Sure, they think that sounds better than admiting that it is because they share his morals. And don't want the people with actual morals to distance from them. They still want the benefits of those relationships like keeping people as friends or devoted family members. If I were the daughter I would make sure to see them less or not at all. And if they complained I would told them "Look I get it, I would visit more, but from a survival standpoint, not seeing you is going to keep me safer over the next 4 years". And chances are that they would become angry proving the point. At the end of the day, what they show is that for them "politics" worth more than family.