# 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:** 43
**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:** [February 19, 2025, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/842 "2025-02-19T15:03:51Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > The responsibility to address this lies with Congress. Thus far they have been unwilling to do a damn thing. There is a small amount of resistance where some of the cuts have affected home districts. **Trump faces growing DOGE revolt from GOP lawmakers** [https://www.axios.com/2025/02/19/donald-trump-doge-republicans-congress](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/19/donald-trump-doge-republicans-congress) > As the Trump administration continues its crusade to [pare down the federal job rolls](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/14/federal-workers-fired-energy-va-cdc-nih) and [slash federal spending](https://www.axios.com/2025/02/06/trump-politico-subscriptions-doge-elon-musk), some Republicans on Capitol Hill are growing unnerved by what they see as an imprecise exercise. > > **Why it matters:** The job and funding cuts are now hitting GOP lawmakers’ districts and states. There’s also a larger conflict brewing over whether the administration can simply bypass Congress on these decisions. > … ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/843 "2025-02-19T15:22:03Z")
I’d **Like** to see Congress doing something. Trump is in the process of making Congress irrelevant, which you would think was something they cared about. To paraphrase Jean Anouilh’s play _Becket_, if they let him get away with this power grab, in the future he can take them one by one and break them across his knee. The thing to do, if they wish to retain any power is to act together and say “no” to him, as they did when he asked them to adjourn and let him make all his cabinet appointments as recess appointments. They weren’t willing to cave so easily there. They ought to show more backbone here. Musk can’t primary ALL of them. But then there’s this: > [@](#): > > # GOP senator on Musk’s cuts: ‘Congress can’t do anything except complain’ > > … > > It was against this backdrop that [Politico highlighted](https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/02/18/congress/chuck-grassley-musk-doge-trump-00204687) an especially unfortunate comment from a longtime senator who really should know better. > > > Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley said Congress is powerless in the face of cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. ‘Congress can’t do anything except complain’ about the slashing of the federal government at the hands of Musk and his allies, Grassley said during a press call on Tuesday, according to a report from RadioIowa. > > For those unfamiliar with the Iowa Republican’s career, Grassley, who’ll turn 92 in September, began his Senate career around this time 44 years ago. He’s not only the longest-serving GOP member in the chamber, he’s literally the longest-serving Republican senator [in the history of the institution](https://www.senate.gov/senators/longest_serving_senators.htm). > > … > > Grassley is, after all, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is a powerful position. He could, at his discretion, take all sorts of steps. The senator could: > > - call a hearing and demand Musk’s testimony; > - issue subpoenas to the quasi-governmental Department of Government Efficiency; > - introduce legislation limiting DOGE’s authority; > - file lawsuits; > - sign onto amicus briefs filed in courts; > - impose Senate holds until his concerns are addressed; > - vote against nominees and bills until his concerns are addressed. > > This list isn’t comprehensive. It’s just a sampling of the kinds of steps Grassley and his other concerned GOP colleagues could take at any time. Complaining is certainly _one_ option, but to see it as the _only_ option is to overlook what members of the Senate could choose to do. > **[GOP senator on Musk’s cuts: ‘Congress can’t do anything except complain’](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/gop-senator-musks-cuts-congress-cant-anything-complain-rcna192780)** > > Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley suggested Congress is powerless to stop cuts by DOGE. That’s plainly untrue. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/844 "2025-02-19T15:55:33Z")
Bullshit (at Congress, not CalMeacham). At the very f…ing least, Congress can subpoena Musk to answer questions about what he is doing, hold him in criminal contempt if he refuses to show up and (theoretically) have him arrested for such. At the _very_ least. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/845 "2025-02-19T15:56:00Z")
(gift article) > **[Zelensky Urges ‘More Truth’ After Trump Suggests Ukraine Started the War](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/19/world/europe/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.yE4.J5YL.L6JTOYa0yL31&smid=url-share)** > > The remarks by President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine were some of his most pointed yet about President Trump’s views on the war. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2025, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/846 "2025-02-19T18:33:44Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The swearing-in was of course purely ceremonial. Roberts had no power to stop Trump… I wanted to flag this. Purely ceremonial actions actually DO give you some power: if you publicly refuse to comply, that is a big deal. They’d find someone else to swear him in, or skip the ceremony, so it would have little immediate practical effect, but rhetorically it’s a big deal, and gives courage to others. Courage, which you’ll note, is notably lacking at present. On the other hand, merely going along makes a different powerful statement, “This Is Fine.” Which is a lie, and (in my opinion anyway) makes anyone performing their purely ceremonial roles complicit. ---
**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 19, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/847 "2025-02-19T19:16:59Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Purely ceremonial actions actually DO give you some power: if you publicly refuse to comply, that is a big deal. They’d find someone else to swear him in, or skip the ceremony, so it would have little immediate practical effect, but rhetorically it’s a big deal, and gives courage to others. Unfortunately, one of the effects it would have among some 75 million Trump voters would be to stain the Supreme Court as anti-Trump before he had even done anything. Now, instead, the Supremes can rule on his individual actions in their traditional legitimate role without any obvious appearance of bias – and, in fact, from a position of being fairly obviously right-wing biased but still intent on upholding the law. Whether they will actually do this is entirely another question. I’m not hopeful. But what’s required of them at this point could not be simpler – do nothing and let lower court rulings stand. (I wish I could pull in a big six-figure salary for which doing nothing would be praised as my crowning achievement. Supreme Court justice: nice job if you can get it!) ---
**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:** [February 19, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/848 "2025-02-19T20:29:54Z")
So, this is definitely appropriate for the Horrors thread. The official White House instagram account just posted a picture of King Donald Trump, crowned and everything. [https://www.instagram.com/p/DGRDGQWxlhX/](https://www.instagram.com/p/DGRDGQWxlhX/) Yes, this is real. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/849 "2025-02-19T20:32:54Z")
