# The current second Trump administration: a compendium of horrors **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 6, 2024, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774 "2024-11-06T09:17:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 121
**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:** [October 20, 2025, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2406 "2025-10-20T10:39:11Z")
I’m surprised he didn’t opt for this kind of arch. > **[Neutrality Monument](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrality_Monument)** > > .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct,.mw-parser-output .geo-inline-hidden{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}37°52′56″N 58°20′00″E / 37.8822°N 58.3333°E / 37.8822; 58.3333 > The Monument of Neutrality (Turkmen: Bitaraplyk binasy) is a monument and observation tower located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The three-... > [@](#): > > Originally located in central Ashgabat, the monument was one of the tallest buildings in the city, being taller than the nearby Presidential Palace. **It was topped by an illuminated 12-metre (39 ft) tall gold-plated statue of Niyazov which rotated to always face the sun.** (bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2407 "2025-10-20T12:02:51Z")
I would support a Trump version of that if the statue was designed like this: [![](https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/15F64/production/_97465998_mediaitem97465997.jpg) ](https://c.files.bbci.co.uk/15F64/production/_97465998_mediaitem97465997.jpg) ---
**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:** [October 20, 2025, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2408 "2025-10-20T12:08:17Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > I would support a Trump version of that if the statue was designed like this …And then, once he’s out of office, we can modify it so you can pay a quarter, and a machine dumps a load of shit on his face. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2409 "2025-10-20T23:01:56Z")
[Excavator Tears Through White House East Wing After Trump Said New Ballroom Wouldn’t ‘Interfere’ with Existing Structure](https://people.com/white-house-east-wing-demolition-begins-11833416) > [@](#): > > Trump previously said that his new addition wouldn’t “interfere” with the existing White House building, adding, “It’ll be near it but not touching it” I asked before where the existing East Wing offices are going to, and who is going to pay for the relocated location. Maybe there is no need to relocate the First Lady suite in this administration, what with her usually living in New York or maybe Florida. But in the future, regardless of whether the U.S. remains a dictatorship or goes back to being a representative democracy, we will need this again. P.S. Trump seems to be losing a PR opportunity here: > **[The Truman Renovation Souvenir Program](https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-truman-renovation-souvenir-program)** > > As part of the implementation of the Truman renovation, the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion was tasked with disposing excess building materials that could not be reutilized.... ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2410 "2025-10-20T23:07:05Z")
[![](https://images.newrepublic.com/6cdecdf2abe6dcbed43887f4ade504a78e3df31a.png?w=936) ](https://images.newrepublic.com/6cdecdf2abe6dcbed43887f4ade504a78e3df31a.png?w=936) Siri, show me an on-the-nose visual metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2025, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2411 "2025-10-20T23:45:17Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > [https://images.newrepublic.com/6cdecdf2abe6dcbed43887f4ade504a78e3df31a.png?w=936](https://images.newrepublic.com/6cdecdf2abe6dcbed43887f4ade504a78e3df31a.png?w=936) People seems to think they are demolishing the entire East Wing, while WaPo says it is just the facade. The NY Times compared it to Trump’s famous demolition of Bonwit Teller to build Trump Tower. Trump promised he would preserve historic features of the old department store for museum display, but then destroyed all of it. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2412 "2025-10-20T23:56:16Z")
This whole story about Lindsey Halligan contacting Lawfare’s Anna Bower about her prosecution of Letitia James is just one stupidity after another. Most of it involves Halligan complaining that what Bower was reporting was incorrect and should be corrected while never actually telling her what was incorrect. Definitely worth a read: [https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna--lindsey-halligan-here](https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna--lindsey-halligan-here) And it finishes with the ultimate stupidity: > [@](#): > > At 4:10 p.m., she texted me: “By the way—everything I ever sent you is off record. You’re not a journalist so it’s weird saying that but just letting you know.” > > I responded: “I’m sorry, but that’s not how this works. You don’t get to say that in retrospect.” > > Halligan was unpersuaded: “Yes, I do. Off record.” > > “I am really sorry. I would have been happy to speak with you on an off the record basis had you asked,” I said. “But you didn’t ask, and I still haven’t agreed to speak on that basis. Do you have any further comment for the story? > > To my surprise, she kept going: “It’s obvious the whole convo is off record. There’s disappearing messages and it’s on signal. What is your story? You never told me about a story.” Jesus wept. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2413 "2025-10-21T03:40:26Z")
IANAL but reading that article it sounds like Halligan is well and truly fucked. If the case against James AND the one against Comey gets tossed, which seems more likely by the day, she is going to be unemployed very soon. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2414 "2025-10-21T04:05:14Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > The NY Times compared it to Trump’s famous demolition of Bonwit Teller to build Trump Tower. Trump promised he would preserve historic features of the old department store for museum display, but then destroyed all of it. You beat me to it. Trump promised to preserve the beautiful bas-reliefs of the Bonwit Teller building. Then, his bottom-of-the-barrel, cheapest-possible demolition crew destroyed them all. “Oops, sorry!” Yeah, right. I fully expect Trump to rip down half the White House. “Oops, sorry!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2415 "2025-10-21T04:18:54Z")
Is there an accounting of all the objects that were moved from the East Wing? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2416 "2025-10-21T04:30:56Z")
