I’m no Trump fan. But giving him props cost me friends The author wrote an op-ed in The Hill commending Donald Trump for his remarks on peaceful resolution and unity following an assassination attempt. This piece generated significant backlash on social media, with friends and acquaintances resorting to insults and accusations. The author identifies three societal issues contributing to this reaction: a decline in close reading, a tendency towards binary thinking, and the amplification of echo chambers through social media algorithms.

• The author’s op-ed praised Trump’s call for unity and his perceived grace and dignity after an assassination attempt.
• The piece received significant backlash on Facebook, with many friends expressing anger and disbelief.
• The author identifies a decline in close reading, binary thinking (black or white, good or bad), and the influence of social media echo chambers as reasons for the reaction.
• Despite the backlash, the author maintains that freedom of speech remains intact.