‘RHOC’: Tamra Judge’s Family Represents a Divided Country
As Tamra Judge from The Real Housewives of Orange County offered viewers a tour of her gorgeous new home, she also touched on a subject many families have danced around since the 2016 election.
She has a conversation with her oldest son, Ryan Vieth about his support for Donald Trump and how it has caused a divide in the family. Judge’s younger son Spencer does not support Trump and has been vocal with his opinion.
The conversation Judge has with Vieth shows an extreme divide within the family as it appears the brothers are no longer on speaking terms. Vieth seems frustrated that his brother doesn’t see the world his way, putting the blame on Spencer for the rift.
Vieth threatened his brother with violence
Judge decides to broach the subject with Vieth during a family dinner. “Ryan, how do you feel about sitting down with Spencer and trying to resolve your political differences,” Judge asks.
“Ryan is a fanatic Trump supporter,” Judge says in a confessional interview. “And Spencer’s the total opposite.” Vieth seems uninterested and says he doesn’t care and there is nothing wrong with loving America. Judge looks floored and reminds Vieth he was going to punch his brother in the face.
“He [was] talking to me the way he talked to me,” Vieth said. “He called me a racist.” Vieth adds in a confessional that his brother was offended because he supported building the wall, adding that half of his family is Mexican and black. Plus he tells his mother he is not a racist. Vieth suggests Judge check out Fox News with him. But when she asks him about CNN he shudders.
Judge’s sons were raised differently
Judge observes that her sons were raised very differently. She had Vieth when she was young. He was often in daycare as she juggled multiple jobs, she says during the episode. “Now Ryan sees all the fancy things in life that Spencer has and I think there might be a little bit of jealousy between the two of them,” she says. “And I think Ryan is the one that has to come around.”
Like many divided families, Judge comments about how she doesn’t like her children at odds. When she suggests Vieth make up with her younger son, he says, “Whatever.” At that point, Vieth tries to change the subject and leave.
Although Judge tries to speak to Vieth, he smirks when she tells him to “bury the hatchet” with Spencer. “I don’t want that weirdness having schedules where my kids can come in and not face each other is not working for me,” she says. Vieth seems smug saying that his brother crossed the line. “He wasn’t ready for the repercussion. Am I going to go kick his ass? No. I’m not stressed about it, but you can talk to him about that,” Vieth says grinning. “That’s the deal.”
A portrait of an American family
Judge’s family divide has become commonplace in the country following the 2016 election. A number of families have become so divided that they no longer speak to each other or can be civil. Leading up to the 2016 presidential election 37% of Americans experienced family tension as a result of politics.
Some family members have become completely estranged because of their political allegiance. However, many family members are caught in the middle, like Judge. Approximately 67% of Americans are considered to be the “exhausted majority,” The Atlantic reports. This group is like Judge, those who aren’t overly political and are trapped between two extreme opinions.
On Judge’s latest Instagram post, fans were as divided as Judge’s family. “Tamra, how can we follow your son Ryan? Big Trump supporter here,” one person wrote. Another fan wrote, “He is the most idiotic president in the history of the US. Talks like an elementary student.”
