# 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:** 162
**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:** [March 22, 2026, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3226 "2026-03-22T17:25:08Z")
More like visiting [Arkham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkham_Asylum?wprov=sfti1). ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3227 "2026-03-23T01:27:43Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > She should have poked him with a stick. A sharp one. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3228 "2026-03-23T01:52:47Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Re last post, is there a single Republican running for reelection who has a problem with what Trump said? Answer after today’s talk shows seems to be – no. [Bessent responds to Trump’s post about Mueller’s death](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5795894-bessent-trump-empathy-plea/) > [@](#): > > Treasury Secretary [Scott Bessent](https://thehill.com/people/scott-bessent/)on Sunday said people need to give [President Trump](https://thehill.com/people/donald-trump/)more empathy after Trump posted that he was “glad” former FBI Director [Robert Mueller](https://thehill.com/people/robert-mueller/)[was dead](https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5794757-robert-mueller-dead-81/). > > “I think that given what has been done to President Trump and his family it is impossible for either of us to understand what he has been through,” Bessent said during a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Mueller’s Vietnam leg wound was a lot more serious than Trump’s ear injury, but AFAIK it didn’t lead to anyone’s death being celebrated (and certainly not any American official). ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3229 "2026-03-23T02:29:14Z")
I just watched **Meet the Press** and Bessent looked terrified and came off like a bumbling fool. _“What has been done to President Trump”_!? He looked really uncomfortable trying to spit that one out, and rightfully so. I haven’t had a chance to look up a translation of the other ridiculous things he was saying. Some nonsense about de-escalation through escalation. Kristen Welker didn’t seem to get it either, so I don’t feel too bad. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3230 "2026-03-23T02:48:10Z")
Bessent probably understands just how huge the incipient disaster is going to be that’s looming just ahead, but he’s got to stick with the party line from the big boss, whatever it happens to be at this moment, and there’s no escape hatch for him. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3231 "2026-03-23T03:43:47Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > and there’s no escape hatch for him. There’s always a way out. Except that it is “under the bus”. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3232 "2026-03-23T06:53:45Z")
Do you not have the convention of “resigning to spend more time with the family”? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3233 "2026-03-23T13:49:33Z")
Pre-trump that was certain a US political convention too. There is literally no convention trump hasn’t upended. Bessent’s best hope is to be fired. his inevitable pillorying for resigning would be far worse, not better than the one that follows being fired. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3234 "2026-03-23T21:43:57Z")
Well, he could claim to be resigning for reasons of health. It’d take something more serious than bone spurs to get him out of a desk job, but I’m sure a creative doctor can come up with something. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3235 "2026-03-23T23:19:03Z")
[How Trump Gets His Ideas](https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/23/media/trump-ice-airports-clay-travis-fox-news) > [@](#): > > “Linda from Arizona,” a caller . . . said on “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,” “I think I have a solution to the TSA problem.” She said, “We need to bring in ICE agents.” > > “It’s kind of a brilliant idea,” co-host Clay Travis said. > > That exchange aired on the radio on Friday afternoon. President Trump announced his vision for ICE agents at airports on Saturday afternoon. > > What happened in between? Travis appeared on one of Trump’s favorite Fox News shows and personally pitched the idea. My wife thinks I’m wrong about this, but I’m going to say it anyway – we are better off with ICE agents trying (with or without success) to assist TSA in the airport than out raiding employers. So I’m glad Linda suggested ICE agents, rather than, say, the capitol police or EPA investigators or forest rangers. A bit more seriously, I know it is bad for Trump to make ICE into his private police force. That’s a horror. But the short-term effect – ICE being distracted from its mission – may be good. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3236 "2026-03-23T23:54:58Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > ICE being distracted from its mission – may be good. How do you know that’s the case? They can intimidate, harass, and attack brown people while checking luggage and monitoring x-ray machines at the same time. Especially if they’re actually prioritizing the former. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3237 "2026-03-23T23:58:13Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > > ICE being distracted from its mission – may be good. > > How do you know that’s the case? > > They can intimidate, harass, and attack brown people while checking luggage and monitoring x-ray machines at the same time. Especially if they’re actually prioritizing the former.. I can’t believe how quickly this happened. ICE is already at my airport as of today (Pittsburgh). Not feeling good about this. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3238 "2026-03-24T00:11:47Z")
