# How has the disgraced, CONVICTED FELON, former but once again President Trump pissed you off today? (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 15, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178 "2021-05-15T18:35:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 495
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9902 "2025-01-29T03:43:50Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Now, it’s uummm. Where do you start. Need a database. It’s a Gish gallop of grift. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9903 "2025-01-29T11:07:02Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > It’s a Gish gallop of grift. “… and coming around the far turn… Corruption and Crime are neck and neck… Another Felony is coming up fast… and It Stinks is leading the pack by a nose…” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9904 "2025-01-29T14:10:45Z")
[![](https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcXVibXh2b3VqOWJqZW1rd2NtYXJ6Z280amJqaWJoNGo3ZWd5bzdqciZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/S65cMJ8HB4GkM/giphy.gif) ](https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExcXVibXh2b3VqOWJqZW1rd2NtYXJ6Z280amJqaWJoNGo3ZWd5bzdqciZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/S65cMJ8HB4GkM/giphy.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9905 "2025-01-29T15:12:43Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Good point. My cousin and I used to discuss his latest overreach, criminal activity. Now, it’s uummm. Where do you start. Need a database. This is by design. > **[This infamous Steve Bannon quote is key to understanding America’s crazy...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/media/steve-bannon-reliable-sources/index.html)** > > A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9906 "2025-01-29T15:17:20Z")
Can someone tell me what the “infamous Steve Bannon quote” is without me having to watch a video of him? ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9907 "2025-01-29T15:33:21Z")
It doesn’t link to a video at least for me, but here is an excerpt. > His quote is like a compass that orients this crazy era of American politics. “The Democrats don’t matter,” Bannon [told Lewis](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-02-09/has-anyone-seen-the-president). “The real opposition is the media. And the way to deal with them is to flood the zone with shit.” > > That’s the Bannon business model: Flood the zone. Stink up the joint. As Jonathan Rauch once said, citing Bannon’s infamous quote, “This is not about persuasion: This is about disorientation.” Basically as said above its a Gish gallop of outrageous statements and actions all at once so the media can’t cover them all, resulting in just a general wave of fatigue that causes people to tune out. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9908 "2025-01-29T15:52:30Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Basically as said above its a Gish gallop of outrageous statements and actions all at once so the media can’t cover them all, resulting in just a general wave of fatigue that causes people to tune out. And this is exactly what is happening! Who can keep up with the shit-storm? And not only are they overwhelming the media, more importantly they are overwhelming the legislative and judicial branches. Can checks and balances keep up? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9909 "2025-01-29T16:27:46Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > > That’s the Bannon business model: Flood the zone. Stink up the joint. As Jonathan Rauch once said, citing Bannon’s infamous quote, “This is not about persuasion: This is about disorientation.” Interesting. This dovetails perfectly with Trump’s stated management strategy, which is to create chaos. I don’t have a cite, but he said this back before he ever became president the first time. He believes in creating chaos among his staff and everywhere else and believes that out of all the churning and fighting, the good stuff will rise to the top. A stupid person’s “understanding” of thesis → antithesis → synthesis. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9910 "2025-01-29T16:41:35Z")
Yes. Very interesting. Cutting all Federal agencies off at the knees will certainly do that. Trump might find that his “I have enough money to survive all of this”, will run into trouble when money doesn’t mean shit when you don’ have any public services. And a couple of hundred million people that are very, very angry at you. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9911 "2025-01-29T16:49:19Z")
Next up on the Congressional Agenda, for sale to any bidder, **A Bill of Goods**. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9912 "2025-01-29T17:29:24Z")
Just out of morbid curiosity, have **any** of the Executive Orders signed by Trump done anything to improve life for ordinary Americans? Every one I’ve heard about has involved Project 2025 type changes in government policies or, in some cases, violations of the Constitution. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9913 "2025-01-29T17:42:05Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > This is the thread that never ends… _Welcome back my friends, to the…_ This so-called Medicaid outage was not an outage - it was a concerted SNAFU attempt drummed up to sow doubt and fear, and we’ll be seeing more and more of this leading up to the kind of Reichstag Fire event that many, here, have already been predicting. Curious how long this “outage” (outrage) will last. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9914 "2025-01-29T17:45:29Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Curious how long this “outage” (outrage) will last. The outrage will last way past Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9915 "2025-01-29T18:26:40Z")
