# The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making Part Deux (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083 "2020-06-22T03:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 101
**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:** [August 6, 2020, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2011 "2020-08-06T23:54:41Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > > [@Frazzled](#): > > > > **“Look, we have great respect for the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States,”** Pence [told] the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody on Wednesday. **“But Chief Justice John Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives** > > Quote was from Pence. > > It seems clear to me that Pence is saying that Supreme court justices need to vote and rule only on behalf of one part of the country only; that Justice Roberts has forgotten that his oath was to serve conservatives. > > I’m amazed that Pence said this out loud. He has clearly and unequivocally stated that Justices in the Supreme Court should rule NOT on the law, or by following the constitution - but rather they should rule in a partisan fashion to please one single political party or movement. > > Astounding. It goes back 50 years, now, which may be why it doesn’t get mentioned much anymore, but Pence is a great illustration of “The Peter Principle”: > [@](#): > > …people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their “level of incompetence” > **[Peter principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle)** > > The Peter principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to "a level of respective incompetence": employees are promoted based on their success in previous jobs until they reach a level at which they are no longer competent, as skills in one job do not necessarily translate to another. > The concept was explained in the 1969 book The Peter Principle (William Morrow and Company) by Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull. Hull wr... Pence is smart enough to know that his side expects Justices to rule according to the views of the party of the Presidents who appointed them—but _not_ smart enough to be able to say it in a plausibly-deniable way. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2012 "2020-08-07T00:01:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Alas, I don’t think I could possibly top today’s outburst; about Biden; > > > [@](#): > > > > He’s following the radical left agenda. Take away your guns. Destroy your Second Amendment. No religion! No anything! Hurt the Bible! Hurt God! He’s against God! He’s against guns! He’s against energy, our kind of energy. Uh, I don’t think he’s going to do too well in Ohio. Ohio Governor now has Covid19 [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ar-BB17EwoI?OCID=ansmsnnews11](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ar-BB17EwoI?OCID=ansmsnnews11) ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2013 "2020-08-07T00:03:53Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Back to the “what I’d like to do if I were interviewing Trump” fantasy, I’d like to hand him a section of the Declaration of Independence Or Bill of Rights, or some such, and trick him into trying to read it out loud, while the print was displayed on a split screen for readers to follow along during his effort. Or anything from a HS textbook, really. You’d enjoy the fifth chapter (“Job Three…”) of this novel; it might be available on the free preview Look Inside: > [@DONALD the Employee: a comic novel of American politics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donald-the-employee-a-comic-novel-of-american-politics/808127): > > [[image] ](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06XJD28Gvq4/WnZCurAc-sI/AAAAAAAAAAY/wRVekZu7bmEIZQJId_HlqPVqMUxOvNscwCLcBGAs/s1600/Donald%2Bcover%2B300%2Bpx%2Bwide%2B2-2-18A.jpg)[http://donald.sirtespress.com/](http://donald.sirtespress.com/) Of interest to the many who follow American politics: this short comic novel on the current political scene. Long-ish excerpt is readable on the KDP sales page (which can be reached from the publisher’s page linked above; that’s my connection with this). [[image] ](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ1FMvhY1c8/WnZDld5EaDI/AAAAAAAAAAo/CwOEBkkzvNY9Fg2xZpzraLvfrHdhUfdoQCLcBGAs/s1600/SIRTES%2BPRESS%2B150%2Bx%2B225px%252C%2BA2.jpg) SIRTES, rearranged, of course, is RESIST. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2014 "2020-08-07T00:09:46Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Ohio Governor now has Covid19 > [MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ohio-gov-mike-dewine-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/ar-BB17EwoI?OCID=ansmsnnews11) Or so that one test said. I foresee a flood of positive tests for GOP politicians who want to avoid being photographed with Trump. Then, the day after Trump leaves, it will turn out that those tests were in error----they’re not COVID-positive, after all! Whew! ---
**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:** [August 7, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2015 "2020-08-07T01:22:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > 876,000 hours is a few months shy of 100 years. 876,000 hours divided by 24 hours per day is 36,500 days. 36,500 days divided by 365 days per year equals 100 years. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2016 "2020-08-07T01:27:01Z")
Leap years happen. Over the course of 100 years, 24 leap years happen (2100 won’t be a leap year). So 36,500 days is 99 years and 341 days (unless I’ve gotten something wrong (which is always possible). This has been my pointless nitpick of the day… ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2017 "2020-08-07T02:27:18Z")