Now, we’re _truly_ royally screwed. Wow. I can’t … I mean … Yeah. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/850 "2025-02-20T02:15:59Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The official White House instagram account just posted a picture of King Donald Trump, crowned and everything. For several centuries, almost all kings have deferred to the legislature when it comes to government spending. Trump is acting more like an emperor. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/851 "2025-02-20T02:40:00Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > For several centuries, almost all kings have deferred to the legislature when it comes to government spending. Trump is acting more like an emperor. He’s acting like Charles I, and should come to the same end. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/852 "2025-02-20T12:08:46Z")
I had to post this wonderful quote > [@](#): > > Of course the scale and depth of the incompetence and corruption are hard to believe. **Who knew crazy was available in this volume?** Only stupidity or ignorance can think taking a meat cleaver to government and the workforce results in something other than serious economic repercussions Whoever came up with the scheme to fire 200k workers, deport hundreds of thousands more, disassemble the civil service, and call it “savings” should not be given access to sharp objects. Emphasis mine, but only because it’s the best part > **[The Crash is coming; how big is not clear, but big. Soon. Keep your calendar...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/19/2304938/-The-Crash-is-coming-how-big-is-not-clear-but-big-Soon-Keep-your-calendar-clear-for-early-summer?utm_campaign=trending)** > > Some early estimates of the coming economic crash are in. One educated guess from a BlueSky account says,� “It seems almost unavoidable at this point that we are headed for a deep, deep recession,�� ---
**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 20, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/853 "2025-02-20T12:13:22Z")
Yeah. Whatever else happens the economy is going to turn really bad quite soon, you simply can’t _do_ the sort of things they are doing and have anything else happen. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/854 "2025-02-20T12:21:13Z")
Another good quote from that: “Hakeem Jeffreys and Dem leadership’s picking out inflation for messaging is safe in its way, but it is similar to complaining about the litter after a tornado hits your town.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/855 "2025-02-20T12:37:35Z")
> **[Treasury recovers $1.3 billion in unpaid taxes from high-wealth tax dodgers](https://apnews.com/article/irs-treasury-tax-wealth-ira-2932f286c89b19b9ccecaaca2f4f2c2b)** > > The IRS has collected $1.3 billion from high-wealth tax dodgers since last fall, the agency says, crediting spending that has ramped up collection enforcement through President Joe Biden's signature climate, health care and tax package signed into... > **[IRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, AP source...](https://apnews.com/article/irs-layoffs-trump-elon-musk-doge-df2b3c8d53ff9f2d276c8b29f8004dde)** > > The IRS plans to lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning Thursday. Does Trump believe those targeting high-wealth tax dodgers are still probationary? ---
**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 20, 2025, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/856 "2025-02-20T12:41:29Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > Whoever came up with the scheme to fire 200k workers That’s something I pointed out back when the P2025 stuff was first being discussed. Fed jobs won’t make you rich, but they generally pay a decent wage. Intentionally getting rid of hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, while simultaneously creating more competition for the lesser-paying jobs, is going to have a huge effect on the economy. Assume an average wage of $50k, that’s potentially $10 billion in consumer spending that will disappear overnight, and take years to rebound, if it ever does. Every business that sells to those people will see a decrease in their revenue, and that’s going to affect even more workers. Every business that downsizes a few employees because business is lagging just makes the problem worse. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/857 "2025-02-20T16:19:27Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Whatever else happens the economy is going to turn really bad quite soon, you simply can’t _do_ the sort of things they are doing and have anything else happen. I wonder if today is the day it starts to plummet? Not looking good right now. ---
**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 20, 2025, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/858 "2025-02-20T16:41:55Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I wonder if today is the day it starts to plummet? I just checked my 401K and it’s not plummeting yet. In 2007 I could see what was coming. I wanted to convert my investments to cash with the intention of re-investing back into the stocks, but I didn’t know how. Had I been able to do that, I would have doubled (at least) my investment. I need to contact John Hancock to see how I can do that if and when the market starts to crash. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/859 "2025-02-20T16:46:11Z")
DOW is down almost 1.5% today. Of course, it’s been down most mornings and mostly recovered each day, but it hasn’t been down over 600 points in a day like right now. I wonder if it is all the US war machine companies that are currently dropping causing this? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/860 "2025-02-20T17:41:56Z")
My union sent me a link to [this tracker](https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/) of the pending federal lawsuits aginst Trump. Whoo doggy, there’s a bunch of them! Trying to keep up on them would be a full time job. I guess taking action which will predictably necessitate defending against a whole bunch of lawsuits is “efficient”? 🙄 ---
**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:** [February 20, 2025, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774/861 "2025-02-20T18:27:57Z")
DOGE should investigate! Seems like a huge waste of government money due to the executive branch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=42) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-current-second-trump-administration-a-compendium-of-horrors/1009774.md?page=44)