Is X Eroding Political Trust?

Elites should stop assuming that posts on X are an accurate representation of the American people.

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There’s a beautiful scene in Saving Private Ryan that captures the essence of trust. Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his team have just fought their way across Nazi-occupied territory to rescue Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). Upon finding Ryan, they inform him that he must leave his post and return home with them. Ryan refuses. When Miller rhetorically asks Ryan what he should tell his mother, who has already lost three sons to the war, Ryan replies, “Tell her when you found me…I was with the only brothers that I have left, and there’s no way I was gonna desert them. I think she’ll understand that.”

Ryan trusts his mother to appreciate the broader context of his decision, prioritizing his commitment to the war effort over her own selfish (yet entirely understandable) desire to have her son safe and sound and back home. This scene highlights a crucial element—trust—that we believe is diminishing across America.