# The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 7, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070 "2016-12-07T00:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1116
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22305 "2018-06-29T16:35:48Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Anderson Cooper was talking with two of the survivors, and one said she appreciates prayers, she was praying the entire time she was under the desk, but if that’s ALL you have to offer, then “fuck your thoughts and prayers.” You were close and you got the essence right: > [@Selene San Felice](#): > > I’m going to need more than a couple days of news coverage and some thoughts and prayers, because it’s our whole lives have been shattered. And so thanks for your prayers, but I couldn’t give a fuck about them if there’s nothing else. [Video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKTAjNYG7Ho). But it was prefaced by this: > [@](#): > > “I have to say that what happened here was very calculated,” San Felice added later, indicating that the shooter may have been targeting editors specifically. When Cooper asked her how she’s holding up, she answered, “I mean, I watched someone die, so not super great.” > > “I could be definitely, obviously, doing worse, but it’s hard for me to think past the next 30 minutes right now in my life. Thirty minutes is a long time, and I just—the answer is not good, right?” she continued. “But I’m here and I’m talking to you. And I know that a lot of people are listening. I have heard that President Trump sent his prayers. I’m not trying to make this political, all right? But we need more than prayers. I appreciate the prayers. I was praying the entire time I was under that desk. I want your prayers, but I want something else.” ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22306 "2018-06-29T16:37:49Z")
[Thoughts and Prayers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9SKkd79AjQ) ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22307 "2018-06-29T16:45:03Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > You were close and you got the essence right:[Video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKTAjNYG7Ho). > > But it was prefaced by this: Thank you for bringing the full quote- I was going by memory and left a lot of powerful stuff out. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22308 "2018-06-29T17:42:33Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > That’s always been the case with [Ur-fascism](http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/06/22/ur-fascism/). Fascists are intrinsically incapable of assessing the strength of their opponents due to the internal contradictions of the ideology and its political narrative. The Enemy is everywhere & oppressive and poised to swallow everything you love ! It is also weak and uncoordinated and the whole thing will topple like a house of cards when strong men oppose it. But everything that doesn’t work right is because The Enemy. One thing had been keeping that essay turning round and round in my head and I couldn’t put my finger on it; it finally gelled last night. The Traditionalism he talks about (point 1), it’s not about treating actual traditions as an integral part of culture. I love telling people that I’m a Traditionalist “among other things, because changing traditions takes a lot less paperwork than changing written laws” - the look in their faces oh my God. The Traditionalism he’s talking about consists of invoking Tradition as a Source of Authority; “you must do what I say because it is Traditional”; but those Traditions are often distorted (see use of “the old religion” by any of these groups), something pretty recent (gender prejudices hailing from the industrial revolution or even later), or invented out of whole cloth by the people invoking them (see for example the completely opposite interpretations of the [lauburu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauburu) as a symbol of division by Navarro Villoslada in the 19th century and of unity by Arana in the 20th). It’s about fake Tradition as a shackle. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22309 "2018-06-29T17:57:03Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I wonder if Putin gives him a reach-around? You seem to misunderstand the whole point of making someone your bitch ;). ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22310 "2018-06-29T18:08:11Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > One thing had been keeping that essay turning round and round in my head and I couldn’t put my finger on it; it finally gelled last night. > > The Traditionalism he talks about (point 1), it’s not about treating actual traditions as an integral part of culture. I love telling people that I’m a Traditionalist “among other things, because changing traditions takes a lot less paperwork than changing written laws” - the look in their faces oh my God. The Traditionalism he’s talking about consists of invoking Tradition as a Source of Authority; “you must do what I say because it is Traditional”; but those Traditions are often distorted (see use of “the old religion” by any of these groups), something pretty recent (gender prejudices hailing from the industrial revolution or even later), or invented out of whole cloth by the people invoking them (see for example the completely opposite interpretations of the [lauburu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauburu) as a symbol of division by Navarro Villoslada in the 19th century and of unity by Arana in the 20th). It’s about fake Tradition as a shackle. Oh yes, absolutely. And it’s not surprising that the traditions being invoked by fascists in power tend to be mythical to begin with - the Nazis had their weirdass Norse occultism (which bore no relationship with actual Norse customs or values - the Vikings were ALL about democracy), Mussolini wanted to bring the good old days of Imperial Rome somehow, and the Trump crowd have this idealized time when men were men and worked with their hands and people were civil - so civil they fought a war about it, yeah… They invoke traditions they did not see nor practice in order to reverse or destroy the \*actual \*traditions and customs of their own time. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22311 "2018-06-29T18:09:11Z")
