Message Box exists to help fight back against Trump, MAGA Republicans, and the Right Wing Media—with clear messaging, sharp analysis, and the tools to take on Trump, Fox News, and the rest. If you value this work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for just $7 a month. Sign up now, and your first month is free! How to Handle Your MAGA Uncle at Thanksgiving (Without Ruining Dinner)Some facts and messages for the inevitable, awkward political conversation over Turkey.
It’s Thanksgiving — that great American holiday where families gather to eat turkey, watch football, and give thanks. And ever since Trump rode down that escalator a decade ago, Thanksgiving has also become a holiday filled with awkward political conversations. Over the years, Pod Save America listeners and Message Box readers have asked me for talking points or guidance on how to win an argument with the MAGA relative seated next to them. I’ve generally resisted this request because my primary piece of advice is: you don’t have to talk politics at Thanksgiving. There is no obligation to ruin the holiday by getting into a big argument with someone who is unlikely to change their mind, no matter how persuasive you are. Partisanship is a powerful drug, and one of its side effects is motivated reasoning. There is no set of facts or talking points that will move your uncle or cousin who showed up in a “Trump 2028” hat or “Let’s Go Brandon” t-shirt. It’s not worth spiking your blood pressure or ruining everyone’s meal. But as many of you have pointed out over the years, sometimes you don’t have a choice. The conversation comes whether you like it or not. So here are some basic messages and facts to push back on the talking points you may hear at Thanksgiving (or anywhere else). 1. The Price of Thanksgiving Is Not Down This YearOne of Trump’s favorite talking points is that Walmart says the price of Thanksgiving is down 25% this year. Trump is referring to a package of items Walmart sells every Thanksgiving that includes a turkey and other festive staples. And yes, the 2025 Walmart package is 25% cheaper than the 2024 version. But there’s a reason for that — and it has nothing to do with Trump lowering consumer prices. This year’s version includes seven fewer items than last year’s. It costs less because you’re getting less. And for what it’s worth, Purdue University estimates that the cost of wholesale turkeys is up 75% this year. 2. Prices Are Up, Not DownThe Trump Administration is in the middle of a campaign to convince Americans that they are lowering prices. The one person who isn’t on board is Donald Trump, who keeps insisting that costs are down. They aren’t. And anyone telling you otherwise is either so rich that they don’t notice prices or living in a state of delusion. But if you need facts, here are some numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — run by Trump’s handpicked loyalists — comparing prices in 2025 to 2024:
Prices are up since last year. Trump has failed on the central promise of his campaign. 3. Tariffs Are Raising Your PricesSome of these increases are due to inflation, which your uncle will inevitably blame on Biden. And to be fair, inflation is a global phenomenon that’s difficult to tame. But Trump has made the problem worse by imposing tariffs on imported goods — food, electronics, auto parts, and more. Trump absurdly denies that tariffs (taxes on consumers) raise prices. Anyone who has taken Econ 101 understands that the importer pays a tax to the U.S. government and passes the cost on to you. Study after study shows that Trump’s tariffs are raising prices on American consumers. If that’s not enough evidence for your tablemate, here’s a simpler one: One of the Trump Administration’s top strategies for lowering grocery prices is to pause the tariffs. If pausing them lowers prices, then imposing them raises prices. Pretty simple. 4. Trump Is Continuing the Foreign WarsIn 2024, Trump ran on ending “forever wars.” He now claims he has ended or prevented seven (or maybe eight?) wars. Honestly, who can keep track? We could go through each claim individually to show why this is nonsense, but that’s not worth your time. In some cases Trump deserves limited credit. In others, he deserves none. Here are a few simple, undeniable points:
So no, Donald Trump does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize just yet. 5. Donald Trump Is Very CorruptDonald Trump is the most corrupt president in American history — more corrupt than Richard Nixon. This is a tough pill for Trump supporters to swallow. One of Trump’s appeals was that he’d take on a broken, corrupt political system. The fact that he’s now profiting from that same system is one of the most devastating arguments against him. Some examples: Getting Rich(er) Off Crypto: Trump has implemented a pro-crypto regulatory agenda at the same time his family is deeply invested in crypto. According to one major investigation, the Trump Organization has made more than $800 million this year from its crypto ventures alone. A Free Jet from Qatar: The government of Qatar gave Donald Trump a $400 million plane to serve as an alternate Air Force One. This isn’t a gift to the United States. It’s a gift to Trump personally. When he leaves office, he can take it with him — after U.S. taxpayers spend upwards of a billion dollars outfitting it with security and communications gear. Mixing Business and Government: Trump’s sons and son-in-law are cutting deals with foreign governments, creating massive conflicts of interest.
Trump and his cronies are getting rich while the rest of the country is paying higher prices. 6. Refocusing the Immigration DebateI’ll be honest: immigration is the trickiest argument, not because Trump’s policies are popular (they’re not), but because Republicans have created an alternate reality around the issue. Still, you can make a few effective points:
Polling consistently shows voters may agree with Trump’s goals, but not with his extreme approach. Focus on how he’s doing the right things the wrong way — and harming the wrong people. 7. Final ThoughtsThere is no end to the arguments one can make about why Trump is dangerous. I’m focusing here on the areas most likely to come up — and the ones polling shows are most persuasive. But I’ll say it again: you don’t need to talk politics at Thanksgiving, and you definitely don’t need to bang your head against a wall arguing with a diehard MAGA relative. If you’re looking for a persuasion target because small talk is unbearable, look for your cousin who’s checked out of politics or the relative who voted for Trump but is disappointed by his performance. And if you do get dragged into a political back-and-forth over the holidays, I hope this helps. If you liked this post, please share it. And if you want more posts that help you talk about politics with the people in your life, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving You're currently a free subscriber to The Message Box. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Tuesday, November 25, 2025
How to Handle Your MAGA Uncle at Thanksgiving (Without Ruining Dinner)
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