# The argument that Trump will do whatever he wants and no one can stop him is really fucking boring **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [December 12, 2024, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527 "2024-12-12T02:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/381 "2025-02-10T02:09:46Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > The latest (and I’m having a hard time believing this is actually for real): Trump has ordered NASA to remove all references to women in leadership, even though (or because?) it’s currently HEADED by a woman. > **[NASA Asked to Scrub ‘Women in Leadership,’ Other ‘DEI’ Terms From Websites](https://www.flyingmag.com/nasa-asked-to-scrub-women-in-leadership-other-dei-terms-from-websites/)** > > Several NASA web pages including restricted terms such as “diversity” and “inclusion” remain online as of Friday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![natureboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@natureboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/natureboy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/382 "2025-02-10T04:13:14Z")
Explain how the judge in question is going to make Trump’s DOJ/DHS/Whatever comply with rulings they’re content to ignore. Think about Trump 2.0’s starting point. It’s January 6th. This administration didn’t begin on January 20, 2025; it began sometime between November 7th, 2020 and January 6th, 2021. It began where the first term ended, with coordinated criminal conspiracy. They’ve had 4 years to select for similarly criminally-minded people, and that’s what this administration represents: organized criminality. They do not give a flying fuck about judicial decisions. They’re already ignoring some of them - giving lip-service to them, but ultimately shrugging their shoulders and not giving a shit. It’s important to understand that this is a criminal enterprise. Because they’re a criminal enterprise, they’re proactively hollowing out the federal bureaucracy, replacing neutral, nonpartisan civil servants with hyper-partisan ideologues. They’re doing this because a) they want to enrich themselves without anyone in the civil service giving a shit about it, and b) to change the culture so radically that in the event an administration does fall in the hands of an opposition party, it would take years to replace the workforce with people who care about the rule of law. But the reality is, they don’t want to take that chance. They don’t want the yoke of power to end up in the ends of the opposition, because they might prosecute them (after all, Biden prosecuted Trump). This is existential to this administration. They have already committed crimes. They intend to commit more crimes. And they don’t want to chance that someone would want to hold them criminally liable for whatever they do. Tl/dr: they intend to stay in power for a very long time, and they’ve decided that in order to stay in power, they have to assert Executive power in ways we’re not used to. They don’t care what the judicial or legislative branch thinks or says or does. They have the hard power, and they intend to flex it. ---
**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:** [February 10, 2025, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/383 "2025-02-10T04:16:58Z")
> [@natureboy](#): > > Explain how the judge in question is going to make Trump’s DOJ/DHS/Whatever comply with rulings they’re content to ignore. The same way judges make anyone else comply with rulings they’re content to ignore. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/384 "2025-02-10T06:20:49Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The same way judges make anyone else comply with rulings they’re content to ignore. Yeah, by relying on the police forces that support fascism and are controlled by Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/385 "2025-02-10T08:20:52Z")
Pretty quality first post, dontcha think? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/386 "2025-02-10T11:42:28Z")
👍 @natureboy ---
**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:** [February 10, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/387 "2025-02-10T23:16:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@Smapti](#): > > > > The same way judges make anyone else comply with rulings they’re content to ignore. > > Yeah, by relying on the police forces that support fascism and are controlled by Trump. Correct. (We should remember that the US Marshal’s Service is controlled by the Department of Justice.) > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [NASA Asked to Scrub ‘Women in Leadership,’ Other ‘DEI’ Terms From Websites - FLYING Magazine](https://www.flyingmag.com/nasa-asked-to-scrub-women-in-leadership-other-dei-terms-from-websites/) Here’s a list of words being deleted from NSA websites. Note that these geniuses have included “ **confirmation bias** ” as one of the forbidden terms. Because you certainly wouldn’t want national security analysts being aware that confirmation bias can and will prevent them from seeing crucial information that could keep Americans safe! (You guessed it: the nitwits believe that if “bias” is in a term it’s WOKE WOKE WOKE