# 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:** 1173
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23445 "2018-07-24T19:32:37Z")
This complicates the struggle between wheat and corn to be the dominant species. It has yet to be proven just how much Big Soy was involved in the “gluten crisis”. And lest it be forgotten, wheat is globalist, corn is one hundred percent American! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23446 "2018-07-24T19:35:33Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > [Wall Street Journal Review](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-briefing-review-speaking-for-himself-1532404860?mod=e2tw): See post 23423 above ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23447 "2018-07-24T19:46:17Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > When I scrolled down on that page, I saw this story about how Trump is making America Great (as in broke) Again for farmers: Who knew Joseph Heller was describing Trump in Catch 22… > [@Joseph Heller](#): > > (He was a) God-fearing, freedom-loving, law-abiding rugged individualist who held that federal aid to anyone but farmers was creeping socialism. He advocated thrift and hard work and disapproved of loose women who turned him down. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23448 "2018-07-24T19:52:48Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > > [@CalMeacham](#): > > > > Trump is “a unicorn, riding a unicorn over a rainbow.” > > That may be the dumbest sentence ever. Was his book ghost-written by a 12 year old girl? 8 year old, maybe? I held out hope, briefly, that it was a metaphor for Trump’s own feelings about his greatness. Trump clearly believes that he is THAT awesome. Alas, no. ---
**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 24, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23449 "2018-07-24T20:06:22Z")
[“We’re making tremendous progress. They don’t want to have those tariffs put on them. They’re all coming to see us.”](http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/398597-trump-farmers-will-be-biggest-beneficiary-of-trade-war) Like all those people who weren’t at your inauguration? ---
**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 24, 2018, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23450 "2018-07-24T20:54:22Z")
Michael Anton, former Trump security advisor, is now claiming that Trump, on his own and without any judicial or Congressional authority, should revoke the right of birthright citizenship. He’s only been gone three months (he left when Bolton took over), but he’s all over it in a new article in the Washington Post. Even the right is leery of the subject. Even The Federalist says it would make the Republican Party look like the Party of Dred Scott. > **[Birthright citizenship, explained](https://www.vox.com/2018/7/23/17595754/birthright-citizenship-trump-14th-amendment-executive-order)** > > What the 14th Amendment actually says (and what Trump thinks it says), and what would happen if Trump signed an executive order to reinterpret it. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23451 "2018-07-24T21:34:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > See post 23423 above I did see it; when I wrote it. My follow up was a cite. I realized that my claim hadn’t appeared in the link you floated. A clarification, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23452 "2018-07-24T22:04:06Z")
_“I’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!”_ ~ Trump tweet Trump is evidently expecting the Repugs to be spanked, and is trying to poison the well in advance of the elections. He won’t do anything to make sure our elections are secure and free from interference (that might really be helping him). He could order his White House to finally, at long last, do something to prevent interference. And he hasn’t done that. And he’s not suggesting it now, and Republican lawmakers are themselves continuing their own efforts to sabotage our government’s investigations into the hacking But he wants to project and accuse the other side of the shit he and his cronies have already been caught doing. Witch hunt??? We have what – 5 confessions and 2 or 3 DOZEN indictments already. So if the Dems do have a winning season, are all the “very fine people” going to start threatening civil war again?? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23453 "2018-07-24T22:06:58Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > [Wall Street Journal Review](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-briefing-review-speaking-for-himself-1532404860?mod=e2tw): Maybe it was that old time wrestler, George “the animal” Steele? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23454 "2018-07-24T22:08:18Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Michael Anton, former Trump security advisor, is now claiming that Trump, on his own and without any judicial or Congressional authority, should revoke the right of birthright citizenship. > He’s only been gone three months (he left when Bolton took over), but he’s all over it in a new article in the Washington Post. Even the right is leery of the subject. Even The Federalist says it would make the Republican Party look like the Party of Dred Scott. > [The 14th Amendment and birthright citizenship, explained - Vox](https://www.vox.com/2018/7/23/17595754/michael-anton-birthright-citizenship-amendment-illegal-immigrants-children) The fucking Constitution says they can’t 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 24, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23455 "2018-07-24T22:11:50Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Trump is convinced that All-Caps is the most macho thing imaginable. > > He is still stinging from worldwide notice of his public submission to Putin. He’s desperate to “regain” the image of A Real Tough Guy. > > But it’s _Putin_ he bowed to. The only way for Trump to “regain” the image of being strong, is to demonstrate strength in opposing or criticizing _Putin_. > > It doesn’t matter how many other countries he blows up. Unless he makes at least one critical remark about Putin—with no qualifiers!—then the world will continue in the opinion that Trump is a pathetic weakling. He got fucked pretty good by Little Rocket Man too. ---
