# 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:** 322
**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:** [November 14, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6440 "2020-11-14T01:21:16Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > > [@CalMeacham](#): > > > > Trump announced today that he expects to see the election results turn around his way in two to three weeks > > He’s gonna have a beautiful plan to win the election _and_ give everybody health care! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SmHeP9Sve48/hqdefault.jpg "I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you. - Airplane") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmHeP9Sve48) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6441 "2020-11-14T03:00:34Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > This is perfect. I was thinking along the same lines as you earlier this afternoon… > > When I’m invited to the White House (the BIDEN White House…) to accept the thanks of an exhausted but grateful nation, you’ll be my Plus One. We’ll share the donations, the residuals from Banksy and Shepherd Fairey, and the film rights. I’ll be there. Just give me some notice so I can press my tux. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6442 "2020-11-14T03:09:27Z")
It appears to be a slight exaggeration, based on what info I have read, which was that Hunter “dated” Beau’s widow during the time between his separation and divorce from his first wife; calling that “cheating on his wife” sounds like a pretty big reach. And ultimately, he married someone else entirely. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6443 "2020-11-14T04:08:11Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > When Trump has to come up with a time frame for just about anything, he seems that his g-to span is two weeks. Someone even compiled a video of times he’s done this. Yeah, I believe I talked about that in this very thread (earlier version), and was going to post that video–thanks for taking care of it, **CalMeacham**! For Trump, two to three weeks in the future is a mystical never-never time frame that he thinks won’t ever arrive, because his brain can’t reach beyond that. So that’s the time frame he says whenever he’s bullshitting, which is just about always. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6444 "2020-11-14T04:15:04Z")
And [the anti-immigrant bullshit keeps on rolling](https://www.yahoo.com/news/just-got-harder-immigrants-u-205947678.html): > **It just got harder for immigrants: the U.S. naturalization test is about to change** The key part here is this nonsense: > **Doubles the number of questions to be answered during the interview:** Until now, public officials who administer the exam during the [final interview with USCIS](https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article232512722.html), asked a total of 10 questions from the list of 100, and the applicant had to satisfactorily answer six of those 10 questions to pass. > Although the passing score will remain at 60%, on the revised test, USCIS officers will ask applicants 20 questions instead of 10, so the immigrant must satisfactorily answer 12 to pass. > Furthermore, in the previous test, if an immigrant answered six questions correctly before reaching the last one, this component of the exam ended. In the revised test, even if the person answers 12 questions correctly, the officer must continue to ask all 20. What on Earth is the purpose of continuing the oral interview even after the applicant has qualified? This is nothing but a time-waster. Of course the current administration and its cretin-in-chief don’t care a whit about the applicants’ time. It’s tying up the time of the interview **er** so that means on any given day, the interview **er** is now able to interview fewer interview **ees**. Basic math tells me fewer interviewees means fewer new citizens. That jackass loser cannot stop nickel and diming on anything. Anyone want to lay odds that before January–by which time it’ll be obvious to even the oblivious individual tarnishing the Executive Office that he’s lost the election–the requirement will be a passing rate of 100%? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6445 "2020-11-14T04:17:34Z")
I must admit this delights me: > **[Prosecutors ask Barr to rescind memo on U.S. vote counting irregularities -...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-legal-prosecutors/prosecutors-ask-barr-to-rescind-memo-on-u-s-vote-counting-irregularities-washington-post-idUSKBN27U02N?il=0)** > > U.S. prosecutors are asking Attorney General William Barr to rescind a memo issued earlier this week that instructed them to publicly investigate "substantial" allegations of vote counting irregularities, saying they have not seen the unusual... IOW: “Fuck off.” ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6446 "2020-11-14T04:56:09Z")
Not to defend Barr, but when I read the memo that prosecutors were authorized to investigate and “pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities” I took it to mean that prosecutors should investigate these allegations if and only if they are “substantial.” However, the memo could also be read in a manner such that prosecutors should investigate allegations of voting irregularities that have _already_ been determined to be substantial. If the first interpretation is what was intended, then the prosecutors are all set. If no substantial allegations of fraud have been made, then they need do nothing. Which means that the second interpretation is probably the intended meaning. Or Barr is playing it both ways. 🙄 This seems to be the case: > [@](#): > > Asked for comment on the assistant U.S. attorneys’ assertions, Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said, “Perhaps they did not read the memo.” She pointed to a section in which Barr urged caution, noting, “Nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election. …While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries.” However… > [@](#): > > …Critics have said Trump could now point to the memo itself to aid his unfounded claims of massive voter fraud, and perhaps U.S. attorneys across the country would feel empowered to hold news conferences or take other public steps that would suggest massive fraud, even if it was far from proven. > **[Federal prosecutors assigned to monitor election malfeasance tell Barr they...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/william-barr-election-memo/2020/11/13/6ed06d20-25e4-11eb-a688-5298ad5d580a_story.html)** > > The Justice Department lawyers objected to the attorney general’s recent move giving prosecutors more leeway to investigate fraud before election results are certified. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6447 "2020-11-14T05:04:36Z")
