# Is Trump confused? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 24, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589 "2024-01-24T13:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 181
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3634 "2025-01-28T20:11:19Z")
> [@](#): > > The CDWR shot down that claim and added that the federal government was responsible for restarting the water pumps after they were turned off for maintenance. > > “The military did not enter California,” the department wrote in a post on the social platform X, published an hour past midnight EST Tuesday. “The federal government restarted federal water pumps after they were offline for maintenance for three days.” > > “State water supplies in Southern California remain plentiful,” the CDWR added. > **[California denounces Donald Trump claim military helped turn on water amid fires](https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5110201-california-donald-trump-military-water-california-wildfires/amp/)** > > The California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) is pushing back on President Trump’s recent claim that the U.S. military entered the state and “turned on the water” in the wake of d… ---
**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 28, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3635 "2025-01-28T20:26:33Z")
Good god. It’s even more stupid than I imagined. Turning on pumps after three days of maintenance. And, I’m guessing those pumps aren’t sucking Canada dry. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3636 "2025-01-28T20:29:05Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Good god. It’s even more stupid than I imagined. Turning on pumps after three days of maintenance. My guess is that some mid-level toady was told to find something - anything - that vaguely resembled “opening the valves from the north” so they could make a single-page document with lots of pictures to show to Trump and tell him “See, we did exactly like you said, sir”. There’s going to be a lot of this between now and whenever he has a stroke on the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3637 "2025-01-28T20:29:28Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Canada dry Reminds me of an old joke. What would you do if Canada was flooding? I’d drink [Canada Dry!](https://www.canadadry.com/) ---
**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 28, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3638 "2025-01-28T20:30:57Z")
I had Canada Dry in mind. I should’ve proper nouned it! So close. > [@Smapti](#): > > There’s going to be a lot of this between now and whenever he has a stroke on the toilet. Yep. The guy gets to lie and stretch the truth like no one else. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3639 "2025-01-28T20:33:47Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I had Canada Dry in mind. It’s one of those things where I have to think, “Is this a product that Americans would know?” I’ve discovered many songs I liked as a teenager that Americans have never heard of, because they were domestically produced under the “Canadian Content” system. Keeps sneaking up on me! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3640 "2025-01-28T21:00:53Z")
Trump had his first big successes around the time when YMCA was popular. I doubt he ever deeply considered the ramifications of the song, or cares now. During Trump’s initial first term, it became clear Trump would not read anything, say policy, unless it was an article about him. His attention span was limited, according to many books written by people in his circle, even if he wanted to hear what you had to say. Most of his learning came from Fox and Morning Joe. Regardless of his knowledge level, Trump trusted his gut more than any advice. Staffers said Trump genuinely wants to be liked, especially by wealthy folks he equates with intelligent ones. The three people most vying for his attention were Bannon, Preibus and Kuschner. To varying degrees they tried to influence Trump and get their agendas advanced. This generally meant leaking to the media, or convincing Trump their ideas were his ideas. Bannon favoured tariffs, isolationism, tossing Obamacare, deporting illegals. Preibus had traditional Republican views and had ties to Ryan and The Hill. Kuschner gave Trump access to billionaire buddies whose attention Trump craved, but his own views were largely New York Democratic. It was hard to know what Trump wanted, there was little hierarchy, these three influencers loathed each other, and Trump often liked what he had most recently heard, and went with that acting as his own press secretary. Trump loved a scrum of sycophants scrambling for his attention. Pence decided the best course of action was to never overshadow Trump and to look on admiringly, for as long as that was possible. Given that, it is obvious and striking how definitely the Bannon wing won. Current policies are largely the same as the ones he wanted in 2016, against the wishes of, say, Kuschner and Preibus. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3641 "2025-01-28T22:34:05Z")
No. That problem is Clearly Canadian! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3642 "2025-01-29T08:19:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > and whenever he has a stroke on the toilet I prefer not to think of Trump stroking himself in the toilet, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3643 "2025-01-29T08:20:25Z")
I seriously thought we weren’t doing phrasing anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3644 "2025-01-29T09:02:41Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > It’s one of those things where I have to think, “Is this a product that Americans would know?” I’ve discovered many songs I liked as a teenager that Americans have never heard of, because they were domestically produced under the “Canadian Content” system. Keeps sneaking up on me! Ha! When I was a kid at school in Toronto, there would be a lineup at the water fountain on hot days. If a kid took what we in line thought was too long, we’d shout, “Don’t drink Canada dry!” I’ll leave any discussion of Canadian Content, aka “Cancon,” for another thread. ---
**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, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3645 "2025-01-29T11:55:34Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > There’s going to be a lot of this between now and whenever he has a stroke on the toilet. One can dream. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3646 "2025-01-29T20:05:00Z")
Trump claims he ended a program to send $50 million worth of condoms to Gaza (which never existed) because Hamas was using them to make bombs (which is impossible). > **['How about that?' Trump claims without evidence Gaza makes bombs from...](https://www.rawstory.com/donald-trump-gaza-condoms/)** > > President Donald Trump claimed without evidence that people in Gaza were using condoms provided by the United States to make bombs."There was a short-term pause or funding freeze on certain discretionary spending payments, such as government grants,... ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2025, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3647 "2025-01-29T23:23:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump claims he ended a program to send $50 million worth of condoms to Gaza (which never existed) because Hamas was using them to make bombs (which is impossible). Yesterday the shiny new Whiter (sic) House Press Secretary doubled down on the ‘Biden was such a horrible President that he authorized $50 million for condoms to Gaza’ story. It “made headlines around the world” according to CNN: > **[Fact check: $50 million for condoms in Gaza? Five big reasons to be skeptical...](https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/29/politics/gaza-condoms-fact-check/index.html)** > > During her first official White House briefing as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump had prevented a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” Trump’s team, she said, used the president’s pause on foreign... So basically Trump’s confusion becomes Administration policy. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3648 "2025-01-30T23:52:25Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So basically Trump’s confusion becomes Administration policy. I just posted about this in the Pit Clusterfuck thread: [The US spent millions on STD prevention in Gaza. But it was a province in Mozambique](https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-spent-millions-std-prevention-gaza-it-was-province-mozambique) _Trump said the US stopped $50m in condoms ‘for Hamas’ but USAid shows no record of sending condoms to Palestinian enclave_ ---
**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 31, 2025, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3649 "2025-01-31T02:45:46Z")
So, not the Gaza Trump was talking about, also, not $50M in condoms. How so we stop the President of the US from lying so much? How do we stop the lying asshole from flooding the news cycle with 100% bullshit? This is depressing. Also, Fox News is promoting this 100% fake news. Please watch the video to see what Trumps mouthpiece is spewing. > **[State Dept pulls millions in funding for ‘condoms in Gaza,’ as Trump admin...](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/state-dept-pulls-millions-funding-condoms-gaza-trump-admin-looks-trim-spending)** > > The State Department paused several millions of dollars for "condoms in Gaza," as reports say the contraceptives were used as bomb-carrying balloons. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3650 "2025-01-31T16:02:16Z")
It does beg the question: why are we sending condoms to Mozambique? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3651 "2025-01-31T16:04:54Z")
Because we want to limit the spread of HIV? ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3652 "2025-01-31T16:13:04Z")
Someone should tell Trump it’s a disinformation campaign. The boxes are all labeled small. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3653 "2025-01-31T16:20:59Z")
OK, that’s reasonable. And I assume there are more recipients than Mozambique. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=180) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=182)