often seen as a reliable politically conservative voice on the Supreme Court, recently sided with the perceived-liberal justices and with perceived-conservative Justice Roberts to require the Trump administration to <\/span>pay foreign aid organizations for work already completed<\/span><\/a>. This decision was surprising to some who expected Barrett to unilaterally support Trump, and it led to <\/span>a wave of criticism from Trump supporters<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

NBC News ran a <\/span>headline<\/span><\/a> reading, \u201cMAGA world turns against Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.\u201d A <\/span>USA Today article<\/span><\/a> quoted a Republican who called Barrett \u201cthe biggest disappointment\u201d on the court, adding, \u201cAs a woman, I\u2019m ashamed I ever supported her.\u201d Some critics accused her of being a \u201cDEI hire.\u201d One Republican said she had betrayed Trump, \u201cwho gave her the robe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Newsom\u2019s Surprising Podcast<\/h3>\n

California Governor Gavin Newsom also drew heat recently from fellow Democrats. Newsom recently began hosting <\/span>a podcast titled “Politickin'”<\/span><\/a>, in which he interviews conservative figures to better understand Republicans\u2019 success in recent elections. He described his effort as a way to help Democrats connect with more voters and address recent setbacks.<\/span><\/p>\n

This outreach hasn\u2019t gone over well with some progressives. One <\/span>headline<\/span><\/a> read, \u201cAmid 2028 speculation, California governor\u2019s podcasts with Trump loyalists anger Democrats.\u201d Some criticized Newsom for his views on transgender athletes, which he expressed in a conversation with Charlie Kirk. One <\/span>headline<\/span><\/a> read, \u201cGavin Newsom shocks LGBTQ allies with criticism of transgender athletes.\u201d A <\/span>YouTube video<\/span><\/a> referred to Newsom’s \u201cbig betrayal on trans rights.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Allies Turn on Each Other<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve written about how toxic polarization can lead to <\/span>more discord, even among people with much in common politically<\/span><\/a>. When we see politics as a battle between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem,\u201d we expect our allies to stay loyal to the cause, as we see it. Any deviation from the set of stances we associate with \u201cthe good side\u201d \u2014 no matter how defensible those disagreements \u2014 can feel like a highly disappointing betrayal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Movement Partner Arthur Brooks, in his book <\/span>Love Your Enemies<\/span><\/i>, writes, <\/span>\u201cIf you have contempt for \u2018them,\u2019 more and more people will become \u2018them.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/a> When we define \u201cour side\u201d or the \u201cother side\u201d too narrowly, it becomes more likely that even small disagreements can turn into grounds for exclusion and resentment. Barrett and Newsom both violated some group-related expectations, and the reaction was swift and harsh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conflict Makes Us Lose Perspective<\/h3>\n

We don\u2019t want to imply it\u2019s bad to disagree with or criticize others \u2014 whether they\u2019re allies or not.<\/i><\/b> The problem is not disagreement or criticism. We\u2019re just examining how conflict can distort <\/span>how we see disagreements<\/span><\/i>. Warlike framings of our divides lead to more intolerance of disagreement within our \u201cin-group.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Philosopher Kevin Dorst writes about what he calls \u201c<\/span>rational polarization<\/span><\/a>\u201d \u2014 the idea that smart, well-intentioned people can come to very different conclusions about complex issues. Conflict can lead to us forgetting this basic truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conflict leads us to see political differences among perceived allies as signs of weakness or betrayal. We assume that \u201cgood people\u201d would naturally align with the grouping of stances associated with \u201cour side\u201d: the side we see as good and right. Conflict clouds our judgment, making us think that anyone who isn\u2019t fully aligned with us must be siding with \u201cthe enemy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Problem with Picking Sides<\/h3>\n

The truth is, most political issues aren\u2019t neatly divided into \u201cright vs. wrong\u201d or \u201cgood vs. bad.\u201d There\u2019s no single, unified \u201cside\u201d \u2014 just a complex mix of policies, values, and priorities. Even the commonly repeated concept of a left-right political spectrum can be <\/span>criticized as largely illusory<\/span><\/a> \u2014 and as an idea that has fostered a warlike, us-versus-them mentality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Barrett and Newsom would probably say they aren\u2019t thinking in terms of \u201csides\u201d or trying to \u201cswitch sides\u201d \u2014 they\u2019re just saying and doing what they think is right on various issues. People can disagree with them \u2014 even criticize them harshly \u2014 without treating them as traitors or enemies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When we reduce politics to a binary choice of \u201cwith us or against us,\u201d we can ironically help create the very dynamics that bother many of us. By making people feel forced into choosing between binary channels, we create more support for polarized stances, and more anger and contempt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By highlighting complexity, and striving to treat others in good faith, we\u2019ll make it easier to arrive at <\/span>multi-partisan solutions<\/span><\/a> that most people can get behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What We Can Do<\/h3>\n

Instead of treating differences of opinion as betrayals, we can try to <\/span>understand why someone might see things differently<\/span><\/a>. Contrary to what our instincts may tell us, approaching disagreement that way does <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>mean <\/span>giving up our principles<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Barrett and Newsom\u2019s experiences show how easy it is for our toxic political environment to break up coalitions \u2014 to make us see former allies as enemies. But if we can resist the temptation to think in terms of sides and loyalty tests, we\u2019ll all help contribute to breaking the cycle of toxic division.<\/span><\/p>\n

Join the Builders Movement!\u00a0<\/i>buildersmovement.org\/invite<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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