A new Emerson College survey shows that half of Americans would prefer to steer clear of political discussion at the Thanksgiving table this year. The poll, conducted November 3–4, 2025, asked respondents whether they were looking forward to discussing politics with family or friends during the holiday or hoping to avoid the topic altogether.
According to the results, 50.7 percent said they hope to avoid political conversations. Meanwhile, one-third of respondents said they are looking forward to discussing politics, and 16.3 percent said they will not be spending Thanksgiving with friends or family. The survey carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.
The poll also asked about Thanksgiving meal preferences, finding that three-quarters of Americans are content with turkey as the main course. About one-quarter said they would prefer something else.
Findings Mirror Recent YouGov Poll
The Emerson results echo those of a recent YouGov survey, which reported that 31 percent of Americans believe it is “very or somewhat likely” they will discuss politics at Thanksgiving. That group includes 31 percent of Republicans, 26 percent of independents, and 37 percent of Democrats. Like the Emerson poll, the YouGov survey found that half of respondents say it is not very likely or not at all likely that politics will come up during the holiday.
YouGov also found differences in expectations of political tension at the table. Nineteen percent of Democrats and 9 percent of Republicans said they anticipate arguments about politics at their Thanksgiving celebration. However, most Americans who supported a particular candidate in the 2024 election expect to spend the holiday with people who largely share their political preferences.
Among Americans who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, 45 percent believe that almost everyone attending their Thanksgiving celebration also supported her. Eighteen percent think more of their fellow guests supported Harris than Donald Trump, and 10 percent expect similar numbers of supporters for both candidates.
Trump Pardons Four Turkeys Ahead of Holiday
Ahead of Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump carried out the annual presidential turkey pardon — and expanded the tradition by pardoning four birds instead of two. During the ceremony, Trump joked that former President Joe Biden used an autopen for the pardons last year.
“So I have the official duty to determine, and I have determined, that last year’s turkey pardons are totally invalid, as are the pardons of about every other person that was pardoned,” Trump said.
He added that last year’s turkeys, Peach and Blossom, “were on their way to be processed, in other words, to be killed,” but said he had stopped that and was officially pardoning them again. “They will not be served for Thanksgiving dinner,” Trump said.
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