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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/34374
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

So the story I want to write can really only be written in one of two ways. Basically it's the modern world, a handful of people develop god-like powers, and some of them want to use those powers to force the world to get better - ie, they want to use their power and nigh unstoppability to dictate terms to all badly behaving actors in the world to act according to their (the supers') standards. In other words, the super(s) are becoming de facto dictators.

This means they will be interacting with world leaders, thought leaders, major corporations, etc. Take Trump for example - or Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Pence - the protagonists are going to want to have words with them and lay down the law - the new law anyways.

So my two choices are - right about a fictional parallel universe with all the same people as the real universe, using their real names, OR -

I _could_ create all new name like President Ronald King, a real jackass of a man.

The benefit of the latter approach would be better insulation from legal action and it would probably be a little more timeless if not tied to real people at this moment in history.

My question is this: If I went with the first option, said that the protagonists teleported to the White House and threatened Trump, whereupon he cravenly and quickly yielded to them - what is my real risk to being sued or otherwise being taken to court?

PS. I looked at other similar topics already on this site, and didn't really find the answers I was looking for, as my fiction doesn't just use these characters in passing, but spends a chapter or two with them, possibly more.

Original score: 2