Since Donald Trump took office as President of the United States, some federal employees have lost their jobs, but corporate executives from major companies in the U.S. have refused to publicly criticize Trump and have remained silent even as tariffs caused stock prices to plummet. Even Republican lawmakers are not voicing criticisms of Trump or are exercising extreme caution by demanding anonymity. As Trump’s inauguration has now surpassed seven weeks, publications like The New York Times (NYT) and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that there is no ongoing political debate throughout the United States.
The NYT reported on the 12th (local time), "People are afraid that Trump and Elon Musk will attack them online, worry about damage to their companies, and fear for the safety of their families," and noted, "Politicians are afraid of being expelled from the Republican Party since Trump’s re-election and are concerned about the possibility of seeing a primary election candidate funded by the world’s richest person, Musk."
Trump promised to retaliate against his enemies as he campaigned for the presidential election. In fact, he took retaliatory actions after his re-election. He revoked security clearances for prominent law firm attorneys representing special prosecutor Jack Smith, who was investigating him, and stripped security clearances from General Mark A. Milley, a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who received death threats from Iran. One critic who had criticized Trump during his first term told the NYT, "I don’t want my name mentioned in the media," adding that "every time my name comes up, I receive threats from far-right groups."
Politicians who are wary of retaliation can be easily found. Senator Roger Wicker (Republican-Mississippi) said at a meeting that he "came to show support" to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. However, after Trump clashed with Zelensky, Senator Wicker deleted a photo he had posted on social media shaking hands with Zelensky. More than six hawkish Republican senators have also been unresponsive when asked for comments on the disappearance of criticisms against Trump since the start of Trump’s second term.
Representative Eric Swalwell (Democrat) who has often targeted Trump is concerned about retaliation against his family. He told the NYT that he is receiving many threats and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on protecting his family. Republican lawmakers also feel restrained about criticizing Trump or Musk. Senator Todd Young (Republican-Indiana) posed tough questions during the hearing of Tulsi Gabbard, whom Trump appointed as Director General of the National Intelligence, last month. Later, Musk referred to Young on social media as a "puppet of the deep state."
Top corporate executives are also in a hush-hush atmosphere regarding Trump's policies. The WSJ reported on the 12th that senior executives attending a 'business roundtable' in Washington D.C. did not pose sharp questions to Trump about his tariff policies. Chevron's CEO noted at the energy conference on the 10th that a stable approach is needed in relation to tariff policies, although the atmosphere has changed from the first term. The WSJ stated, "CEOs who were openly critical of various issues from immigration to climate policies during Trump’s first term have changed."
Steven Levitsky, a government professor at Harvard University, analyzed that "the fact that key figures in society, such as university presidents, media, CEOs, markets, and governors change their behavior to avoid government anger is a sign that the United States has transitioned into a sort of authoritarian society."