Moved? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2417 "2025-10-21T06:05:54Z")
Sure. The portable stuff is down in Florida now. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2418 "2025-10-21T06:37:43Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > This whole story about Lindsey Halligan contacting Lawfare’s Anna Bower about her prosecution of Letitia James is just one stupidity after another. Most of it involves Halligan complaining that what Bower was reporting was incorrect and should be corrected while never actually telling her what was incorrect. Definitely worth a read: I read the whole thing. Fascinating! Halligan is exactly the kind of idiot that Trump would employ for his nefarious purposes. She kept insisting throughout the texting exchange with the Lawfare reporter that either the reporter or the NY Times (or both, or something) had got basic facts wrong about the Letitia James case, but refused to ever say what those incorrect facts were. Presumably because there weren’t any incorrect facts. Which means the James case is based entirely on Trumped-up charges, and likely so is the Comey case. I look forward to hearing Trump whine about “corrupt Obama-appointed judges” when both cases get dismissed. In fact he may well expect them to be dismissed. The whole purpose of his petty vindictiveness is, as always, to cause the maximum amount of pain, cost, and inconvenience to his perceived enemies. I’m sure he’s also checked out any possibility of getting James and Comey deported. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2419 "2025-10-21T14:21:24Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > She kept insisting throughout the texting exchange with the Lawfare reporter that either the reporter or the NY Times (or both, or something) had got basic facts wrong about the Letitia James case, but refused to ever say what those incorrect facts were. Presumably because there weren’t any incorrect facts. I don’t think this is quite it. Bower thinks that Halligan is alluding to grand jury testimony which contradicts the NYT reporting which she (Halligan) can’t actually come out and say because prosecutors are forbidden from making statements about grand jury testimony. But that’s incredibly weak sauce. Even if there’s grand jury testimony that contradicts the NYT reporting, that doesn’t make the NYT story unreasonable - they’re reporting on what their sources said, there’s no evidence their sources didn’t say what NYT says they said, and NYT claims to have done some fact-checking before publishing. That’s perfectly reasonable grounds for publishing a story, and if a prosecutor has evidence that something in such a story is false, the typical response is to refuse to comment publicly and wait for trial to present their evidence. Texting a reporter you once had a drink with to whine about the story being wrong and then skate around the edges of grand jury confidentiality is not appropriate behaviour. Nor is then expecting that reporter to honour a retroactive claim of “off the record” privelege for said texts. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2420 "2025-10-21T14:34:07Z")
Maybe so, but chastising the reporter for being “wrong” is, as you say, completely inappropriate behaviour, and there’s good evidence that it wasn’t wrong, regardless of what was presented to the grand jury. The issue seems to center on the extremely minor matter of whether James obtained a mortgage on a “second home” or whether it was intended to be a rental property. Since it’s occupied by a relative who has not paid any rent for many years and James sometimes stays there herself, it seems like a ridiculous stretch to call this “mortgage fraud”. It’s especially ironic considering the massive fraud that Trump has engaged in. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2421 "2025-10-21T15:04:34Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > If the case against James AND the one against Comey gets tossed, which seems more likely by the day, she is going to be unemployed very soon. As long as she’s a young blonde with a nice rack there’ll always be a place for her in the Trump Administration. [note: just to be clear, this is Trump’s HR policy, not anything I would say.] ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2422 "2025-10-21T15:33:05Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > People seems to think they are demolishing the entire East Wing, while WaPo says it is just the facade. You don’t remove a facade with the large demolition munchers they are using. That’s like using a sledgehammer to set finish nails. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2423 "2025-10-21T16:39:47Z")
It’s going to turn out to be a big “Oops!” and that will give Donnie the excuse to fire the remodeling company and refuse to pay them. Plus he’ll find evidence that the guy operating the the big muncher is illegal and he’ll ship him out of the country someplace. Then a new company will have to come in and clean up the mess, i.e., destroy the rest of the East Wing. Hey, stuff happens. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Til he figures out some reason to fire and stiff **them**. The Circle of Life, trumpie style. Just a figure of speech, 'cause he has no style. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2424 "2025-10-21T21:05:58Z")
It’s cool that with the government shut down, federal employees being unpaid, furloughed and fired that Trump was able to scrape together the taxpayer dollars to fund this gift to himself. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2425 "2025-10-21T23:09:22Z")
Trump is [demanding the DoJ pay him $230 million for his past investigations](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/21/trump-doj-settlement-election-classified-documents.html). From the link: > [@](#): > > President [Donald Trump](https://www.cnbc.com/donald-trump/) has demanded that the [Department of Justice](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/22/epstein-trump-doj-ghislaine-maxwell.html) pay him a whopping $230 million in compensation for its [criminal investigations of him](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/doj-fires-spokesman-special-counsels-trump.html) dating to before his first term in the [White House](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/21/trump-white-house-ballroom-demoltion-treasury.html) and afterward, [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/us/politics/trump-justice-department-compensation.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur) reported Tuesday. > > The Times noted that any potential settlement might have to be approved by federal officials who he has appointed during his second term. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=120) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=122)