Do you associate with folks who don't share your political perspective?

Directly and firmly.
Tell him bluntly that you consider him a good friend, but that if he insists on turning everything into a political disagreement you will be forced to consider not talking to him at all.

A lot of my friends don't share my political views. I think the key to associating with people who's views differ from yours is 1. You need to have enough in common to still have a conversation topic when you choose to not discuss your political views or 2. You both need to be respectful enough to be able to listen to and share your own views without trying to force them upon each other

Personally, I kind of like having friends with different views. Not because I want to debate with them, but because I find it interesting to understand different perspectives and to actually try and see what logic on the opposite side of the belief is.

That being said, I would never associate with someone who had completely different MORAL views. People often view morals and political views as the same thing, but I don't at all tbh.

I have too many to count. Problem is leftism is a religion to them and they literally become incapable of discussing anything else. It has definitely diminished my fondness for them

I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time I've had to say "Trump is not the subject here", or "there's 7+ billion other people on Earth, there's others we can discuss. Over the past 6 years or so

Back in high school, I got kicked from the groupchat with all of my friends in it for arguing that trans people shouldn't be banned from the military lmao. I regret a lot from that time period, but that I do not regret. My political views are a part of me, and if a friend of mine can't handle them, they're free to leave. 🚪

I do. In my life, my two dearest friends have different political views than myself. They would be marked as rinos here.
But overall, our similarities outweigh our differences.
We rarely discuss politics, when we do it's always in a good faith, without the name calling and vitriol. Both would shut it down if i requested it.

It needs to be shut down before it starts.

"Friend, I really appreciate you, but I don't want to discuss politics with you as I have said many times. Going forward, I am just going to change the subject or ignore your political provocations until you change your behavior."

I don’t talk about my politics, social views, religion, personal philosophy with hardly anyone. My parents died not knowing anything about me.

My Mother in law's just to the right of Adolf Hitler!
I tolerate her, handy for the kids to stay some weekends.
She can cook to.

I can associate with people that are of a different political persuasion. However if they get pushy about their views, then I will not

I have a number of friends who have different personal beliefs, which sometimes stems to how they vote, but when it comes to politics we agree on foundational stuff.. ex: they are pro-life as a personal belief, but don’t vote ‘pro life’. I think… it’s easy for people to say they like having friends with different opinions until those opinions become votes/actions that become the laws which rule your life. Suddenly it becomes very clear that it’s not just that Joey ’ has an opinion‘ Women should go back to being ‘stay at home’ mothers or ‘ we should bring back Christian prayer to schools‘ etc
To pretend otherwise it’s cognitive dissonance, not open mindedness.

I think… if someone is being a jerk to you then that’s all there is to it. I don’t think you’re being sensitive. I think you might be over complicating the situation. If a ‘friend’ is disrespectful and mean-spirited, then that’s not a friend.

Yes but I’ve also lost a lot of “friends” (acquaintances) too because of it

Might well be a difficult one to resolve but I'd basically say something along the line of 'look whatever you say it ain't going to change my political opinions BUT I respect you and its not something I wanna fallout over ' or wording to that sorta effect. Then maybe highlight what it is you like about them and the good points about your friendship and just hope they take it onboard.

If they don't well hey they might get upset and block you or whatever but what else can you do? I mean if it's got the stage it's driving you up the wall better having it out with them sooner rather than later. Just choose your words carefully if you wanna keep them as a friend it's often not what you say it's how you say it that counts.
乂ᴼ _ ᴼ乂

That is called a clinical obsession. I have two brothers like that. One of them saw a dictionary which set them off on an antivaxx rant.
Also because political beliefs are held so close studies show an attack or even negative or non supportive comment about those beliefs has the same physiological effect as being psychically attacked. So that is why you cant get along with people that are different politically.
Especially if that person has a right leaning worldview.
Right wing ideologies are controlled by a larger than average amygdala in the brain. Which is the part of the brain that is responsible for control of negative emotional experiences like fear and anger. It leads to being closed off and less open and tolerant of other ideologies due to that fear and hate. Which explains why the right wants
good old days. They are less tolerant of change and difference.
The left has a correlation with greater activity in the anterior cingulate cortex which controls openness to new ideas and curiosity. Which leads to the left being associated with progressive ideologies and tolerance. That tolerance though can lead the person to tolerating things that are determinantal to themselves.
Because they do the opposite things in the brain, openness vs closedness, that conflict eventually spills over into interpersonal relationships and people start fighting each other because they are mentally enemies of each other. They both cant exist at the same time.

Life is too short to spend it with people who bring us down. What's the net sum of this relationship for you, positive or negative? If you feel it's positive, then it's worth a little work tolerate him. If it's negative, though, it would be reasonable to cut him loose at some point.

I know the kind of person you mean. I think, however, that by "shutting down", you give that person a tacit "win". As @DragonFruit suggests, tell them that if they continue on twisting everything into a political mantra, the conversation is over.

We have very good friends who are totally different politically.
We love being with them and just have agreed to not discuss politics.

i forgive them for the political beliefs

Yes. When they start pushing it KNOWING that it will irritate me or something, I start distancing

Politics these days effect us as people for good or bad so it’s really important how one believes. But in the midst of it all, if talked about or debated, there needs to be respect. I understand there may come a time where the division is so great, it may be better to let go of the friendship cause some are not capable of interacting in peace unless you agree with them.

Yes, but political discussions are forbidden.

Tell him that by his behaviour he is choosing politics over his friendship with you and if he's going to continue, you'll have to stop being friends.

Yeah.

Yes .. but I try and avoid those topics in conversations with them. Tell this guy how you feel .. let his response determine whether he has a place in your circle or not.

I have told friends like that...that if they do things like your friend does...I am leaving and we can talk later

no not really, i don't waste time with people like that.

No. I think tRumpers are a mess.

Dump them.

The only way one can maintain a friendship with a person so politically not on the same page is to commit to not discussing politics at all. (I have a 35 year friendship that has survived since Reagan because of that). If he’s not willing to agree to check all politics at the door, you don’t really have a friend. No point in being anyone’s ideological punching bag. 🙁

I have a friend from college that I still talk to who is a little like that from time to time. I just avoid talking politics with him, cause he's otherwise a good friend to talk to.