# 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:** 35
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/682 "2025-02-06T12:55:37Z")
[Whole Foods says Trump’s actions make union win moot](https://wapo.st/4jMdrk3) > [@](#): > > Trump last week fired two leaders at the National Labor Relations Board, the agency that adjudicates disputes over labor organizing. That left the nation’s top labor regulator with only two members, rendering it unable to do business due to a lack of quorum. . . . > > Trump fired the two NLRB leaders within hours of Philadelphia Whole Foods workers becoming the second group of Amazon employees to ever win a formal union election last week. > > The president had been widely expected to fire NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, a Biden appointee, but also took the unprecedented step of firing board member Gwynne Wilcox from a role that has for the last 90 years been considered immune from presidential dismissal. > > Whole Foods’ filing Monday argued that because Trump’s decision effectively froze the board’s functionality, the board’s regional director “lacks authority” to “lawfully certify” the result of the union’s win. To be fair, it’s not like industrial democracy was thriving under the Biden administration: > [@](#): > > Amazon has for almost three years refused to bargain or meet with workers at a Staten Island warehouse who voted to unionize as the Amazon Labor Union in 2022, despite repeated rulings by labor board regional directors to dismiss its objections and certify the result. P.S. While we don’t buy groceries at Whole Paycheck, we sometimes go to a wonderful little food court at the store where Amazon disrespects the union election win. I generally dislike boycotts but would now feel badly about walking into that place ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/683 "2025-02-06T13:21:36Z")
Aha, maybe that is why Musk and henchmen talked about those aid groups being full of worms… /s ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/684 "2025-02-06T13:43:11Z")
An aunt of mine was a first grade teacher at a parochial school. She said the kids’ favorite stories were the plagues. I taught 2-3 grade Sunday school and I can attest that young kids can be bloodthirsty monsters. I don’t really mean that but they did seem to like the gross tales. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/685 "2025-02-06T13:48:34Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I am hoping for a rain of biblical **plaques** (Bolding mine) Having a few with some choice quotes hit them all in the head might help! “Thou shalt not bear false witness” “Love thy neighbor as yourself” Shit like that. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/686 "2025-02-06T14:14:22Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > I am hoping for a rain of biblical **plaques** > > (Bolding mine) > > Having a few with some choice quotes hit them all in the head might help! > > “Thou shalt not bear false witness” > “Love thy neighbor as yourself” > > Shit like that. LOL sorry - I am still suffering from Covid brain fog. Spelling during episodic brain fog just doesn’t get through sometimes. I keep finding my groceries in my bathroom as well. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/687 "2025-02-06T15:02:53Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > [quoting Trump] “But we could put that as an example in the fund. We have a lot of other things that we could put in the fund.” Say for example $Trump meme coins… > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Last I heard, about one in a hundred feds have signed up for deferred resignation. I wonder how it will go for them. Just to put that in perspective the normal turnover rate of federal employees over 6 months is about 3%. This is obviously much lower, suggesting that there are a lot of employees who are planning to retire in 6 months but didn’t take the offer because either they don’t trust that Trump will deliver, or they actually recognize that they are doing important work \*gasp\* that they don’t want to abandon early. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/688 "2025-02-06T15:06:57Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > Spelling during episodic brain fog just doesn’t get through sometimes. It’s a common typo. On another forum, many years ago, we had fun with a conspiracy theorist who wrote that people “avoid that like the plaque”. When someone pointed out his typo, he doubled down on it, insisting that this was “a common expression in Scotland!” 😃 ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/689 "2025-02-06T15:12:23Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > either they don’t trust that Trump will deliver, or they actually recognize that they are doing important work _gasp_ that they don’t want to abandon early. Or that they’re not nearly as stupid as Musk et al. believe they are. These guys think that most government employees are “lazy ‘takers’”, who are happy to have high-paying jobs that don’t require much work. And look at how they’ve written those memos and FAQs. “Sure, you can get another job and still get paid! Or do no work at all! Maybe go on a six-month Fantasy Vacation to Glorious Whereverstan!” This is so obviously a trap, looking for everyone who is okay with “get paid and do no work” for 8 months. I’ll predict now that no one actually gets this payout. Anyone who responded was put at the top of the “Fire these people” list. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/690 "2025-02-06T15:19:24Z")
i.e. they don’t trust that Trump will deliver. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/691 "2025-02-06T15:22:36Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > On another forum, many years ago, we had fun with a conspiracy theorist who wrote that people “avoid that like the plaque”. When someone pointed out his typo, he doubled down on it, insisting that this was “a common expression in Scotland!” I’m guessing Scotland has NHS dentistry, so I can certainly imagine most people there hearing it at least twice a year. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/692 "2025-02-06T15:31:39Z")
I once tried to find the house that William Colgate grew up in. I struggled though as there was no plaque. ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/693 "2025-02-06T15:38:31Z")
