Rick Rosner: Okay, I have a topic. People seem to be backing off of Trump—comedians, the press—and there is a growing trend of acquiescing to authoritarian tendencies before they fully materialize, driven by fear and self-preservation. I myself have largely stopped tweeting harsh criticisms of Trump. Before the election, I tried to post at least ten anti-Trump tweets a day, hoping they would have some effect, but now I wonder, what’s the point? Additionally, Carole advises not to tweet anything that might get me in trouble. It appears that the situation in my household is being mirrored across America, as people adopt a “wait and see” attitude: is it really going to be as bad as we fear? This uncertainty works both ways—if things aren’t as dire as anticipated, perhaps constant criticism isn’t necessary, but if they turn out to be as bad as we fear, incessant criticism might not help either.

Furthermore, the focus has shifted from Trump alone to include Elon Musk; each wields significant influence in different ways. I also sense that people are exhausted after two years of trying to hold Trump accountable and prevent his reelection, and there is noticeably less agitation now than there was before the election. There is some optimism that the shortcomings of Trump’s first administration might reappear this time around. However, that optimism may be misguided: one might expect that either Trump or his team would have learned from past mistakes. Yet, he may have new advisors, including influential figures like Elon Musk. Let me know if you have any comments on this situation.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Do you think Trump or Elon Musk poses a greater danger in terms of going after competitors, whistleblowers, journalists, and the media in general—especially those who oppose their policies?

Rosner: Trump is constrained by the structure of government. He can make public statements, issue executive orders, and call for investigations, but he does not control the government. Some argue he has more power than previous presidents because of certain legal protections; however, it is important to clarify that there is no definitive Supreme Court ruling granting presidents blanket immunity for acts committed while in office. In contrast, Elon Musk, as a private citizen with considerable wealth—currently estimated at around half a trillion dollars—and as the owner of a major social media platform, wields significant influence even though he does not hold formal governmental power. Many would argue that Musk is more adept at leveraging his resources, and in the short term, he might be more dangerous than Trump.

What do you think? Meanwhile, critics on the right claim that concerns over these issues are exaggerated and that America will ultimately thrive, dismissing such fears as the concerns of overly sensitive individuals. Yet, many on my side caution that the rapid and vast changes in government policy might be reminiscent of drastic historical shifts, though the contexts are very different.

Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash

Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmynomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in LosAngeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, The Humanist, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332-9416), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Free Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.

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