# 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:** 1118
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22345 "2018-06-30T20:23:04Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Pentagon has removed “to deter war” from its mission statement. > [https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/](https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/) Another bow to Putin and dictators elsewhere - unless it’s dreaded Mooooselems. I’d be more worried by adding, “…to suppress domestic protest.”:eek::mad::mad::mad: ---
**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:** [June 30, 2018, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22346 "2018-06-30T21:14:43Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Pentagon has removed “to deter war” from its mission statement. > [https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/](https://taskandpurpose.com/pentagon-mission/) Replacing it with “… and to sustain American influence abroad.” ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22347 "2018-06-30T21:40:55Z")
The Trump Foundation is being sued by New York’s attorney general, Barbara Underwood, for using the charity to enrich and benefit the Trump family. Lawyers for the Trump Foundation, which is run by Trump and his oldest children, Don Jr, Eric, and Ivanka made a ridiculous request during court proceedings on Tuesday. They asked that the execution of justice be rescheduled to accommodate the midterm elections. New Yorker: > **[The Inconvenient Legal Troubles That Lie Ahead for the Trump Foundation](https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-inconvenient-legal-troubles-that-lie-ahead-for-the-trump-foundation)** > > A suit brought by New York’s attorney general is set to be heard shortly before the midterms. It will likely provide the clearest view yet into the inner workings of the Trump Organization. **The Inconvenient Legal Troubles That Lie Ahead for the Trump Foundation** During Tuesday’s hearing, the Trump Foundation’s lawyer, Alan Futerfas, asked that the trial not commence in October, because it was so close to the midterms. Judge Scarpulla laughed in response, did not change the trial date, and hinted that she is likely to require the President to testify. The case against the Trumps appears damning. … In recent years, the only “contributions” to the charity seem to have been payments from business partners, not from the Trumps or the Trump Organization. The charity’s spending appears to have benefitted the Trumps themselves, not the public welfare. The organization had been operating this way for years, but, according to Underwood, in 2016 the Trump Foundation became an arm of the Trump political campaign, cutting checks to Trump’s political allies in key states just before the election. If true, this would mean that the Trump Foundation evolved from a mere tax-avoidance scheme into an instrument for carrying out potential acts of campaign-finance fraud. … During Tuesday’s hearing, the Trump Foundation’s lawyer, Alan Futerfas, asked that the trial not commence in October, because it was so close to the midterms. Judge Scarpulla laughed in response, did not change the trial date, and hinted that she is likely to require the President to testify. It is not clear, however, that such a trial would dramatically change how people vote; it was clear during the 2016 Presidential election, that the Trump Foundation was almost certainly engaged in systematic fraud. ---
**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 30, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22348 "2018-06-30T23:39:13Z")
Trump claims he called the King of Saudi Arabia to ask him to increase oil production to make up for lower production in Iran and Venezuela, and he claims the King promised to increase production by 2,000,000 barrels. Saudi Arabia agrees that there was a phone call, but not that they agreed to increase production. > **[Trump asks Saudi Arabia to increase oil production](https://thehill.com/policy/international/394951-trump-asks-saudi-arabia-to-increase-oil-production/)** > > President Trump on Saturday said he asked King Salman of Saudi Arabia to increase oil production “maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels” in order to bring prices down.“Just spoke to King Salman of Saudi Ar… ---
**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 30, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22349 "2018-06-30T23:55:17Z")
One of the names on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees is Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is a member of a religious organization called “People of Praise”. The group’s members “swear a lifelong oath of loyalty, called a covenant, to one another, and are assigned and are accountable to a personal adviser, called a ‘head’ for men and a ‘handmaid’ for women. The group teaches that husbands are the heads of their wives and should take authority over the family.” The group now calls handmaids women leaders instead, the newspaper reported. The Times reports that members of the group take direction from the heads and handmaids (or woman leader) on major decisions, even down to whom they marry, employment choices, child raising, and where to live. > **[Amy Coney Barrett & People of Praise: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know](https://heavy.com/news/2018/06/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise/)** > > Amy Coney Barrett belongs to the religious group People of Praise, according to The New York Times. Learn about the group, which assigns members "handmaids." ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22350 "2018-07-01T02:29:17Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > I’d be more worried by adding, “…to suppress domestic protest.”:eek::mad::mad::mad: The Pentagon has considered protests to be “low-level terrorism” since at least Bush the Younger. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22351 "2018-07-01T02:57:33Z")