I went to Verona to see where the Montagues and Capulets lived. There was a plaque on both their houses. Meanwhile back in the horror compendium, it looks like Russell Vought is on track to be confirmed as OMB head. Frankly I’m amazed his placard doesn’t spontaneously burst into flame out of sheer audacity - there’s nothing “honorable” at all about him. [![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9114169c3dd9411496da2617f06e6e4b1d28c20f/0_176_5264_3160/master/5264.jpg?width=700&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) ](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9114169c3dd9411496da2617f06e6e4b1d28c20f/0_176_5264_3160/master/5264.jpg?width=700&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/694 "2025-02-06T18:34:51Z")
I’ve lost track of which of the many threads folk were discussing the “deferred resignation” proposal. I mentioned before that AFAICT everyone in my component is ineligible to participate. I’m a little disappointed that the media I have heard has not mentioned this key fact. They consistently mention this as being offered to 1-2 million employees. However, I believe each Agency has been able to exclude staff from participation. I suspect the number of staff who COULD accept this is much smaller than the number of fed employees. We’ve been receiving nearly daily emails about this program. There is a LENGTHY agreement people are expected to sign. Yesterday’s email said the agreement, was revised to include the statement that **“Any obligations herein are subject to the availability of appropriations"** 😃 Let’s see - resignations are due today. How long is the govt funded? Through some time next month? Show of hands - how many folk are confident that there will be no funding/appropriation/impoundment shenanigans between today and September, such that folk should be certain they will receive the promised monies? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/695 "2025-02-06T23:50:40Z")
True horror: [Abandoned in the Middle of Clinical Trials, Because of a Trump Order](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/health/usaid-clinical-trials-funding-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u04.BRTr.vW5s7B8K6DMf&smid=url-share) > [@](#): > > Asanda Zondi received a startling phone call last Thursday, with orders to make her way to a health clinic in Vulindlela, South Africa, where she was participating in a research study that was testing a new device to prevent pregnancy and H.IV. infection. > > The trial was shutting down, a nurse told her. The device, a silicone ring inserted into her vagina, needed to be removed right away. . . . > > The stop-work order was so immediate and sweeping that the research staff would be violating it if they helped the women remove the rings. But Dr. Leila Mansoor, a scientist with the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (known as CAPRISA) and an investigator on the trial, decided she and her team would do so anyway. . . . > > That work relied on a carefully constructed web of trust that has now been destroyed, Dr. Mansoor said. Building that trust took years in South Africa, where the apartheid regime conducted medical experiments on Black people during the years of white rule. . ---
**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:** [February 6, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/696 "2025-02-06T23:52:54Z")
> [@](#): > > a new device to prevent pregnancy and H.IV. infection I’m of the opinion that the former is the bigger reason for this, the latter is just a bonus. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/697 "2025-02-07T00:02:17Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > a new device to prevent pregnancy and H.IV. infection > > I’m of the opinion that the former is the bigger reason for this, the latter is just a bonus. No, all USAID projects are stopped. Even those in the UK are stopped: > [@](#): > > Had the stop-work order come later this year, the newly-vaccinated volunteers might have been in an even more precarious position. They were scheduled to be deliberately infected with malaria to see if the experimental vaccine protected them from the disease. This research would help protect Trump Jr. and Eric when they go on their big game safaris. ---
**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:** [February 7, 2025, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/698 "2025-02-07T00:04:24Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > No, all USAID projects are stopped. Yes, I know that. I’m suggesting that there might be agendas within agendas. ---
**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 7, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/699 "2025-02-07T04:57:37Z")
To anyone who doubts that “the cruelty is the point”: > **[Trump administration evicts former Coast Guard leader from her house with 3...](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-administration-evicts-former-coast-guard-linda-fagan-3-hours-rcna190820)** > > Trump fired Linda Fagan, the first female Coast Guard commandant, on his second day in office. A Trump official told her she had three hours to leave her house on Tuesday. ---
**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 7, 2025, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/700 "2025-02-07T18:23:47Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > On another forum, many years ago, we had fun with a conspiracy theorist who wrote that people “avoid that like the plaque”. When someone pointed out his typo, he doubled down on it, insisting that this was “a common expression in Scotland!” 😃 He may have had a point, even if inadvertently! 😉 The **[plack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plack_(coin))** was an ancient Scottish coin first produced in the 15th century and enduring until around the 18th, when it was worth about one-third of an English penny. Though it’s not clear why a Scotsman would want to avoid the plack, except perhaps in quest of higher-valued currency. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/701 "2025-02-07T19:00:50Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Though it’s not clear why a Scotsman would want to avoid the plack, except perhaps in quest of higher-valued currency. 😀 Perhaps he dropped it and wanted to avoid it hitting the back of his head? 😁 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=34) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=36)