Sheila Kennedy, one of Indiana’s sharpest public thinkers, just dropped a masterstroke of modern commentary. Her post, AI Talks to Trump, isn’t just clever, it’s necessary.
The premise is simple but profound. What if ChatGPT could summon the rhetorical spirit of Thomas Jefferson, Jesus of Nazareth, and Ronald Reagan, then ask them to speak candidly to Donald Trump?
What follows is not parody. It’s instruction. Each response, imagined but grounded in historical speech patterns and values, offers a striking mirror to today’s politics. Jefferson talks about truth, liberty, and the dangers of populist demagoguery. Jesus reminds us of humility and compassion. Reagan critiques division and fear, ironically from the same ideological tent Trump now occupies.
Kennedy’s post reveals two things at once: the timelessness of foundational civic values, and the capacity of AI to animate those values for modern reflection. When used well, AI doesn’t just generate words. It surfaces contrast. It holds up a light.
For those of us invested in policy, pedagogy, and progress, this piece is a reminder: the tools we build can help us listen, not just to each other, but to the ghosts of reason still echoing through our institutions.