Here’s a whole new outrage for you – Diplomats being asked to either take a loyalty oath, or resign: > [@](#): > > Trump’s OPM (Office of Personnel Management) sent a loyalty demand to State Department diplomats, one of whom is a friend of mine, who then posted this on his FB board: > > > today I received an ignominious email from the [hr@opm.gov](mailto:hr@opm.gov) inviting me to submit to a political loyalty test and new partisan rules of conduct OR reply simply before next Saturday with a one word response, “resign” to set the next stage of my own personal story in motion. > > This person has served the United States for over 40 years as a soldier, including combat missions, and now as a diplomat whose actions have been commended by the Secretary of State. We joined the State Department at the same time and became friends during orientation. (I had to retire when I hit 65, so I only got to serve under Barack Obama.) We all took an oath to the Constitution, and in addition we agreed to publicly support and represent the policies of the current administration, whether Democratic or Republican. We could disagree — we were even invited to disagree — internally, but the face we show to the outside world must be unified. If we disagreed strongly enough, we could resign, and there is a history of high-level diplomats doing just that over our policies toward Vietnam, Israel, Russia, etc. > > But that’s not enough for the Mangled Mussolini. He’s never had much use for diplomacy anyway; it’s too subtle for him, and success is often achieved by _not_ advertising what we’re doing and especially not crowing about it afterwards. Diplomacy also requires taking into account multiple countries and non-state actors and their often conflicting goals and policies and somehow getting them all to reach a consensus that doesn’t involve war. That doesn’t set well with Trump; he thrives on chaos, he enjoys humiliating others, and his idea of nuance is to push his demands down others’ throats with a shovel instead of jamming them in with a pitchfork. > In my time, I understood the job of diplomats (not so much me personally, as I was too low-level) as seeing to it that the Defense Department would not have to be called on to do theirs. Trump is working hard (well, hard for him) to see it that war will become the first resort rather than the last. That is, if Hegseth can stay sober long enough. > > But in the meantime, he’s seeing to it that the State Department becomes useless. > **[Diplomats Told to Take Loyalty Test or Resign](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/29/2299965/-Diplomats-Told-to-Take-Loyalty-Test-or-Resign?utm_campaign=trending)** > > Trump’s OPM (Office of Personnel Management) sent a loyalty demand to State Department diplomats, one of whom is a friend of mine, who then posted this on his FB board: today I received an ignominious email from the hr@opm.gov inviting me to submit... ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9916 "2025-01-29T18:36:20Z")
Have you, by any chance, seen another credible source or two that corroborates this? The Daily Kos effectively presents it as an unvetted Op-Ed piece. That gets my attention. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9917 "2025-01-29T18:45:24Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Have you, by any chance, seen another credible source or two that corroborates this? Nope – it appears to be someone commenting on a personal e-mail. But it’s only a couple of hours old. Anything I check on about “loyalty oaths” to Trump is considerably older. Give it time. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9918 "2025-01-29T18:48:24Z")
1. Do diplomats pledge an oath when they take the office? 2. Would it be unconstitutional to require any member of government to take a loyalty oath to any individual? Seems like it shouldn’t be. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9919 "2025-01-29T19:02:50Z")
Sort of related to the above, from the AP on January 20: > [@](#): > > By MATTHEW LEE and [AAMER MADHANI](https://apnews.com/author/aamer-madhani) > > Updated 7:37 PM EST, January 20, 2025 > > Share > > WASHINGTON (AP) — A large number of senior career diplomats who served in politically appointed leadership positions and also lower-level posts at the State Department are leaving their jobs at the demand of the incoming Trump administration, which plans to install its own people, according to current and outgoing U.S. officials. > > Personnel changes in the senior ranks of the department, like those at all federal agencies, are not uncommon after a presidential election, and career officials serving in those roles are required, just as non-career political appointees, to submit letters of resignation. However, it is unusual for incoming administrations to seek the resignations of officials serving in positions not nominated by the president. > > In the past, some resignations have not been accepted, allowing career officials to remain in their posts at least temporarily until the new president can nominate his team. That offers some degree of continuity in the day-to-day running of the bureaucracy. > … > … > … > Officials at the State Department’s global talent management team spent part of Monday calling career senior diplomats at the behest of the Trump administration, asking them to resign immediately, according to a person familiar with matter. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters, said that while requests for resignations were anticipated, the number of diplomats being called on to step down was greater than expected. > > It was not immediately clear how many non-political appointees were being asked to leave. > > … > … > … > Earlier this month incoming Trump administration officials had [questioned some career civil servants](https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-nsc-loyalty-waltz-21913da0464f472cb9fef314fed488e5) about who they voted for in the 2024 election, their political contributions and whether they have made social media posts that could be considered incriminating by [Trump’s](https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump) team, another U.S. official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press. That official also spoke on the condition of the anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matter. > **[A wave of Trump-demanded departures hits the State Department](https://apnews.com/article/trump-state-department-rubio-d6c2cb864852c32b144101eb38150d29)** > > A large number of senior career diplomats who served in politically appointed leadership positions and also lower-level posts at the State Department are leaving their jobs at the demand of the incoming Trump administration, which plans to install... ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9920 "2025-01-29T19:04:11Z")
Well, _this_ should help our national security interests and diplomatic relations abroad. NOT. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178/9921 "2025-01-29T19:06:45Z")
And a bit more … leading me to _conjecture_ that _parts_ of the Daily Kos post are true, but not necessarily the assemblage _of_ those parts: > **[Loyalty tests and MAGA checks: Inside the Trump White House's intense...](https://apnews.com/article/trump-loyalty-white-house-maga-vetting-jobs-768fa5cbcf175652655c86203222f47c)** > > Job-seekers hoping to join the new Trump administration are facing a series of intense loyalty tests. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178.md?page=494) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-the-disgraced-convicted-felon-former-but-once-again-president-trump-pissed-you-off-today-part-1/942178.md?page=496)