# 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:** 150
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2986 "2026-02-09T01:27:40Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Is Trump’s silence after such humiliations a sign of Epstein-related kompromat? Or is it just that Trump thinks a rightist dictator can do no wrong? He’s Putin’s stooge. He knows the attacks will continue but figures no one will take much notice. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2987 "2026-02-09T01:34:19Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > He’s Putin’s stooge. He knows the attacks will continue but figures no one will take much notice. What happened to “if he’s elected, he can end the war in one day”? Apparently the cultists have feeble memories. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2988 "2026-02-09T01:36:34Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Apparently the cultists have feeble memories. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2989 "2026-02-09T04:40:05Z")
It’s tough to remember claims that you literally gave no shits about. ---
**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 9, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2990 "2026-02-09T14:45:02Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Is Trump’s silence after such humiliations a sign of Epstein-related kompromat? Or is it just that Trump thinks a rightist dictator can do no wrong? More likely it’s that Trump has zero concern for truth or facts, and simply doesn’t _care_ if he says one thing is happening there while Putin does the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2991 "2026-02-12T17:44:55Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Trump has zero concern for truth or facts, and simply doesn’t _care_ As far as he’s concerned, you and I should only care about feeling good that the last thing HE said makes him look good, why the hell are we paying attention to what actually happens? ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2992 "2026-02-13T14:02:01Z")
And yet he’s constantly thanking people for their “attention to this matter”. ---
**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:** [February 14, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2993 "2026-02-14T04:43:38Z")
Our Secretary of Health & Human Services brags about his immune system: > “I said, ‘I’m not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.’” > **[Health Secretary RFK Jr. reflects on his past: ‘I used to snort cocaine off...](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/health-secretary-rfk-jr-reflects-on-his-past-i-used-to-snort-cocaine-off-of-toilet-seats?embedded=app&platform=android&appVersion=13.3.0)** > > Four decades ago, a Supreme Court nomination was derailed over prior marijuana use. In 2026, political standards are ... different. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2994 "2026-02-14T14:00:38Z")
Believe me, Sir: it shows. ---
**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 14, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2995 "2026-02-14T23:27:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Believe me, Sir: it shows. . OH yeah. The Trump regime certainly shines at providing role models for our nation’s children!!! 🤢 ---
**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:** [February 15, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2996 "2026-02-15T00:02:09Z")
“used to” is playing a decent game of weight lifting there. I imagine he now uses mirrors or CDs like any moderately rich asshole does. Or hooker’s bum cheeks, though they tend to get sticky. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2997 "2026-02-15T00:19:10Z")
CDs!? Where would they find CDs? I suppose they could be snorting blow off their iPhones. ---
**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:** [February 15, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2998 "2026-02-15T00:22:18Z")
I suppose I am showing my age… ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/2999 "2026-02-15T02:12:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > CDs!? Where would they find CDs? In RFK Jr’s case, see deez nuts. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3000 "2026-02-16T00:14:57Z")
The horrors keep coming: [This Is What Destroying the Vaccine Market Looks Like](https://www.thebulwark.com/p/this-is-what-destroying-the-vaccine-market-looks-like-moderna-flu-prasad-fda) > [@](#): > > Moderna proceeded with the testing, got [promising](https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-vaccines/moderna-announces-promising-efficacy-results-mrna-flu-vaccine-trial) [results](https://irp.cdn-website.com/89dd0539/files/uploaded/Moderna+2025+Analyst+Day_FINAL_PDF-48-54e4e7af.pdf) and submitted its application. It had good reason to believe it would receive consideration and, in due time, outright approval. Instead, on February 3, Moderna got what’s known as a [“refuse to file” letter](https://static.modernatx.com/pm/6cef78f8-8dad-4fc9-83d5-d2fbb7cff867/38ab7558-636c-40d1-b49a-c8f51a7afa1a/38ab7558-636c-40d1-b49a-c8f51a7afa1a_viewable_rendition__v.pdf) from the FDA, in which the agency said the company had not put the new vaccine to a sufficiently demanding test. > > This was not a decision to reject the Moderna vaccine. It was a refusal even to think about approving it. . . . > > the decision didn’t come from senior career staff working most closely on the application. They actually thought the review should go forward. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3001 "2026-02-16T02:05:23Z")
The anti-vaxxers are likely punishing Moderna for the COVID vaccine. ---
**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 16, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3002 "2026-02-16T14:30:40Z")
I saw this meme today: > Cassidy- “Do you agree with me that President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed?” > > RFKjr “Absolutely yes” > > Cassidy- “But you just told Sen. Bennett that the vaccines killed more people than Covid.” It appears to be from a [hearing from last September](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rfk-jr-says-trump-deserves-171514101.html). The article says that RFK, Jr. said, ‘I did not say that.’ ---
**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:** [February 17, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3003 "2026-02-17T20:13:46Z")
DHS spokesperson Tricia MacLaughlin [is leaving the agency](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/g-s1-110410/homeland-security-department-mclaughlin-departure). ---
**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 17, 2026, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3004 "2026-02-17T23:00:16Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > DHS spokesperson Tricia MacLaughlin [is leaving the agency](https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/g-s1-110410/homeland-security-department-mclaughlin-departure) . I’d say that’s good news—except that I suspect they have someone even more vicious and nasty ready to take her place. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3005 "2026-02-19T01:44:22Z")
This is one of those things that really is a horror, but would be pretty hard to explain to a Trumper. Unless they were a physician, it might even sound good to them. Here it is: [FDA’s reversal on Moderna flu shot bid followed White House pressure](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/fda-reverses-course-on-moderna-flu-shot-bid-00785799) > [@](#): > > The FDA’s decision this week to reverse course and review Moderna’s seasonal flu vaccine application followed a meeting in which President Donald Trump expressed frustration to Commissioner Marty Makary over the agency’s handling of vaccine issues, according to two people familiar with details of the meeting. > > Makary was called to the White House Thursday, two days after the company disclosed the agency’s letter refusing to accept the application . . . > > During the Type A meeting, Moderna suggested an alternative approach to considering its vaccine for approval based on age, the company said. The FDA accepted the application for review after Moderna amended it to seek full approval for 50- to 64-year-olds and accelerated approval for adults 65 and older, with a post-marketing requirement to study the vaccine further in the older age group to address the agency’s initial concerns. Type A meeting? New one to me. The way I understand this: Kennedy and Company had his agency hire Vinay Prasad, a gadfly professor of hematology-oncology at best-of-the-best San Francisco General Hospital. Prasad is the kind of guy who is outstanding when it comes to finding potential and actual flaws in almost any medical study. [Maybe I will read this book of his.](https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12284/malignant) Most medical schools might benefit from having one or two (but probably one) Vinay Prasad type. But a clever gadfly whose ideas should be considered is not the person to run a government drug approval agency. And having Donald Trump overrule Professor Prasad, even if it leads to one good decision, is going to average out to a health care disaster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=149) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=151)