# 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:** 1223
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24445 "2018-08-25T08:02:20Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I wonder if this was part of that blackmail material - [Ex-Trump Tower doorman-released from “catch and kill contract” about alleged Trump affair that resulted in an illegitimate child.](https://ktla.com/2018/08/24/ex-trump-world-tower-doorman-releases-catch-and-kill-contract-about-alleged-trump-affair-illegitimate-child/) It occurred to me that American Media, Inc. may have destroyed the incriminating info on Trump that they had stored in their safe, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Or, if not destroyed, they may claim to have destroyed it rather than turn it over under subpoena. If they did that, though, would the people who originally sold the exclusive rights to AMI now be free to tell, or to resell, the stories? Could AMI enforce the exclusivity contracts while not having the information they claim the rights to? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24446 "2018-08-25T10:51:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Insane Qanon story confirmed by _WaPo_, the _Hill_, and others. I wish it were funny, could have some fun with it if it were funny. Part of the QAnon theory is the claim that Trump pretended collusion with Russia so that he could hire Mueller to investigate Democrats while pretending to investigate Trump and the Russians. So if Trump is meeting with a leading QAnon theorist than he is encouraging a conspiracy theory that he _knows_ is not true. > **[QAnon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon)** > > QAnon\[a\] (/ˈkjuːənɒn/ KYOO-ə-non or /ˈkjuːænɒn/ KYOO-an-on) is a far-right American political conspiracy theory and political movement that originated in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by online communities and influencers. Their core belief is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters is operating a global child sex trafficking ring that conspired agains Followers... > [@](#): > > QAnon adherents believe that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Soros, and others are planning a coup while simultaneously involved as members of an international child sex trafficking ring. According to this idea, the Mueller investigation is actually a countercoup led by Donald Trump, who pretended to collude with Russia in order to hire Robert Mueller to secretly investigate the Democrats. > > Other beliefs are that the Rothschild family are the leaders of a satanic cult, and that certain Hollywood stars are pedophiles. By interpreting the information fed to them by Q, QAnon adherents come to these conclusions. ---
**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 25, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24447 "2018-08-25T13:25:17Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I wonder if this was part of that blackmail material - [Ex-Trump Tower doorman-released from “catch and kill contract” about alleged Trump affair that resulted in an illegitimate child.](https://ktla.com/2018/08/24/ex-trump-world-tower-doorman-releases-catch-and-kill-contract-about-alleged-trump-affair-illegitimate-child/) > > Not impeachable but that one is likely to really smart. Sorry, but that’s not as bad as a BJ in the Oval Office. :dubious: Yeah. Right. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > It occurred to me that American Media, Inc. may have destroyed the incriminating info on Trump that they had stored in their safe, lest it fall into the wrong hands. Or, if not destroyed, they may claim to have destroyed it rather than turn it over under subpoena. If they did that, though, would the people who originally sold the exclusive rights to AMI now be free to tell, or to resell, the stories? Could AMI enforce the exclusivity contracts while not having the information they claim the rights to? I can’t imagine any media outlet, least of all the National Enquirer, destroying anything like that. That would be like flushing diamonds down the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24448 "2018-08-25T13:27:44Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I wonder if this was part of that blackmail material - [Ex-Trump Tower doorman-released from “catch and kill contract” about alleged Trump affair that resulted in an illegitimate child.](https://ktla.com/2018/08/24/ex-trump-world-tower-doorman-releases-catch-and-kill-contract-about-alleged-trump-affair-illegitimate-child/) > > Not impeachable but that one is likely to really smart. Jesus, opening the National Inquirer safe is going to be like the ending of Cabin in the Woods. That said, this won’t change anything. I thought maybe if the child is with an undocumented immigrant it might affect his supporters, but they would just use that as proof that he isn’t racist. ---
**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 25, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24449 "2018-08-25T13:45:33Z")
Jesus, I hope there isn’t some poor kid out there about to find out that Donald Fucking Trump is his or her father. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24450 "2018-08-25T14:07:18Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I can’t imagine any media outlet, least of all the National Enquirer, destroying anything like that. That would be like flushing diamonds down the toilet. If they wanted the increased circulation and advertising revenue they’d get by running a story, they would have run it already. They bought these stories to deliberately bury them. Threatening to release the stories would give them leverage against Trump, but only if they could release them on their own terms. If they come out now under some sort of legal proceeding, AMI loses that leverage and looks bad for having held onto them. In that sense, they could decide that having this info is a liability. Which brings me back to my question, if AMI goes on record saying they don’t have damaging stories on Trump, can they still enforce their exclusivity to publish them? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24451 "2018-08-25T14:33:26Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Part of the QAnon theory is the claim that Trump pretended collusion with Russia so that he could hire Mueller to investigate Democrats while pretending to investigate Trump and the Russians. > > So if Trump is meeting with a leading QAnon theorist than he is encouraging a conspiracy theory that he _knows_ is not true. > > [QAnon - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon) [We’re through the looking glass here, people.