NBC News reported this evening that ICE agents were at 14 airports today, IIRC. Not sure of the airport, but the video they aired showed ICE guys mostly standing around watching. They did show one clip where ICE helped a woman out of a car and into a wheelchair. But, hey, the ICE folks weren’t wearing masks. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3239 "2026-03-24T00:32:49Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > They can intimidate, harass, and attack brown people while checking luggage and monitoring x-ray machines at the same time. So far no evidence of that (see last post). Estimates vary, but ICE staff seems to be slightly more Latino than America as a whole. That’s not the same as saying they are more brown than America as a whole, but a lot of them do look a bit Latino, and this is likely to influence the rest of ICE. I think their tasking is anti-migrant AKA nativist rather than race-based. And if they are disproportionately attacking brown people checking luggage, we should have links on it. I cannot find it yet. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3240 "2026-03-24T00:44:30Z")
Some links related to my last post (I think they support it, but others may disagree): > **[California Democrats condemn immigration arrest at San Francisco airport](https://apnews.com/article/ice-arrest-san-francisco-airport-sfo-tsa-a9d59a73eceed1ed7e13e64c9a76729a)** > > Video footage of federal officers detaining a crying woman at San Francisco International Airport is drawing outrage. But San Francisco airport security is AFAIK handled by contractors. so this from HuffPost seems plausible: [ICE Arrests At San Francisco Airport Not Tied To Federal Agents Assisting TSA](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/ice-arrests-san-francisco-airport-232914184.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEHCUZP0Z-coYf2p4whCqIV74_9bvMs5dkKmcGr8rJN68g4Basw4Z_PeuJPVET4TU8eDCDbUOMwSNJ211XwCXSGUNHL86Rwu1M0y9blNtP2Wj8JNLm7yQzb7nBbRSr5wsRxmpNHk571WR3ftqAtAJggldeyrkMVdSXfklW5kDRLB) ---
**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:** [March 24, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3241 "2026-03-24T00:48:36Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > But the short-term effect – ICE being distracted from its mission – may be good. Where do you get the idea they’re not on mission any more? > [@gnoitall](#): > > They can intimidate, harass, and attack brown people while checking luggage and monitoring x-ray machines at the same time. Especially if they’re actually prioritizing the former. Exactly. They are being sent to airports to _continue_ to carry out their mission, namely, profiling and arresting people who don’t “look like” white Christian Americans. * * * * * * > # ICE Agents Are Now Patrolling U.S. Airports. Here’s What to Know. > > _The deployment comes as a battle over Department of Homeland Security funding has led to closed security checkpoints, long lines and missed flights._ > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/travel/ice-agents-tsa-airports.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.VlA.HUgf.yKBlFZjyTxU0&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/travel/ice-agents-tsa-airports.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.HUgf.yKBlFZjyTxU0&smid=url-share) > … > ICE officers’ exact duties at airports remained unclear. Officers were seen on Monday at several airports walking in small groups through check-in areas and standing near exits, their faces mostly unmasked. Unlike T.S.A. agents, ICE personnel are being paid. > > … > > **Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that ICE officers’ duties at airports would include “the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our Country.”** But there have so far been no reports of arrests connected to the deployment. > … My bold. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3242 "2026-03-24T01:38:05Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Where do you get the idea they’re not on mission any more? – Pictures of them standing around – Only report of an airport arrest is at SFO, which is [non-TSA](https://www.covenantsecurity.com/about.html) – Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that ICE officers’ duties at airports would include “the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants who have come into our Country.” And so much of what he writes on social media is untrue. Regarding the first sentence of my last bullet point (of course a repeat of what you bolded), Trump cannot admit to his base that airports are a poor place to find lots of undocumented workers. EDIT: Having written the above, now I’m afraid that maybe Trump will have ICE raid some airport restaurants or similar just to show his base that his ICE deployment to airports isn’t watering down his nativist project. They may do that. I’m just saying that the percent of undocumented, or otherwise deportable, immigrants that ICE would find at an airport restaurant will be less than at a restaurant chosen at random. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2026, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3243 "2026-03-24T09:12:33Z")
“Deportable” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, as that includes anyone who fails the paper bag test, or has a funny name. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2026, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3244 "2026-03-24T11:43:51Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > They did show one clip where ICE helped a woman out of a car and into a wheelchair. I really don’t doubt they’ll be putting people in wheelchairs. Or casts/splints/slings. Or hospital beds. Or coffins. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/3245 "2026-03-24T18:47:37Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “Deportable” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, as that includes anyone who fails the paper bag test, or has a funny name.. And/or whose paper work is “oops” lost somewhere by ICE. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=161) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=163)