Vince Vaughn, Thanks for Talking with Trump. Ignore the Leftist Mob and Keep Showing Us Civility

It was a familiar scene at a sporting event – amidst the action on the field, there’s amiable banter in the stands between fans. Catching up and carrying on, a pastime older than sports itself.

Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

Unless you’re actor Vince Vaughn who happens to be caught on video talking with President and Mrs. Trump at the national championship college football game in New Orleans, La.

Twitter blew up Monday night after Timothy Burke, a former Deadspin employee, posted the short video, which was taken between the action of LSU’s 45-25 win over Clemson.

It’s not known what was being discussed between the two men, but judging from the smiles and the handshakes it’s clear that the conversation between the popular actor and the Trumps was friendly. Although not previously associated with the nation’s 45th chief executive, Vaughn’s libertarian politics are well-established.

Criticism ran the gamut from the petty to the personal.

Some of the president’s most vociferous critics, many of whom embrace the “cancel culture” mentality, consider Trump such a pariah that they even suggested Vaughn’s acting career should be effectively over for deigning to even talk with him.

The left almost always overreaches, most especially when it comes to anyone who dares to humanize Donald Trump.

Once upon a time, political opponents socialized with one another. As speaker of the house, Democrat Tip O’Neill was known to share a drink with President Reagan, one of his fiercest ideological sparring partners.

Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi raising a toast to President Trump? Neither can I.

A fist, maybe, but not a glass.

During the eight years of the Obama administration, I had the privilege of forging a friendship with Valerie Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser to the president.

We disagreed on much of the president’s agenda, but we enjoyed a deep respect for one another.

When President Obama extended an invitation to me to come to the White House to participate in a forum on fatherlessness, I jumped at the chance. I disliked the thought of kids growing up without dads – but liked the people who wanted to do something about it.

As a socially conservative evangelical Christian, some of my orthodox beliefs run contrary to some of today’s widely held cultural norms. But that doesn’t prevent me from socializing with many of the people who hold to a different point of view. In fact, I think those relationships are some of the richest and most interesting ones I enjoy.

There was a time when sports served as a unifying good in our culture but now even conversations in the stands are suspect and highly scrutinized – and criticized. Just ask Ellen DeGeneres and President George W. Bush – and now Vince Vaughn.

Shaming people into behaving or believing is a mistake the church has made in the past. God wants our hearts and from it flows appropriate behavior.

The left is repeating the errors of fascist governments whereby the mob determines what you will do and say, even who you are allowed to sit with.

The political polarization of America has grown increasingly acute but maybe sports can once again serve as something akin to a balm on the burn.

What we saw Monday night in the presidential box was refreshing and a snapshot of civility – something both sides should be able to agree on is needed more than ever before.

This article originally appeared on Fox News.