Rudy Giuliani calls for Iran regime change at rally linked to extreme group. The Trump administration position is to not call specifically for regime change - just hint really strongly:rolleyes: > **[Rudy Giuliani calls for Iran regime change at rally linked to extreme group](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/30/rudy-giuliani-mek-iran-paris-rally)** > > Trump lawyer speaks at Paris event staged by MeK, once listed as terrorist organisation and widely seen as a personality cult The MEK does this every year and invites a bunch of right-wing speakers - Gingrich, Bolton… see story. To beef-up attendance for the rally; "Around half of the attendees were Iranian. The other half consisted of an assortment of bored-looking Poles, Czechs, Slovakians, Germans and Syrians who responded to a Facebook campaign promising travel, food and accommodation to Paris for a mere €25. Hundreds of Syrian refugees settled in Germany also attended. Many snoozed under trees during speeches. “We saw the deal on Facebook and we agreed to come on a holiday,” said a young Syrian mother as she sat on the conference floor, fanning her two young children. “I have never seen Paris. I don’t know anything about the MeK.” ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22352 "2018-07-01T04:22:42Z")
Days after the Janus ruling, a political organization funded by the Kochs and the DeVoses is sending emails to Michigan teachers urging them to quit the union. > **[Teachers receive emails from DeVos-funded Mackinac org post-Janus](https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2018/06/teachers-receive-emails-from-devos.html?spref=fb)** > > Public schools, Education, edubloggers, privatization, daily posts from people who know ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22353 "2018-07-01T07:16:47Z")
An ICE whistleblower who claimed ICE and the DOJ were lying about the Oakland mayor’s notifications of ICE raids gets a visit from Homeland Security. > **[CBS News interview with ICE whistleblower interrupted by surprise visit from...](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-ice-spokesman-james-schwab-opens-up-about-resignation-trump-administration/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a)** > > James Schwab, who resigned in March because he says the Trump administration asked him to spread a lie, called the surprise visit an "intimidation" technique ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22354 "2018-07-01T10:12:08Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump claims he called the King of Saudi Arabia to ask him to increase oil production to make up for lower production in Iran and Venezuela, and he claims the King promised to increase production by 2,000,000 barrels. > > Saudi Arabia agrees that there was a phone call, but not that they agreed to increase production. > [http://thehill.com/policy/international/394951-trump-asks-saudi-arabia-to-increase-oil-production](http://thehill.com/policy/international/394951-trump-asks-saudi-arabia-to-increase-oil-production) [del]Lying[/del]Winning! > [@Skywatcher](#): > > The Pentagon has considered protests to be “low-level terrorism” since at least Bush the Younger. Don’t forget about MacArthur under Hoover. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22355 "2018-07-01T13:46:57Z")
The President can’t be sued or even investigated. > [@Brett M. Kavanaugh](#): > > The nation’s chief executive should be exempt from time-consuming and distracting lawsuits and investigations, which would ill serve the public interest, especially in times of financial or national security crisis. Brett M. Kavanaugh, who wrote that in 2009, is one of the frontrunners for Trump’s new Supreme Court justice. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22356 "2018-07-01T13:52:49Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The group’s members “swear a lifelong oath of loyalty, called a covenant, to one another, and are assigned and are accountable to a personal adviser, called a ‘head’ for men and a ‘handmaid’ for women. The group teaches that husbands are the heads of their wives and should take authority over the family.” The group now calls handmaids women leaders instead, the newspaper reported. > > The Times reports that members of the group take direction from the heads and handmaids (or woman leader) on major decisions, even down to whom they marry, employment choices, child raising, and where to live. > > [Amy Coney Barrett & People of Praise: 5 Fast Facts](https://heavy.com/news/2018/06/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise/) And thereby hangs a tale. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22357 "2018-07-01T15:37:31Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Another bow to Putin and dictators elsewhere - unless it’s dreaded Mooooselems. > > I’d be more worried by adding, “…to suppress domestic protest.”:eek::mad::mad::mad: If Trump could do it, he WOULD do it. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22358 "2018-07-01T15:42:02Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump claims he called the King of Saudi Arabia to ask him to increase oil production to make up for lower production in Iran and Venezuela, and he claims the King promised to increase production by 2,000,000 barrels. > > Saudi Arabia agrees that there was a phone call, but not that they agreed to increase production. > [http://thehill.com/policy/international/394951-trump-asks-saudi-arabia-to-increase-oil-production](http://thehill.com/policy/international/394951-trump-asks-saudi-arabia-to-increase-oil-production) It’s a ploy, and a transparent one. 1. He gets to lie again about what a great deal maker he is and only he can handle things 2. He THINKS they will feel they have to comply because he “said something”. Item 2 happens at work sometimes… some clown wants to “look good” so he promises that someone ELSE is going to do something - usually something not part of that other person’s job and without checking first. It’s happened to me. When I refused, he said “but I promised…” My answer was “I don’t give a fuck what you promised to who”. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22359 "2018-07-01T15:44:10Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > One of the names on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees is Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is a member of a religious organization called “People of Praise”. > > The group’s members “swear a lifelong oath of loyalty, called a covenant, to one another, and are assigned and are accountable to a personal adviser, called a ‘head’ for men and a ‘handmaid’ for women. The group teaches that husbands are the heads of their wives and should take authority over the family.” The group now calls handmaids women leaders instead, the newspaper reported. > > The Times reports that members of the group take direction from the heads and handmaids (or woman leader) on major decisions, even down to whom they marry, employment choices, child raising, and where to live. > > [Amy Coney Barrett & People of Praise: 5 Fast Facts](https://heavy.com/news/2018/06/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise/) Freedom. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22360 "2018-07-01T18:52:53Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > One of the names on Trump’s list of potential Supreme Court nominees is Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett is a member of a religious organization called “People of Praise”. > > The group’s members “swear a lifelong oath of loyalty, called a covenant, to one another, and are assigned and are accountable to a personal adviser, called a ‘head’ for men and a ‘handmaid’ for women. The group teaches that husbands are the heads of their wives and should take authority over the family.” The group now calls handmaids women leaders instead, the newspaper reported. > > The Times reports that members of the group take direction from the heads and handmaids (or woman leader) on major decisions, even down to whom they marry, employment choices, child raising, and where to live. > > [Amy Coney Barrett & People of Praise: 5 Fast Facts](https://heavy.com/news/2018/06/amy-coney-barrett-people-of-praise/) The handmaiden reference reminding me of Micheal Moore’s recent observation on Maher about the flashbacks in the _Handmaiden’s Tail_, recounting all the pivotal moments that insidiously, incrementally led to where that dystopic society had become. Hopefully these “women leaders”:rolleyes::dubious::mad::smack: will be too busy churning butter or something to have any sort of profile or impact this November. > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > An ICE whistleblower who claimed ICE and the DOJ were lying about the Oakland mayor’s notifications of ICE raids gets a visit from Homeland Security. > [James Schwab: ICE whistleblower interview with CBS interrupted by surprise visit from government agents - exclusive - CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-ice-spokesman-james-schwab-opens-up-about-resignation-trump-administration/?ftag=CNM-00-10aac3a) Gee, funny timing - HS just so happens to show up the same time Schwab has his first interview - three months after the fact. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22361 "2018-07-01T19:23:51Z")
Trump claims every person who ever bought a Harley Davidson voted for him > **[Trump: I guarantee everyone who has bought a Harley-Davidson voted for me](https://thehill.com/homenews/395067-trump-i-guarantee-everyone-who-has-bought-a-harley-davidson-voted-for-me/)** > > President Trump claimed on Sunday that everyone who has ever bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle voted for him in the 2016 presidential election. “I guarantee you everybody that eve… ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22362 "2018-07-01T19:38:03Z")
Anecdotally, in my spot on this Earth, He’s right about that. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22363 "2018-07-01T20:06:40Z")
People just assume that anyone on a “Hog” with leathers is a right-winger. They probably make the same assumption about anyone in hunting gear. But _'taint raht…_ What about the “Hogs for Hillary” motorcycle groups back in '16? Mentioned in a [news report on a southern campaign stop](http://www.4029tv.com/article/hillary-clinton-in-little-rock-today/4452246): From the transcript: > [@](#): > > YOU HAVE THESE… SIGNS FOR HILLARY CLINTON, INCLUDING THIS ONE: LOWER BILLS FOR BETTER HEALTH.\*\* WE HAVE A LOT OF HOGS FOR HILLARY SIGNS.\*\* AND OF COURSE, YOU HAVE THE OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN SIGNS HERE AS WELL. People need to publicize the “Hogs for Hillary” movement, just to show how our \*Conniver-in-Chief \*just makes stuff up as he goes along. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/22364 "2018-07-01T20:26:46Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump claims every person who ever bought a Harley Davidson voted for him > [http://thehill.com/homenews/395067-trump-i-guarantee-everyone-who-has-bought-a-harley-davidson-voted-for-me](http://thehill.com/homenews/395067-trump-i-guarantee-everyone-who-has-bought-a-harley-davidson-voted-for-me) > [@](#): > > “I guarantee you everybody that ever bought a Harley-Davidson voted for Trump,” Trump said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “I don’t know if you know that. I would have to — they call them bikers for Trump. There’s hundreds.” Hundreds of them - hundreds! Oh no, how will he ever claim the poopular vote without those hundreds! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1117) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1119)