Very well put. Trump, formerly a Democrat himself, has taken over the modern Republican party, but in the past it was different… heck, George Bush was a freaking progressive (poorly enacted, but still).

I think the Christian religion itself commands that it judge people internally (like pastors that diddle kids) while specifically NOT judging people externally - so this twisting of the commandments is the precise opposite of what either the Old Testament or the New are saying. The TLDR of the latter is: “Love one another - and what is love? Patient, Gentle, Kind, Humble, Not taking joy in others’ suffering, etc. Do to others what should be done, like as has already been done by Jesus to you (which notably includes first washing feet - who does that!? - aka service, and eventually culminating in outright self-sacrifice)”. It is so sad to see this message twisted and perverted like it has been, by pastors who have literally been caught diddling kids, and all that is done about it was to cover it up.

But not all Christians are that way - some even voted Democrat not in spite of their religious beliefs, but because of them. And not all conservatives are that way either, nor are all liberals not that way. Though sadly, many people are unethical these days (probably always have been?). And anyway, yeah I don’t think if someone is a “fiscal conservative” that a friendship would need to end based solely on that alone. Though perhaps a friendship would be ended based on lack of character and morality, related but not quite equal to their political affiliation, religious beliefs, etc.