Despite the (hilarious) rhetoric from the GOP that Pelosi & Schumer are too inflexible in their demands, it turns out (surprise!) that’s a lie and it’s the Republicans who won’t move an inch. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/dkOLsxEQlJY/hqdefault.jpg "BREAKING: Pelosi, Schumer give update on stimulus negotiations") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkOLsxEQlJY) ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2018 "2020-08-07T02:33:31Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I’m shocked he didn’t say it will go away in two weeks. LOL, right. Wasn’t there supposed to be a complete replacement for Obamacare by now? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2019 "2020-08-07T02:47:44Z")
It was my mistake, as well. There are 24 or 25 leap days in 100 years, so 876,000 hours is about a month short of 100 years. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2020 "2020-08-07T02:50:43Z")
(post withdrawn by author, will be automatically deleted at the heat death of the Universe unless flagged) ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2021 "2020-08-07T02:51:15Z")
He (Schumer) should have had his mask on… while she (Pelosi) was talking. Just for optics if they hang out off camera. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2022 "2020-08-07T02:54:30Z")
I read that novel a few years ago. It was hysterical. I’m pretty sure it was written by a Doper, but I can’t remember who. Was it you? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2023 "2020-08-07T02:55:16Z")
Individual 1 pronounced Thailand as “Thighland” today, and Dinesh D’Souza is busily tweeting, “But, that’s how English speaking people pronounce it.” ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2024 "2020-08-07T03:16:36Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Back to the “what I’d like to do if I were interviewing Trump” fantasy, I’d like to hand him a section of the Declaration of Independence Or Bill of Rights, or some such, and trick him into trying to read it out loud, while the print was displayed on a split screen for readers to follow along during his effort. Or anything from a HS textbook, really. [e plab nista](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bYkNptOJns) ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2025 "2020-08-07T03:27:37Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > foresee a flood of positive tests for GOP politicians who want to avoid being photographed with Trump. Then, the day after Trump leaves, it will turn out that those tests were in error----they’re not COVID-positive, after all! Whew! At 10:30pm EST Thursday 8/6/200, the NYT announced precisely this. It was a ‘false positive’. Trump had left the area by the time this was announced. Whew! Even as deep a cynic as I am is taken aback by the turnaround. I thought it would take til tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2026 "2020-08-07T03:34:26Z")
> [@simster](#): > > [e plab nista](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bYkNptOJns) [off-topic] In the Senegoid rating system, that was the worst ST:TOS episode of them all. (“Turnabout Intruder” being the other contender.) [/off-topic] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2027 "2020-08-07T03:50:16Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Pence is Catholic, although of a particularly evangelical strain. Pence was raised a Catholic but he stopped going to Catholic services decades ago. He joined an Evangelical Church back in the nineties. He described himself as an Evangelical Catholic for several years but this was apparently just a stepping stone from Catholicism to Evangelicalism. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2028 "2020-08-07T03:50:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > [off-topic] > In the Senegoid rating system, that was the worst ST:TOS episode of them all. (“Turnabout Intruder” being the other contender.) > [/off-topic] Yeah - but damned if that speach isn’t timely … and ‘holy words’ by the trumpian guy. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2029 "2020-08-07T04:02:41Z")
I’ll pick it up when I get back from killing trout in the Eastern Sierras. Looks very good! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2030 "2020-08-07T04:39:04Z")
Well, he’s drawn a line in the sand. A squiggly line that’s kind of hard to see, but a line nonetheless: > **[Trump bans dealings with Chinese owners of TikTok, WeChat](https://apnews.com/article/global-trade-ap-top-news-politics-asia-business-719d8c83f689929c9c9d8c9aa5593fc8)** > > NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered a sweeping but unspecified ban on dealings with the Chinese owners of consumer apps TikTok and WeChat, although it remains unclear if he has the legal authority to actually ban the apps from... > [@](#): > > … has the legal authority to actually ban the apps from the U.S. > > The twin executive orders — one for each app — take effect in 45 days. They call on the Commerce Secretary to define the banned dealings by that time. While the wording of the orders is vague, some experts said it appears intended to bar the popular apps from the Apple and Google app stores, which could effectively remove them from distribution in the U.S. > > “This is an unprecedented use of presidential authority,” Eurasia Group analyst Paul Triolo said in an email. At a minimum, he said, the orders appear to “constitute a ban on the ability of U.S. app stores run by Apple and Google to include either mobile app after 45 days.” > > Triolo said the orders may face legal challenges and warned that Beijing is likely to “react harshly, at least rhetorically.” Trump’s orders cited legal authority from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=100) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=102)