We’re less than a week out from the US presidential election and things are tight.
The latest polling indicates it’s neck and neck between vice president and and former president and .
At the time of writing, polling site 538 — run by ABC News in the US — estimates Trump is sitting at 46.7 per cent in national polls, with Harris slightly ahead with 48.1 per cent.
It’s safe to say, America is divided.
And it’s spilling into everyday households.
(left to right) Tracey, Ed, Devon and Jarrod Danka are divided by politics in the upcoming US election. Source: Supplied / Tracey and Ed Danka
Ed and Tracey Danka — who split their time between the swing states of Pennsylvania and — have been married for 26 years.
But while that might seem like it’s all smooth sailing, there’s one key area they disagree on — who should be the next President of the United States.
Tracey, for Trump.
‘He said, she said’
For Ed, it’s difficult to see the “attraction” of Donald Trump.
He pointed to and the fact he has faced , which Trump has vehemently denied.
But his wife Tracey disagreed, saying it’s a case of “he said, she said”.
For her, the decision to support Donald Trump stems from a belief that Trump is the most likely candidate to keep the US “out of wars”.
It’s also tied to her feelings about Harris and the wider Democratic party.
“Everything about the Democratic party, 90 per cent of it disgusts me,” she said.
Tracey said Kamala was “slid” into the Democratic candidate spot, believing it was her identity that earned her the role.
“They were like, she’s Indian, she’s Black, she’s a woman. None of that matters to me,” she said.
US President Joe Biden in July after his disastrous debate performance and backed Harris, who also won the support of party heavyweights and Democratic Party delegates before she .
While Ed said he wouldn’t hire Trump to cut his grass in fear that he would “steal my lawnmower”, Tracey said that she’d not just hire him, she’d “serve him lunch”, too.
It’s safe to say things are split in the Danka household.
Ed and Tracey disagree on key elements of the 2024 election.
For example, Ed believes Trump is using the presidency as a way to make money: “Even if he loses the election, he’s still going to make a fortune off all the merchandise he sells. He’s a con man.”
But while Ed critiques , his wife Tracey excitedly announces that she owns several pieces of merch, including cards, coins, hats and banners.
Some digital trading cards have been sold for US$99 ($150) each, while Trump supporters could also treat themselves to US$499 ($760) gold Trump-themed sneakers or US$100,000 ($152,000) gold ‘Trump Victory Tourbillon’ watches.
“This is more like a cult than a political party,” Ed said.
Tracey (centre) with her children Devon (left) and Jarrod (right). Tracey and Jarrod are voting for Donald Trump, while Devon is voting for Kamala Harris. Source: Supplied / Tracey and Ed Danka
Even their children are divided
It’s not just Ed and Tracey who are split on politics — their two children are also divided.
Their daughter Devon plans to vote for Harris, while their son Jarrod is voting for Trump.
“Our son is very into the news,” Tracey said. “He has educated himself.”
“Our daughter, on the other hand, is a little bit different.”
While the parents initially registered both of their children as Republicans, Devon voted as a Democrat in the 2020 election. It was a move that surprised Tracey.
When asking her daughter about her decision to move towards the Democratic party, Tracey admits that her husband Ed may have influenced her decision.
“[Devon] said, Mum, my dad is the smartest man I know and my dad’s a Democrat, so of course, I’m a Democrat.”
Stolen elections and insurrections
Ed said that one of his “biggest issues” with his wife and son is where they get their information from, including podcasts and internet news.
“They don’t believe that the regular media is trustworthy, whether it be coming from Australia, New Zealand, or Canada.”
Tracey was at the . While not part of the group that went into the Capitol, she believes the media wasn’t accurately reporting on the events of that day.
“I was hearing all the different media saying that Trump is sending everybody over to the Capitol to start riots, and I’m like, that’s not what was happening at all.”
Tracey insists that they were at the Capitol in “peace and love”, in the belief that the vote was “stolen”. But Ed said that attendees “broke in” and still refuse to admit that it was an insurrection.
A Congressional panel has previously found false claims of widespread voter fraud made by Trump and his allies had directly influenced the January 6 riots, where a mob of Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol building .
Trump has pleaded not guilty to four criminal charges accusing him of a conspiracy to obstruct the congressional certification of the election, defraud the US out of accurate results and interfere with Americans’ voting rights.
At a recent town hall event, Trump said January 6 was a “day of love”.
Still calling each other “honey” while deep in debate, Ed and Tracey eventually agree to disagree.
SBS News asked whether the Dankas will be friends after the election, when either Harris or Trump is elected as US president.
“Always,” Tracey said, giggling with Ed.
“We might be looking for another country to live in,” Ed joked. “This is ongoing for us. This is nothing new.”
“We love the debate,” Tracey said with a laugh.
