>> Throughout this year, Judy
woodruff has been examining
divisions across the country.
For her latest story, she
listened in on focus groups in
Iowa with trump voters as they
talked about how they feel about
the state of the nation, the
devices and is Stacy, and who
they feel is responsible.
We have chosen not to conclude
their full names after some
received harassing calls after
an earlier story.
This was produced with our
friends at Iowa pbs and is part
of her ongoing series.
>> I definitely think the
country is headed in the wrong
direction.
Unfortunately I think we are on
that downhill slide.
I am not sure it can be turned
around.
>> That was a common feeling
among the 16 trump voters we
gathered recently at the studio
of Iowa pbs for a focus group
led by a Republican strategist
and pollster.
>> In Iowa we have a great
governor, great leadership.
When you look at the country as
a whole, it seems like everybody
is going down the tubes.
>> I agree with all of the
different economics and all of
that but we are so polarized
that we cannot come to common
ground.
>> Is almost feels a little bit
like a civil war.
>> I sat down with her, who
conducts focus groups with
Democrats and Republicans to
talk through what we heard.
>> Namely the things that we
hear all the time from
Republicans is they really feel
like the country is going the
wrong direction.
They want a Republican back in
power very badly.
>> In terms of these Republican
voters and their view of how
divided the country is, what
came across to you the most?
>> Everybody does think we are
divided.
That is clear.
The focus group we did tonight
and we do all the time, people
talk about something like a
national divorce or a civil war.
They feel like we are at each
other's throats.
Raise your hand if you think we
are extremely divided country.
Whose fault do you think it is
that we are subdivided?
>> Media.
>> For sure.
>> They perpetuate the eight.
-- Hate.
They have an agenda, and it is
to divide area that is what they
seek.
That is how they get ratings and
how they get money.
That is where the money is.
>> Where are you getting your
information?
What are you watching, reading,
listening to?
>> I watch Fox News.
I have truth social.
I am Oliver Twitter.
-- All over Twitter.
I watched channel 13 all of the
time.
I like to know what is going on.
>> They are good.
These guys look into things they
know things.
Sean hannity is really good.
>> I am smart enough to
understand when I am being
manipulated.
All I have to say is I read
everything, I listen to
everything.
What goes in, what goes out.
I make up my of decisions.
>> I will blame the media and
also social media.
I think back like 10 years ago,
15 years ago, we not seem so
divided.
It has driven me to seek out
different news sources.
To get my news so I can compare.
>> Social media is a huge thing.
They do not have a personal
relationship with the people
online.
Somebody would be completely
different on what I might say on
social media.
>> It seems like you guys blame
social media for the division.
How do you feel about Democrats
in general.
>> Any time there is a fight
between two people, there is not
one side that is 100%.
I will never feel like this site
is completely right and decide
is completely wrong.
>> Do you have friends and
family are Democrats?
>> Yes.
>> How do you deal with that?
Can you talk to each other?
>> Recently I spent some time
with relatives who are Democrat.
You really cannot talk about
tromp or Republicans in that
house.
You have to tread lightly.
>> My inner circle is
like-minded.
Outside of that, I try to avoid
conversations.
They are never productive.
>> I did hear them say that they
blame the media.
I also have them say they were
reluctant to bring their views
with people who disagree with
them for fear that they would be
criticized.
>> I hear people feeling like
they cannot talk about their
support for president trump or
cannot say that they will do
that without being shot down.
I think members of both parties
feel like it is really hot out
there.
When you wear your politics on
your sleeve, it is inviting a
kind of combative experience.
I think they feel a real
difference from how people were
able to agree to disagree 10 or
15 years ago.
>> Another key division was over
questions of faith and what it
means for people's politics.
>> Do you believe it is possible
to be very liberal and
Progressive and be of deep faith
-- Christian faith?
>> No.
>> Tell me more.
>> Life is very important.
If you are a liberal, you are
pro-choice.
You believe it is ok to kill a
baby.
I don't believe you can believe
that and be a real Christian.
>> What you think?
>> Technically I guess you could
be.
But that would not be allowing
god's love to be in you as much.
>> I don't think the Democrats,
and I hate to say it like that,
I hate to segregate the party,
they have too many what IFS.
I don't feel like a girl.
So whatever god made me a boy
but I don't feel like a boy.
So I am going to change that.
It is messing with creation.
It is messing with the absolute.
>> Joe Biden is a catholic.
Do you think he is not catholic?
>> God is a god of right and
wrong, truth, righteousness.
You cannot be liberal and be far
left on beliefs and then say I
am a Christian.
You can say it, that is the
worst thing.
>> There were strong views
expressed on whether it is also
bold to be a Democrat and
liberal and have a strong
Christian faith.
It is almost a barrier.
>> People can be very
paradoxical.
They can express one thing and
express the complete opposite.
If they are thinking about
something else in a different
frame.
You he -- your people saying we
should really get along more and
have shared values and
conversations.
But you also hear them say I
don't think you can be a real
Russian NBA Progressive.
They did not think those things
were compatible.
>> When it came to their idea of
their children marrying someone
of the opposite party, feelings
were made.
>> Would any or all of you be ok
if your child married a
Democrat?
>> My child did marry a
Democrat.
A democratic lawyer.
It did not go well.
>> Is it still not going with?
>> No.
They are estranged.
>> I'm sorry to hear that.
>> My daughters are both very
liberal, which pains me that I
work them in their beliefs.
I try to have conversations with
them about what I believe and
why I believe that way.
I do not try to change them.
I let them know how I believe
and why I believe that way.
If they choose to marry a
Democrat, I will wear them.
>> There was even some pushback
to our framing of some of these
Russians along artisan lines.
>> We are all valued by the
creator.
Why are we dividing Democrat and
Republican?
My mom is a liberal Democrat.
I believe something to be
different.
We have the most loving
relationship.
I don't identify our
relationship based on Democrat
or Republican.
I think that is the problem of
the country.
>> One of the things about doing
the focus groups across the
political spectrum every week
now four years is oftentimes
Americans are those are on a
number of things then you might
think.
People tend to overestimate how
different the other side is from
them or how mad they would be.
This comes down to the fact that
we are now geographic very
segregated as a country.
We tend to have lures cities
--bluer cities and redder rural
areas.
Oftentimes people are a little
more tolerant.
They want us to get along.
They expressed the fact that
they don't want to be this
divided.
They talk in terms of wanting
America to be a race where you
can talk about your
disagreements and not feel like
it is going to be so fraught.
>> And so a mixed picture from
these trump voters in Iowa.
Some wish for less division and
blame the news media, especially
social media.
And yet they have personally
strong views about Democrats.
They are divided about having
one in the family and question
aggressive all of the --
Progressive politics and
christianity can coexist.
♪♪