# 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:** 116
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2312 "2020-08-14T04:40:23Z")
Gets better: > **[Fact check: Trump promotes another birther lie, this time about Kamala Harris...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/trump-news-conference-birtherism-kamala-harris-biden-attacks-fact-check/index.html)** > > President Donald Trump spent years pushing lies about the birthplace and presidential eligibility of President Barack Obama, the first Black president. From article: Trump said, “I heard today that she doesn’t meet the requirements.” He referred to a lawyer who raised the issue in a Newsweek article, Chapman University professor John Eastman, as “very highly qualified.” Trump then said he has “no idea” whether it’s true Harris doesn’t meet the requirements. He then asked the reporter if she was saying Harris doesn’t qualify because Harris “wasn’t born in this country.” **Facts First:** _Harris was born in Oakland, California. Therefore, as a natural born citizen, she meets the Constitution’s requirements to serve as vice president or president. There is no serious question about this._ Bolding and italics theirs. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2313 "2020-08-14T06:15:32Z")
You MAIL your rent cheque? I haven’t written a cheque in over 30 years, and haven’t received one (apart from refund stuff) in about the same time frame. Everything here is done online. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2314 "2020-08-14T06:38:41Z")
My landlord charges 5% to pay rent online, so fuck him he can drive his ass to the bank to cash my check. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2315 "2020-08-14T08:14:04Z")
Yes, amazingly some of us still write checks and mail them. My current landlord, just like the one prior, has no provision for paying rent on line. I’m not even sure if they have a means of doing so with plastic. Everyone in the complex I know about uses either cash or check. Presumably, they take money orders, too. The prior one was a private individual, not a corporation. The current one is a corporation, but a small one that’s been around for decades and probably has simply never seen the need to move on line. Any maintenance problems or communications are handled by phone or in person as well, there’s no way to do that on line, either. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2316 "2020-08-14T08:18:35Z")
Cheques are just not a thing here in Australia. A bit like fax machines and cassette players, they’re just NOT a thing. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2317 "2020-08-14T09:14:39Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I can’t look at Kushner without thinking of Dorian gray. A young attractive blemish-less face that displays no trace of worry of care covering a dark soul of greed and heartlessness. > > Somewhere in the basement of 666 5th avenue there is a really ugly painting. This is an awesome analogy. Also, thanks a lot for ruining Dorian Gray for me. lol ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2318 "2020-08-14T12:23:17Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > My landlord counts the day of rent delivery by the postmark - as long as the date I dropped it off is stamped on it, it doesn’t matter how late they are in getting it. You might ask about your situation. Mine does, but not in the original lease he proposed. His first proposal was that if he “received” my rent more than 5 days late, he could start eviction procedures. This is after years of him not bothering to cash my rent until the second week of the month. There was quite a bit of back and forth, and that is no longer the case, but I would still have to pay a $100 late fee. I worry about other tenants of his that may have not fought that provision as hard. As well as my $100, should he decide to charge it because of a mail slowdown. > [@kambuckta](#): > > You MAIL your rent cheque? I haven’t written a cheque in over 30 years, and haven’t received one (apart from refund stuff) in about the same time frame. Everything here is done online. Most things are done online here too. But, not all things. I’ve asked him to set up an ACH or some method of online payment, but he doesn’t really want to. I have customers that pay by check, too. > [@kambuckta](#): > > Cheques are just not a thing here in Australia. A bit like fax machines and cassette players, they’re just NOT a thing. They aren’t here either. We have checks. 🙂 And I still occasionally have to fax things to various people, and have people wanting to fax things to me. Unlike a fax machine, I’d bet that quite a few households in the US have a cassette player, even if it’s in a box in the corner of the basement. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2020, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2319 "2020-08-14T12:31:14Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > You MAIL your rent cheque? I haven’t written a cheque in over 30 years, and haven’t received one (apart from refund stuff) in about the same time frame. Everything here is done online. I’ll go ya one better. I automatically transfer my rent to my landlord by EFT through my bank. If your bank allows it, it’s really simple. You get the other party’s routing number, enter in the section of your online account that’s for “transfers,” and you can set up an automatic transfer or do it manually. I do several other routine EFTs this way, including my cleaning lady. When we first got locked down and I had her stop coming, I asked her to text me a picture of one of her checks, so I could do a bi-weekly EFT without her having to come by to pick up a check. Now that she’s working again, I still do the EFT. No need for her to deposit–presto! the money is instantly in her account. I hate paper checks. In fact, I hate paper and it hates me. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2320 "2020-08-14T12:35:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’ll go ya one better. I automatically transfer my rent to my landlord by EFT through my bank. If your bank allows it, it’s really simple. You get the other party’s routing number, enter in the section of your online account that’s for “transfers,” and you can set up an automatic transfer or do it manually. That’s…actually pretty standard here in Australia. I just paid my vehicle registration that way yesterday, for example. That’s how we pay rent, how my pay is deposited, how I pay for my phone…the list goes on and on. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2321 "2020-08-14T12:41:12Z")