The Independent is reporting that there are rumors that the Kennedy retirement is tied to Trump pardoning his son, who’s up to his ears in the Mueller investigation. > **[Is the Trump White House behind Justice Anthony Kennedy's Supreme Court...](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/justice-anthony-kennedy-retirement-supreme-court-trump-white-house-a8422751.html)** > > Vacancy gives president chance to move Supreme Court's composition to the right  ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22312 "2018-06-29T18:11:37Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You seem to misunderstand the whole point of making someone your bitch ;). But if you give the reach around occasionally but not too often then your bitch knows you still love them but also knows who is in charge. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22313 "2018-06-29T18:28:27Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Independent is reporting that there are rumors that the Kennedy retirement is tied to Trump pardoning his son, who’s up to his ears in the Mueller investigation. > [Is the Trump White House behind Justice Anthony Kennedy's Supreme Court retirement? | The Independent | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/justice-anthony-kennedy-retirement-supreme-court-trump-white-house-a8422751.html) Once again you bring a link that says nothing like what you say it says; it’s really infuriating because it’s so fucking common for you. We’re here to _fight_ ignorance, **Rick** , not perpetuate it. For the record, the word “pardon” appears exactly zero times in that article and the only mention of a son is: > [@](#): > > Mr Trump was apparently referring to Mr Kennedy’s son, Justin. The younger Mr Kennedy spent more than a decade at Deutsche Bank, eventually rising to become the bank’s global head of real estate capital markets. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22314 "2018-06-29T19:17:49Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > (see for example the completely opposite interpretations of the [lauburu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauburu) as a symbol of division by Navarro Villoslada in the 19th century and of unity by Arana in the 20th). I know the article says that symbol dates back centuries, but it looks like a swastika had a 1970s redesign in paisley. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22315 "2018-06-29T19:18:03Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I guess what can you say when the people you call “enemies of the state” actually get gunned down. Hey, give the guy a break. He had to think of a response that didn’t sound pro-press or anti- gun, and he didn’t have time to focus group it yet ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22316 "2018-06-29T19:33:00Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > I know the article says that symbol dates back centuries, but it looks like a swastika had a 1970s redesign in paisley. 🙂 I know - the ones from India look to me like someone grabbed a _lauburu_ and hammered it into line 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22317 "2018-06-29T19:33:21Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Anderson Cooper was talking with two of the survivors, and one said she appreciates prayers, she was praying the entire time she was under the desk, but if that’s ALL you have to offer, then “fuck your thoughts and prayers.” The complete quote in an interview with Capital Gazette is: “I’m going to need more than a couple days of news coverage and some thoughts and prayers because our whole lives have been shattered,” … “Thanks for your prayers, but I couldn’t give a fuck about them if there’s nothing else.” Of course the NRA’s little bitch Marco Rubio had a pearl clutching hissy fit about the incivility of the bad word. Fuck Rubio. And meanwhile, Maxine Waters had to cancel had to cancel two events in Alabama and Texas this week after receiving a flood of “hostile mail” — including a death threat. “There was one very serious death threat made against me on Monday from an individual in Texas which is why my planned speaking engagements in Texas and Alabama were cancelled (sic) this weekend,” “This is just one in several very serious threats the United States Capitol Police are investigating in which individuals threatened to shoot, lynch, or cause me serious bodily harm.” ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22318 "2018-06-29T19:39:01Z")
Trump offered France a better trade deal if they would leave the EU. > **[Trump suggested to Macron that France should leave the EU: report](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/394761-trump-suggested-to-macron-that-france-should-leave-the-eu-report/)** > > President Trump reportedly asked French President Emmanuel Macron why he does not withdraw his country from the European Union and suggested that the U.S. could offer France a bilateral trade deal … ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22319 "2018-06-29T19:42:01Z")
Several Russian billionaires attended a special dinner for big donors following Trump’s inauguration. > **[Special counsel eyeing Russians granted unusual access to Trump inauguration...](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/special-counsel-eyeing-russians-granted-unusual-access-trump/story?id=56232847)** > > Several billionaires with deep ties to Russia attended exclusive, invitation-only receptions during Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities, guest lists show. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22320 "2018-06-29T19:42:56Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump offered France a better trade deal if they would leave the EU. > [http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/394761-trump-suggested-to-macron-that-france-should-leave-the-eu-report](http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/394761-trump-suggested-to-macron-that-france-should-leave-the-eu-report) He is Putin’s best weapon. but of course, once France goes along, he will renege on any bullshit “agreement” he made. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22321 "2018-06-29T19:51:45Z")
The French invented oral sex, my regard for them is secure. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22322 "2018-06-29T19:58:31Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The French invented oral sex, my regard for them is secure. My grandmother was a French woman married to a Greek. She was constantly washing her own mouth out with soap. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2018, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22323 "2018-06-29T20:07:47Z")
Thank you for sharing. I think. Maybe not. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22324 "2018-06-29T20:22:26Z")
Trump’s nominee to head the UN’s International Organization for Migration has been rejected for his past anti-Islamic posts. It’s only the second time in the organization’s history that it will not be headed by an American. > **[Trump's pick to lead U.N. migration agency is rejected](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trump-s-pick-lead-u-n-migration-agency-rejected-n887771?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma)** > > Ken Isaacs was snubbed to be the next leader of the International Organization for Migration after reports surfaced of anti-Muslim social media posts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1115) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1117)