**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 24, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23456 "2018-07-24T22:12:52Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > _…_ > > So if the Dems do have a winning season, are all the “very fine people” going to start threatening civil war again?? Sounds like a riot. Bring it on ye toothless ones! ---
**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:** [July 24, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23457 "2018-07-24T22:13:34Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > _“I’m very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don’t want Trump!”_ ~ Trump tweet > > Trump is evidently expecting the Repugs to be spanked, and is trying to poison the well in advance of the elections. He won’t do anything to make sure our elections are secure and free from interference (that might really be helping him). > He could order his White House to finally, at long last, do something to prevent interference. And he hasn’t done that. And he’s not suggesting it now, and Republican lawmakers are themselves continuing their own efforts to sabotage our government’s investigations into the hacking > But he wants to project and accuse the other side of the shit he and his cronies have already been caught doing. > Witch hunt??? We have what – 5 confessions and 2 or 3 DOZEN indictments already. > > So if the Dems do have a winning season, are all the “very fine people” going to start threatening civil war again?? I saw this coming a mile away - yes, that’s exactly what’s happening. But I’ll add, it’s not just Trump who’s worried about Democrats taking the House; the Republican party and Vladimir Putin don’t want that to happen either. I laid out the scenario late last year in the Mueller thread: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20689461&postcount=1413](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20689461&postcount=1413) > [@](#): > > For Putin, there’s an opportunity to sow chaos next November. Connect the dots. It’s not just the Trump administration that’s lawless; there are clearly people in the Republican party who are either trying to hide their own conduct or are simply concerned that more Mueller bombshells are going to destroy the party’s reputation irreparably - a very possible, if not inevitable, outcome at this point. So if you’re Trump and the bat shit, traitorous wing of the Republican party, what would you do? Just let the chips fall where they may and call it a teachable moment going forward? We’re talking about a presidential administration and one of the country’s two major parties - which just so happens to have gerrymandered its way to political dominance - committing potentially some of the most egregious criminal deeds and political sins imaginable. If unmistakable proof of these acts are produced in a court of law or even just distributed to the free press, it could drive them into political extinction and even land them in jail for decades perhaps in some cases. For them, there’s no turning back now. They’re like bank robbers who came for a sack of gold but now realized they’ve just shot a hostage - they’re in deep and desperate to get out. And they will do anything to get out. Anything. They’ve already made it clear through their actions that they don’t care about the law or the political process - they feel entitled to power and legitimacy that the usual channels won’t provide them. So they’re going to try to crush the system. Putin sees this. Putin can hand them the weapon to do it, too. Yesterday’s warning about State Department “meddling” in the Navalny case wasn’t just a protest - it was also quite possibly a pretext. > > Now why would Putin seek to actually intervene in an election? > > Well imagine it’s November and Democrats are leading in the polls - which seems a very likely scenario at the moment. Putin knows that email hacks and Internet trolls probably aren’t going to work as well as they did in 2016. We’ve already seen that on the game film. Most voters, internet companies, and law enforcement officials will be ready for it. What we probably won’t be ready for, though, is a massive attack on voting stations in key states. We will say we’re ready, but we won’t be. Putin’s Russia already knows the weaknesses in the system and there are too many holes to fill. They don’t necessarily have to attack key states or districts. If they just attack the infrastructure with great enough force, it would wreak havoc in the days leading up to and on election night. The Russians don’t even have to go too far with it either. If there’s evidence of voting stations disabled and other irregularities, the election results will either be legitimately invalidated – or just as bad, perceived to be so even if in fact they are not. > > There are different possible outcomes. Maybe some precincts simply can’t hold valid elections at all. Maybe others can but outages and irregularities cause delays, long lines, confusion, and tensions at voting stations. Perhaps a Republican incumbent thought to be “safe” inexplicably loses to a Democrat in Oklahoma, or a Democrat loses a safe district to a Republican in New York City. They wouldn’t necessarily have to lose either for the concerns and shock to set in - reports of missing votes would probably do the trick. What results is that neither side can be sure of the result. People lose faith and confidence in the election system, which is probably the most important institution in a democracy like ours. In that event, Democrats would insist that they won the election; the Republicans would insist that either they’re wrong or that we can’t know for sure. There would be no easy way out of that crisis because it would be a crisis without precedent. That’s what Putin sees: an opportunity to create a crisis in America so that America spends more time fighting itself, and less fighting what we consider to be our foreign adversaries. How did Putin take Crimea? By exploiting divisions in a country and using that to create a crisis. He’s already doing this across Europe as well. Putin has been at war with the US for a few years now. Bush didn’t realize it. Obama realized it but too late, and when he did, he had no answers. Clinton realized it and wanted to fight back, which of course made Putin only more determined to hit us with greater force. Trump may or may not realize that Putin’s at war with us, but he (and the GOP) apparently don’t care because he’s giving them what they want, which is power they’re not really entitled to. He used our elections against us in 2016 but was careful to do so as more of a warning of what could happen, assuming all along that he would have to deal with Hillary Clinton. When Trump won, though, it changed the dynamic considerably. “Going too far” has a different meaning in the Trump era. There’s more room for Putin to sprawl his legs out in his chair, more tolerance by the United States. Expect more bad behavior, and expect Putin now to see what he can get away with. But more than that, understand that there are mutual interests between the plutocatic criminal enterprise of the GOP and Putin’s Russia. Neither of them wants a truly democratic outcome next year. