John C. Reilly, during an appearance on the "It’s Open with Ilana Glazer" podcast, criticized Elon Musk for promoting the idea of an "empathy trap," which Reilly described as Musk's theory that empathy is being "weaponized" and destroying society. Reilly, speaking about standing up for human rights of the LGBTQ+ community, rejected Musk's attitude, stating, "Empathy is not a trap. Empathy is a superpower. It’s what makes human beings exceptional." He argued that the ability to look outside oneself is a "cornerstone of civilization," contrasting human behavior with that of an alligator. Reilly referenced Musk's remarks from an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan in March 2025, where Musk called empathy "civilizational suicidal empathy" and said "The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy, the empathy exploit." Reilly concluded, "It’s crazy that we have to argue for these things right now. That’s a really upside-down world feeling to me."