Just a point of technicality, he was not a professor at Duke, but a “visiting lecturer”, which is the title given to folks with doctorates who are hired for temporary faculty positions without the prospect of tenure.

Fine people on both sides ...

Beattie has called Heidegger’s Nazi affiliation ‘highly troublesome’ but maintained that his work is worthy of scholarly attention

I’m kind of amazed he was fired to be honest.

Lead with your American experience. Ask them about their family’s (important; they’ll talk about how x, y, and z relative fled [insert cause here]).

You and I have virtually identical family “situations”. My harsh opinion is prepare for the realization that you cannot win them over. The Trump voters position has nothing whatsoever to do with rationality. It’s an emotional response to feeling frightened and marginalized by people that look different, worship…

Make a badge that says PC police, troll them hard.

I’m a Black woman and have a particular take on this entire hellscape of an administration as I’m sure you do. Frankly, I don’t understand how anyone can choose to spend time with these supporters.

Ask them which particular moment in American history was great. I find they get really quiet. 

Can you speak any Russian? Maybe you have time to memorize a phrase like, “I have changed my mind and I now support Trump 100%.”

I also would like to put out there that you can always opt out of hang-outs with Trumpistas. That’s a legitimate option in case you don’t feel like draining yourself through all that emotional labour to probably no avail.

Living in AZ has forced me to come up with a lot of strategies for dealing with Trumpers, including having to go against family members. Personally, I try and take the orange taint curdle out of it and make them focus on actual policies, and then put me/them/innocent children into the situations the policies affect…

Ask them what they think about chain migration. Then ask them what they think about Melania’s parents getting citizenship through chain migration.

Say,“He’s not a good Christian. I pray for him and all his misguided supporters.” Beat em at their own game.

“I don’t usually support traitors, but you do you.”

Questions. Keep asking them and make them get specific. What exactly has he done that is making everything better.

In my experience dealing with Trump supporters, most of them fail to see how their views affect people close to them...but the prologue and first act of this episode might be useful!

This isn’t clever or witty, but I play the questions game. Every question they ask gets a question as a response. Why do you ask? But doesn’t that mean...? What ABOUT the whites? PC Police... what’s that? If I’m feeling bitchy I’ll eventually work them into a corner where they have to admit their prejudice or…

If they start talking about immigration you can always point out the fact that the US has ALWAYS leaned on foreign labor even through the Great Depression. As for being the PC police I always tell my family that I’m not trying to be politically correct I’m just trying to avoid being an asshole, what’s wrong with…

I’ve had some small success with non-partisan things. The stiffing small businesses, mocking disabled people, encouraging his supporters to attack peaceful protesters (even the republicans-against-trump guy), barging into the changing rooms at his pageants etc etc.