I’m happy to pay rent online, but I don’t receive my bill in time to avoid a late payment if I use my bill pay service. So my rent is the only bill I am forced to write checks for and I hate it. My amount varies because it includes utilities, so I can’t just set up an auto pay. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2322 "2020-08-14T14:16:34Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > That’s…actually pretty standard here in Australia. I just paid my vehicle registration that way yesterday, for example. That’s how we pay rent, how my pay is deposited, how I pay for my phone…the list goes on and on. When you said you paid “online” I thought you meant you go to a website and make a payment. Like this guy: > [@zoid](#): > > My landlord charges 5% to pay rent online, so fuck him he can drive his ass to the bank to cash my check. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2323 "2020-08-14T15:23:55Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > No need for her to deposit–presto! the money is instantly in her account. Ergo, they won’t care if the post office goes away. If there is a way to incentivize companies to _want_ the post office then politicians won’t be so cavalier about cutting funding. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2324 "2020-08-14T16:26:09Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Ergo, they won’t care if the post office goes away. If there is a way to incentivize companies to _want_ the post office then politicians won’t be so cavalier about cutting funding. Huh? I was talking about paying my cleaning lady. She used to pick up the check when she came to clean. Post office not involved. ---
**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 14, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2325 "2020-08-14T16:48:26Z")
Surprise, surprise, surprise! > **[Watchdog: Homeland Security officials were wrongly appointed](https://apnews.com/25347f25d17b9d798f29522a7b7296b2)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — The two most senior officials in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were improperly appointed to the posts under federal law by the Trump administration, a nonpartisan congressional watchdog said Friday... ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2326 "2020-08-14T17:18:30Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > That’s…actually pretty standard here in Australia. I just paid my vehicle registration that way yesterday, for example. That’s how we pay rent, how my pay is deposited, how I pay for my phone…the list goes on and on. I’m in the US, and I pay _every_thing online. My brother lives in Costa Rica, and he asked me to send a check to someone here, and it took me almost an hour to find my check book. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2327 "2020-08-14T17:39:49Z")
And so of course their appointments will stand even if blatantly illegal! Because who’s gonna stop him? He’s taking measures that will kill Americans as we speak and no one stops him so this won’t even be a bump in the road. He’ll just fire the inspector general if it comes to that. 😡 ---
**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 14, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2328 "2020-08-14T17:59:06Z")
The official Simpsons twitter account, via Marge Simpson, responds to White House staffer Jenna Ellis saying Kamala Harris sounds like Marge. > **[Marge Simpson responds to Trump adviser's Kamala Harris comparison | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/14/entertainment/marge-simpson-jenna-ellis-kamala-harris/index.html)** > > Doh! Politics have really gotten serious when a beloved but fictional animated character feels compelled to defend herself against a real-world slight. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2329 "2020-08-14T18:53:50Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > Because who’s gonna stop him? When people say things like “Oh now you’re just being ridiculous - sure, things ain’t great, but it’ll all work out in the end,” I come back to that question above. Who’s going to stop him/them from stealing the election? Who’s going to stop him/them from breaking the Constitution? Who? And how? ---
**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:** [August 14, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2330 "2020-08-14T19:05:37Z")
A judge appointed by the iDJiT Administration has ordered said administration to provide evidence of vote-by-mail fraud. > **[Judge orders Trump campaign to produce evidence of voter fraud in Pennsylvania...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/trump-campaign-voter-fraud-lawsuit-pennsylvania/index.html)** > > A federal judge in Pennsylvania told the Trump campaign and the Republican Party that they must produce evidence they have of vote-by-mail fraud in the state by Friday. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/2331 "2020-08-14T19:36:49Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > A judge appointed by the iDJiT Administration has ordered said administration to provide evidence of vote-by-mail fraud. > > [https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/trump-campaign-voter-fraud-lawsuit-pennsylvania/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/trump-campaign-voter-fraud-lawsuit-pennsylvania/index.html) It says they must produce evidence by Friday. (_checks calendar_) Hmm, I wonder how that’s going … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=115) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=117)