Republicans like Huzzard’s former pal tend to have more bipartisan friendships than Democrats do: Just over half, 53 percent of Republicans said they have at least some friends who are Democrats, AEI found, while about a third of Democrats (32 percent) said they have at least some Republican friends. But when differences in political beliefs veer into a mismatch in values, as was the case with Huzzard and his friend, is it possible to remain close? The AEI study didn’t explicitly examine how approaches to covid-19 or vaccine hesitancy affect friendships, says Daniel A. Cox, AEI’s resident scholar in polling and public opinion, who oversaw the think tank’s study. However, Cox notes that Trump had a way of making things that were previously not defined as political, such as belief in facts or the efficacy of vaccines, into partisan issues. Trump inspired such intense devotion in his followers, and when that happens, Cox says, “it becomes a lot more difficult to bear and take criticism of that person.”