and must be obliterated.) [![](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7prh6raya2ntwnpyzte5u5hc/bafkreiehvcffsc3cadxhsn64jylcorwmpo5p4bg35hy7l5xdrp7aanfyeq@jpeg) ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7prh6raya2ntwnpyzte5u5hc/bafkreiehvcffsc3cadxhsn64jylcorwmpo5p4bg35hy7l5xdrp7aanfyeq@jpeg) From thread following: > **[Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/juddlegum.bsky.social/post/3lhtdftmwvk2i)** > > 1. EXCLUSIVE > > Today, the NSA is planning a "Big Delete" of websites and internal network content that contain any of 27 banned words, including "privilege," "bias," and "inclusion," a NSA source tells Popular Information. > > The massive purge is... ---
**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:** [March 5, 2025, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/388 "2025-03-05T19:56:30Z")
Well, so much for “The Supreme Court will let Trump do whatever he wants”; > **[Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's bid to avoid paying USAID...](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rejects-trump-administrations-bid-avoid-paying-usaid-con-rcna194230)** > > The administration’s efforts to effectively dismantle the foreign aid agency led contractors to file suit claiming they're owed money. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/389 "2025-03-05T20:01:23Z")
> the court on a 5-4 vote ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/390 "2025-03-05T20:22:55Z")
Which is a majority Despite being less than 50% + 1 😝 Here’s what bothers me > Upon taking office, Trump and his ally Elon Musk He’s not an ally. He is a cabinet-level department head that has not been confirmed. The fact that Musk can make decisions like this is a serious end-around (and at best borderline technically legal) the confirmation requirement in II,2,ii ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/391 "2025-03-05T20:48:58Z")
@Smapti, in all honesty and not to be snarky, what exactly is your point? That everything will be fine as long as SCOTUS over-rules Trump from time to time? You keep pushing that, for various specific reasons, Trump can’t do whatever he wants. So, so what? Maybe he can’t do whatever he wants and no one can stop him. **But** , he is creating a massive rupture in a rules-based order that was led predominately by the US after WW II, so that that kind of tragedy (or the myriad of smaller tragedies that routinely preceded WW I throughout European history) can’t happen again. He is trying, for no apparent reason, trying to economically take down Canada, he sees Russia as an ally, and could possibly destablize Europe. But because the argument is “boring” this is all ok? I’m genuinely curious as to what your point is with this? ---
**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:** [March 5, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/392 "2025-03-05T20:54:12Z")
That he’s not invincible and he can be fought and those fights can be won. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/393 "2025-03-05T20:58:35Z")
This particular fight hasn’t been won until the payments go out. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/394 "2025-03-05T20:59:32Z")
AIUI, the Constitution, the law, and the SCotUS decision on the _line item veto_ make it clear that Trump, let alone Musk, does not have the authority to refuse to “cut the check” for what the Congress bought and the decision was still 5/4 . . . that isn’t reassuring it’s terrifying. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/395 "2025-03-05T21:28:14Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > That he’s not invincible and he can be fought and those fights can be won Notwithstanding this SCOTUS decision (5/4 as it is), there’s a whole lot of fighting and winning that doesn’t seem to be happening. On a global level the Trump administration is terrifying and has already done incredible damage. The only way that this can be fixed is if the entire GOP gets killed in a bus crash or something. Because the rest of the west (and Trump seems intent on taking the US out of the west) no longer trusts the US, and that trust will never come back as long as MAGA has any influence. the damage that it’s doing already is going to ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/396 "2025-03-05T21:44:27Z")
What’s more, the case wasn’t even - entirely - about the larger issues involved. The plaintiffs were contractors that had done some work for USAID and were waiting on their money. The Muskheads came in, turned off the tap, and the contractors sued for their reimbursement. The district judge ruled for the plaintiffs and ordered that the payments be made, which they have not yet done. Roberts granted a restraining order on the judge’s order last week, which was resolved by this ruling, and the order forcing the government to make the payments is once again in effect. So this is a long way from a clear win. First off, the government needs to start making those payments. Second, if either Roberts or Barret decide that impoundment is A-OK as long as it is not retroactive - a kind of chop-logic that I could see this court employing - then later decisions may well go against this one, and we’re on the slippery slope to despotism. I’d feel a lot better about this decision if it had brought Kavanaugh along. There’s no margin for error here. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/397 "2025-03-05T21:53:38Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > The plaintiffs were contractors that had done some work for USAID and were waiting on their money. The Muskheads came in, turned off the tap, and the contractors sued for their reimbursement. The district judge ruled for the plaintiffs and ordered that the payments be made, which they have not yet done. Roberts granted a restraining order on the judge’s order last week, which was resolved by this ruling, and the order forcing the government to make the payments is once again in effect. > > So this is a long way from a clear win. First off, the government needs to start making those payments. Second, if either Roberts or Barret decide that impoundment is A-OK as long as it is not retroactive - a kind of chop-logic that I could see this court employing - then later decisions may well go against this one, and we’re on the slippery slope to despotism. Yeah, these are payments for services already rendered and the damage is already done. I spent 30 years as a foreign aid worker, most of it funded by USAID. Until last week, my wife was also a foreign aid worker. The Musk government just refused to pay USAID contractors and grantees for work they had done. My wife’s employer is a small business and the government owes them millions for work already performed. The company collapsed while waiting to get paid. Virtually everyone I know in the industry is out of work. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/398 "2025-03-05T21:54:22Z")
In a lot of ways the last 6 weeks have been even worse than my ridiculously pessimistic expectations, but in other ways it’s been very _different_. I expected, for instance, court orders to be defied almost right away. Slow playing it like they are is much smarter, though. And I use that term loosely. There’s so much going on right now it’s impossible to separate malice from incompetence. But this (5-4, it bears repeating) decision should have been a slam dunk, and if they choose not to fight the decision it will take the wind out of the sails of a ship that was destined to win anyway. Meanwhile, they’re doing 10 things every day that are equally as bad. Every department currently getting illegally RIFed is a potential lawsuit that nobody has the bandwidth to pay attention to anymore. They can let the courts have their wins when they absolutely have to, without stopping the larger dismantling of the government. Eventually, though, enough losses will stack up that MAGA will _demand_ that Trump defy the courts. That’s what I think they’re really after, now. They already started floating the trial balloons, now they just need to wait for grassroots support to build. Then it will be a mandate. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/399 "2025-03-05T21:54:41Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > There’s no margin for error here. IMNSHO, four of the SCotUS justices took a Sharpie to Section 8, ~~_The Congress shall have Power To … pay the Debts … of the United States_~~ But, hey, why not? If Mr. Trump can stiff folks on payments owed why can’t President Trump? ---
**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:** [March 5, 2025, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/400 "2025-03-05T23:02:24Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Eventually, though, enough losses will stack up that MAGA will _demand_ that Trump defy the courts. That’s what I think they’re really after, now. They already started floating the trial balloons, now they just need to wait for grassroots support to build. Then it will be a mandate. Yes, I think you’re right about this Trumpite strategy for dealing with courts ruling against them—they are trying to build cult-roots sentiment that will justify them simply outright refusing to do anything a court tells them to do. “The People demand it!” etc. etc. > [@Smapti](#): > > That he’s not invincible and he can be fought and those fights can be won. This is ridiculous. Until a court enforces an order (how?) and Trumpites comply, courts have NO power over the regime. No power at all. They can issue rulings from here until doomsday and each and every one is meaningless unless compliance occurs. > [@SunUp](#): > > What’s more, the case wasn’t even - entirely - about the larger issues involved. Yeah. In addition to your excellent analysis: Four Justices decided, in essence, that Article 1 is basically moot. The Executive can ignore the Legislative’s directives on spending. The Legislative no longer has the power of the purse. Some commentary and document images here: > **[Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/vermontgmg.bsky.social/post/3ljn7qsufws23)** > > This is a wildly dangerous sign — the idea that there are only five SCOTUS votes for paying congressionally mandated invoices for work \*already\* done!? This should be as basic a test of Article I as you can get. And that does not bode well for... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527.md?page=21)