“Most CEOs are really unwilling to say anything,” he tells Ian Bremmer. “They'll talk to you privately, absolutely. But publicly, unless they're going to be in praise of what's ever happening in Washington… they are not willing to raise their hand and say, ‘this is a problem."
Sorkin points to fear—both political and reputational—as a key reason why tech and financial leaders stay silent. “If I raise my hand now, I may not have a hand,” he says. “Should I raise it now? Should I raise it later? And will there be a later?”
As economic uncertainty grows, he questions whether the public can count on the private sector to lead. “If we ever get to a moment where there is a crisis… are there going to be leaders willing to stand up and explain what needs to happen?”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.