TV writers say Donald Trump is making their jobs harder

'All we’re talking about is how horrendous and depressing it is, then we’re back to work trying to be funny'

Donald Trump has created a big bubble of stress for the world.

One that touches all walks of life, including those that craft the entertainment we consume on television precisely to distract ourselves from the likes of Donald Trump. Yet, TV writers are admitting that they're feeling the strain of a Trump presidency on their creative capabilities.

At the 'Trumped Up TV' panel at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, the attending writers confessed to the toll the current political situation has taken on them (via Entertainment Weekly).

"How can I possibly focus?" said Javier Grillo-Marxuach, who has worked on Lost. "There’s a lot of stress eating involved... more than anything else, the torrent of news and information is about the stuff you do to mitigate your stress to be effective."

Royal Pains producer Michael Rauch revealed his writers' room has a no computer or cellphone rule, but that any moment there's a break, "the next hour all we’re talking about is how horrendous and depressing it is, then we’re back to work trying to be funny."

However, the Trump presidency has also motivated writers to push even harder for inclusive, positive television, as The Vampire Diaries showrunner Julie Plec noted that she feels a responsibility to "double down on making it okay to be inclusive and not okay to be a bigot" in her storytelling.

"I knew this was catastrophic," House of Cards creator Beau Willimon added. "It felt like the whole country was slapped across the face with a two-by-four. It’s become a negation to balance ones time to what you can do in any moment, hour, second. Whether you support Trump or not, it’s still at a traumatic event for the country, one way or another, in terms of the schism and polarization."