In 2012, I met Dane Chapin, an entrepreneur from the San Diego area, when he gave me a ride in his Prius and challenged my views on climate change. Over time, our friendship grew, marked by lively political debates and mutual respect for each other's independent thinking, even when we found ourselves on opposite sides. One such disagreement was his vote for Donald Trump in the previous election.
Now, nearly one hundred days into the current administration, Dane's enthusiasm has waned. "Initially, I thought there might be a method to the madness," he shared recently. "But now, I'm worried that the madness has become the method itself."
Dane provides a revealing perspective on why a key segment of Trump’s supporters—those in business who don't align with the MAGA movement—are growing disillusioned. Their concerns aren't centered on immigration, foreign aid, or university funding debates. Instead, the issue hitting closest to home is the imposition of tariffs.
"I am being pushed into survival mode for my business and the 80 employees I consider family," Dane explained. "There are far bigger challenges I need to focus on than political controversies involving institutions like Harvard."
Dane’s main enterprise, USAopoly—affectionately known as "the Op"—was founded by his family over three decades ago. The company specializes in creating themed editions of classic board games such as Monopoly and Clue, and also develops new games like the family-friendly party game Tapple. He emphasized that his staff enjoy strong salaries and benefits, with compensation starting in the high five figures. Each year, USAopoly evaluates roughly 2,000 game proposals, of which five to six are selected for production.
