Actually, you want your friends to be decent human beings, people you can rely on in a crisis, and people who can be happy for you in happy times. It does not matter so much for whom they vote, or how they worship, or refuse to worship.

A whole lot of people got obsessed with Trump, projecting onto him either saintly or devilish qualities, neither of which he has. Although if we have to assess him, he does not embody virtue from any spiritual viewpoint. He is a self-obsessed billionaire with ADHD and without any discernible value system - except money - who successfully controls the media...

It is too bad that so many got suckered into his show and expected him to be the Dad that they did not have in childhood.

That too has a reason.

I think it is good to ask likeable people about why they thought he would make a good leader, and listen to their perspective - with an unbiased and humble mind.

On the other hand, it is also appropriate to cut your losses when that intense devotee happens to be someone you would not consider kind or good or a true friend.. Which is how you described your Canadian friend, Nicole.

I live in Canada too. DT was not a widely popular man over here. Some people did like him, though. Ironically, I have observed that people with a lot of pain in their lives, struggling with addictions, with regular social expectations, and frequently with undiagnosed antisocial disorders or other similarly heavy situations liked him more than people who are living their lives in a quieter fashion and from a giving attitude.

Various spiritual leaders (almost of the caliber of Thich Nhat Hanh; not quite Thay, though) replied to DT in 2016 with pretty constructive attitudes, reminding everyone that “politics is not life”, to not bring excessive antagonism to our communities — because of an elected government official — , and that perhaps there is something to be learned from a successful business man (about how to conduct business — which can be helpful to entrepreneurs and people who want to start their own business).

Thich Nhat Hanh, while recovering from a stroke, did not comment; but we can easily figure out that he would not be a supporter. Ha ha.