The DOJ has as a rule never taken an affirmative role in pursuing election fraud. They investigate when asked to by elections officials refer a case to them based on evidence the elections officials have found. So Barr’s memo encourages US attorneys toward partisanship – something they never, ever want to taint their work. That’s why Richard Pilger resigned his position over it. Barr’s memo was weak, but it was still highly improper. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6448 "2020-11-14T05:40:15Z")
The White House spokescritter deflects a question from the media by saying (at approx. 2’ 5" into this video)… [That would be a question for the White House.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6n4FLvzPEY) They aren’t even pretending to be competent, or even sensible, now. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6449 "2020-11-14T05:49:22Z")
Sounds to me more like two of the people who loved Beau most were trying to help each other through the grief, but what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6450 "2020-11-14T05:54:41Z")
The man who was the head of the department dealing with Election Crimes, who presumably is a lawyer and knows how to interpret memos like this and who, moreover, has worked with Barr since Barr became AG, and who has also been given an award in recognition of his integrity and honesty, was so convinced this memo was intended to interfere with legal election results, he quit. Given his character and the character demonstrated by Barr, I take his word for what this memo meant. Barr is an expert hairsplitter, and he was splitting things mighty fine. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6451 "2020-11-14T06:30:16Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Barr’s memo was weak, but it was still highly improper. Excellent point. > [@Morgyn](#): > > Given his character and the character demonstrated by Barr, I take his word for what this memo meant. Barr is an expert hairsplitter, and he was splitting things mighty fine. Another excellent point. Thanks for the reminders about how improper the memo was in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6452 "2020-11-14T10:42:24Z")
I think it is time for Trump to have a new name: _Donnie One-Term_, abbreviated D1T. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6453 "2020-11-14T14:29:21Z")
It appears that yesterday’s presser was simply an effort to take credit for Phizer’s vaccine work (“Phizer was wrong about what Phizer said,” according to one wag) and for the usual suspects to heap praise on Donnie One Term’s “leadership.” I hope there’s an afterlife just so I can read future historians’ recounts about this past four 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:** [November 14, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6454 "2020-11-14T14:31:14Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > It appears that yesterday’s presser was simply an effort to take credit for Phizer’s vaccine work (“Phizer was wrong about what Phizer said,” according to one wag) Pfizer. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6455 "2020-11-14T14:58:55Z")
There’s an evangelical/ fundamentalist tenet informally called “lying for the Lord”. It’s a show of contempt for the secular world. It’s a way of affirming that they put the rules of God above the rule of man. Some religious communities have taken this to incredible lengths. An entire town, one centered around a powerful church, committed unemployment fraud when donations to the church dropped after 2008. Businesses owned by the church or church members ( like all the businesses in town) fired all their employees on paper only. The employees kept working while collecting unemployment and the owners gave their payroll money to the church. This was the World of Faith Fellowship in Spindale NC. > **[Member of secretive church gets probation in benefits scheme](https://apnews.com/article/51deaa3955fb4e4b92f2f8e4eb976c84)** > > RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A member of a secretive North Carolina church received 10 months of home confinement for taking part in an unemployment fraud scheme benefiting businesses with ties to the... Please understand that this constant lying is a feature, not a bug. Not only is it not hypocritical, it’s doctrinal. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2020, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6456 "2020-11-14T15:15:40Z")
Yeah the memo, even though it doesn’t explicitly say anything partisan, is clearly taken as a partisan push by those who read it, which is getting into Hatch Act territory. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6457 "2020-11-14T15:16:47Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Pfizer. Gesundheit. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6458 "2020-11-14T16:06:42Z")
[gruntsinchagrin] ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083/6459 "2020-11-14T16:29:48Z")
And these are the same people who make noise about taqqiya and why it means Muslims can’t be trusted… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=321) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making-part-deux-part-1/911083.md?page=323)