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23458 "2018-07-24T22:15:39Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > AP reports that Ivanka Trump is closing down her fashion brand. I’m not seeing any details yet as to why. I thought she was still making money at it, but I guess not. > > [Ivanka Trump Is Closing Down Her Fashion Brand - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ivanka-trump-fashion-brand-closing) Maybe she simply inherited daddy’s amazing bizniz skilllz? Or … _“An Ivanka Trump spokesman attributed the decline to particularly high online sales in early 2017 because of “newfound awareness” of the brand after Mr. Trump entered office.”_ Meaning (in corporate speak) potential customers decide to not give their money to a bunch of crooked no good shitgibbons? Womp womp ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23459 "2018-07-24T22:20:29Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I saw this coming a mile away - yes, that’s exactly what’s happening. But I’ll add, it’s not just Trump who’s worried about Democrats taking the House; the Republican party and Vladimir Putin don’t want that to happen either. I laid out the scenario late last year in the Mueller thread: > > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20689461&postcount=1413](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20689461&postcount=1413) I think you got it just about right. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23460 "2018-07-24T22:20:30Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Sounds like a riot. Bring it on ye toothless ones! This is deadly serious stuff we’re talking about. If the President along with a significant number of Republicans begin openly casting doubt on political outcomes, there could be a range of consequences. We could have pressure put on state officials to refuse certification of the results, but we could also have much worse than that. Christ knows how people in Trumpland will react if types in all caps 'YOUR ELECTIONS WERE STOLEN FROM YOU!!! ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23461 "2018-07-24T22:22:38Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Sounds like a riot. Bring it on ye toothless ones! They got guns. We got guns. All god’s chillun got guns. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23462 "2018-07-24T22:30:37Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > They got guns. We got guns. All god’s chillun got guns. I don’t have a gun ☹ I do have a longsword. It’s for Halloween, and it doesn’t have an edge on it, but it is metal. I could perhaps club someone with it. Would that help? ---
**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:** [July 24, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23463 "2018-07-24T22:38:51Z")
One thing I’ll add for our resident conservatives to consider again. As I’ve said before, if you’re feeling smug and taking delight that Trump’s authoritarian bent, you’d best remember that an authoritarian doesn’t see political parties or even ideology – that’s your game, not his. Don’t believe me? Well how the fuck do you explain this trade war we’re having, which bucks pretty much decades of Republican and conservative economic orthodoxy. It’s obvious that Senators like Orin Hatch are incensed about his trad war - but guess what? They don’t dare step in front of the Trump train. Because they know they’ll get run the fuck over. The only way off is over the cliff. And that’s we’re he’s taking the party – and unfortunately, everyone else who can’t get out of the way. Let’s consider something a little further. Why is Trump interested in a trade war, even when his party clearly is not? Why? Haven’t figured it out yet? Because it gives him more power - that’s why. Economic nationalism is a way for the president to play king, to be the leader of the clan, and to show protection of the clan. And in exchange for that protection, you’d better god damn well show him loyalty. Your Republican party card and vote DOES - NOT - MEAN - A - FUCK to him. Because again, it’s not about ideology or his love of family values - that’s your shit, not his. He’s just figured out how to use your vulnerabilities and human frailties to his advantage. Don’t believe me? Well consider the USDA emergency subsidies that Trump just authorized today. I’m sure that farmers are glad to have some relief in any form they can get, but what happens to the first few farmers who vocally take to twitter or Facebook or to some reporter and complains that subsidies aren’t as good as free trade? He would pull the plug on them that’s what, and that they voted for him wouldn’t mean shit. I forget where I heard it, but I’ll repeat something I read recently: take note of your date treats the waitress; it’s how he’ll be treating you before long. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/23464 "2018-07-24T23:54:02Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > This is deadly serious stuff we’re talking about. > > If the President along with a significant number of Republicans begin openly casting doubt on political outcomes, there could be a range of consequences. We could have pressure put on state officials to refuse certification of the results, but we could also have much worse than that. Christ knows how people in Trumpland will react if types in all caps 'YOUR ELECTIONS WERE STOLEN FROM YOU!!! There will not be a significant number of Republicans who begin openly casting doubt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1172) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1174)