I distinguish trust from reliance, and I distinguish strategic trust from moral or civic trust. I discuss the precipitous decline in civic trust in America and the obstacles to restoring civic trust, especially the challenges posed by social media. I argue that all persuasion rests on the trust listeners have in speakers, and I show why certain kinds of stories create the trust necessary for arguments to be persuasive. Where trust is low, we should rely on storytelling, and where trust is high, we can rely on argumentation.