Will Ivanka be the Queen Esther to King Trump?
Dartmouth, Mass.: As Elon Musk is demonstrating signs of antisemitism by his gestures, words and written commentary and hastily destroying the departments and programs that serve millions here and abroad, will Ivanka Trump play Queen Esther and have this modern-day Haman banished from her father’s court?
It is disheartening that Musk, who bought his way into President Trump’s inner circle, is unaccountably spewing antisemitic comments here and abroad. His latest televised speech at a far-right rally in Germany, encouraging Germans to shed their guilt over the Holocaust, leaves no doubt what his position is on this issue.
Axing millions of jobs and filling positions with his handpicked followers, Musk is insidiously becoming the de facto president of the United States. Trump’s unquenchable ego, competitiveness and obsessive need for media attention may ultimately sever his relationship with Musk. But it will not be characterized as support for Jews or a disavowal of Nazism. It will be some insignificant or false reason to save face for them both or to not antagonize Musk, a billionaire with his own following.
If all else fails, Ivanka, a convert to Judaism who still retains some influence with her father, could be the last whisperer to convince Trump that Musk should no longer be given a platform in this administration. And she would thereby protect Trump’s position by convincing him to banish Musk, who has seemingly cast a spell upon her father. Betty Ussach
Gnawing away
Howard Beach: New Yorkers know about this city’s rat problem. Americans’ government is being wantonly devoured. Does anyone smell a muskrat? Ernest Kienzle
Bonkers bona fides
Forest Hills: Do Kanye West’s recent postings qualify him for a Trump cabinet appointment? Alan Hirschberg
Standout stupidity
Neptune, N.J.: After observing Trump’s job performance during the first few weeks of his second term and listening to his cabinet selections’ responses during their Senate confirmation hearings, no one can doubt American exceptionalism. The American electorate is exceptionally stupid! Vince Nardiello
Reality-based reaction
Union, N.J.: To Voicer Ralph A. Manente: I’ll take pathos any day! It’s an honest emotion, unlike the dishonest, cultish delusion of Trumpism, with its lies, disinformation, misinformation, hatred and cruelty! At least pathos is a human emotion. Trump and his followers deal in being inhuman and inhumane. Lou Alt
Political victory
Bronx: I was so glad to see the MAGA Chiefs crushed by the Eagles! The Mahomes family so loves Trump and his kin. They got the drubbing they deserved. Long live the Eagles! Pauline Graham Binder
Less is more
Bronx: Trump better hurry and lower food prices. Meanwhile, companies are making their products smaller — Tropicana orange juice, Polly-O ricotta. Shameful. Mary Caggiano
Goon’s gift
San Mateo, Calif.: I believe the golden pager that was presented by Bibi Netanyahu to Trump was a veiled threat to the president — a more public but subtle message about his personal risk if he goes against the wishes of Israel’s settler-controlled regime, sort of like the bloody horse’s head in the bed. It appears to have worked perfectly, as Trump then makes this surreal statement that the U.S. will now “own” the Gaza Strip and handle the ethnic cleansing and rebuilding of the zone for the “people of the area.” What is his thinking? He dodges the immediate threat to his person and kicks the can down the road for others to pay the price and pick up the pieces. Whether he lets Netanyahu reignite the terror bombing or tries it himself, the world will not sit idly by. Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. Mike Caggiano
Reign of terror
Brooklyn: To Voicer Chalky White: The constant abuse and torture in Gaza has been caused by Hamas, not by the Zionists. Hamas has used billions of dollars of humanitarian aid to construct terror tunnels and rocket launchers. Hamas jails political opponents and executes gays. There are 2 million Arab citizens residing in Israel. Wendy Jackson
Not your mother
Scarborough, N.Y.: Before a credulous America turns over its cash and thinking power to Nvidia, Open AI, Tesla, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet, perhaps we should take heed of their acronym: NOT MAMA. Buyer beware. Thomas F. Comiskey
Service workers
Albany: Gov. Hochul unveiled a $252 billion executive budget that placed a priority upon affordability, public safety, economic development, housing and prosperity. There is a missing piece. The stark reality is that the money afforded by the state to the vital nonprofit sector is incredibly low. We ask 800,000 workers night and day to do everything, yet we do not pay them what they are worth. With a 30% turnover rate and a funding structure that relies on yearly cost-of-living adjustments, no wonder there are so many people who fall through the cracks of our mental health system. For human services safety net providers and staff, a 7.8% investment will be particularly impactful and alleviate the financial strain many have faced while working in the sector. Lastly, the increase will support a fragile safety net for all New Yorkers. William T. Gettman Jr.
Chemical cure-all
Garwood, N.J.: In Saturday’s paper, Hochul announced that the bird flu has arrived in New York. As everyone is aware, it has killed millions of poultry, causing the price of eggs to skyrocket. In some states, the flu has also begun affecting cattle. For the life of me, I can’t believe that farmers haven’t contacted the person most likely to give them the cure for this plague. Obviously, that person is the stable genius now residing in the White House. I’m sure all of us remember the day during COVID when said genius walked into the Briefing Room and suggested that we all ingest some bleach and COVID would disappear. I would suggest the farmers follow that sage advice, as we all know the genius is never wrong. John E. Deichmeister
Padded sell
Glendale: On Jan. 8, I received my bill from National Grid for $111; $20 was for gas usage and $91 was for delivery charges. They’re charging me four and a half times more for delivery than for the gas itself. I want to know if that’s even legal. Same thing with Con Ed: My bill was $227 — $79 for electricity and the rest for delivery. Pretty soon they’ll be forcing me to sit in the dark and cold. I don’t even think the mafia charges that much for its services. John L. Rienecker
Jacked up
Manhattan: According to media reports, Con Ed is proposing another double-digit price increase for January 2026 for electric bills by an average of 11.4% and for gas bills by an average of 13.3%. This would come on top of major increases in 2023 and 2024. It is imperative that the New York State Legislature step in and stop this outrageous price-gouging attempt. Unfortunately, the New York Public Service Commission, an unelected and unaccountable body in charge of Con Ed, has a long history of rubber-stamping price increase requests and disregarding the devastating effects they have on NYC residents. Con Ed bilks its customers with arbitrarily high “delivery charges” for gas and electricity that are much higher than regional averages, and often at least 50% higher than the energy charges themselves. The Legislature needs to stop such predatory practices and impose a hard cap on delivery charges, tying them to regional or national averages. Ilya Kapovich
Obstructed response
Brooklyn: A fire broke out in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn early Sunday morning. What is disturbing is that cars parked illegally in front of fire hydrants slowed the ability of the Fire Department to put out the fire. It is a huge problem in NYC now, especially at night, when people will park in people’s driveways and near fire hydrants. I have seen it where I live in Bensonhurst. Doing this puts people’s lives in jeopardy along with the firefighters. People who do this should face steep fines and have their cars towed. Joseph Comperchio
Cursed
Oceanside, L.I.: To my fellow Giants fans: Feels like the beginning of a very long Curse of Saquon, doesn’t it? Warren Meyer