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNpmJVa10PU) ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24452 "2018-08-25T14:45:11Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Sorry for the cross post, but this is significant: > > [https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/23/jeff-sessions-senate-support-republican-leaders-trump-794870](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/23/jeff-sessions-senate-support-republican-leaders-trump-794870) > > Republicans in the Senate have given their blessing for Trump to fire Jeff Sessions after the mid-terms, which will inevitably lead this country to a constitutional crisis. > > It’s happening, folks. It is now beyond clear that the Republican party cares absolutely nothing for the rule of law. > > Get ready. > > Senator Corker, the grave mistake that people like you made is assuming that you could remain a Republican and have any sense of honor. Where are you now? Oh that’s right, headed for retirement. Your party is the shit stain on American history - God damn you all. Aren’t they going to impeach Rod Rosenstein as soon as that political hack, Kavanaugh, is confirmed to the supreme court? They then wouldn’t need to fire Sessions. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24453 "2018-08-25T14:48:04Z")
[Trump fearful Pecker is leaking](http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2018/images/08/24/sajudin.ami.pdf) Link is to a PDF of an NDA (catch and kill story) with a person knowing about a Trump illegitimate child. ---
**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 25, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24454 "2018-08-25T14:59:18Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If they wanted the increased circulation and advertising revenue they’d get by running a story, they would have run it already. They bought these stories to deliberately bury them. To bury them FOR NOW. Stories like that are a long term investment for the future. No media outlet, even a mainstream one, would ever destroy something so potentially valuable. Even if it means saving them for the tell-all book that won’t be published until after thump is dead. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Threatening to release the stories would give them leverage against Trump, but only if they could release them on their own terms. If they come out now under some sort of legal proceeding, AMI loses that leverage and looks bad for having held onto them. In that sense, they could decide that having this info is a liability. > > … IMHO your thinking is too short-term. Leverage against thump right now is a minor consideration in the long game. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24455 "2018-08-25T15:16:17Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Jesus, opening the National Inquirer safe is going to be like the ending of Cabin in the Woods. That said, this won’t change anything. I thought maybe if the child is with an undocumented immigrant it might affect his supporters, but they would just use that as proof that he isn’t racist. Hey, it could be a Norwegian undocumented immigrant! ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24456 "2018-08-25T15:33:03Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Hey, it could be a Norwegian undocumented immigrant! Can’t be - he only fucked her in her shit-hole. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24457 "2018-08-25T15:54:17Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > To bury them FOR NOW. Stories like that are a long term investment for the future. No media outlet, even a mainstream one, would ever destroy something so potentially valuable. Even if it means saving them for the tell-all book that won’t be published until after thump is dead. Pecker may have genuinely destroyed the files. It’s a lesson from Watergate and the tapes. If evidence exists, it can be subpoenaed. But if you destroy that evidence, you can never be compelled to produce it. And it you’re going to destroy evidence you want to make sure you do it early before it officially is declared evidence and you face charges for destroying it. ---
**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 25, 2018, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24458 "2018-08-25T16:18:28Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Pecker may have genuinely destroyed the files. It’s a lesson from Watergate and the tapes. If evidence exists, it can be subpoenaed. But if you destroy that evidence, you can never be compelled to produce it. And it you’re going to destroy evidence you want to make sure you do it early before it officially is declared evidence and you face charges for destroying it. Yeah, the info may be like diamonds, but it’s like stolen diamonds. Hard to dispose of, to be sure, but you’d rather throw stolen diamonds in the fireplace than to go to jail for stealing them. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24459 "2018-08-25T16:31:39Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Can’t be - he only fucked her in her shit-hole. Kid, I told you over and over: you’ll never make it in this business if you work blue! ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24460 "2018-08-25T16:39:26Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Yeah, the info may be like diamonds, but it’s like stolen diamonds. > > Hard to dispose of, to be sure, but you’d rather throw stolen diamonds in the fireplace than to go to jail for stealing them. If you throw them in the fireplace you will go to jail, but I get the drift. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24461 "2018-08-25T17:14:31Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > If you throw them in the fireplace you will go to jail, but I get the drift. Depends on the [fireplace](http://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2014/03/27/can-you-light-diamond-on-fire/) - they are just carbon, after all. ---
**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:** [August 25, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24462 "2018-08-25T17:24:01Z")
[Trump can’t successfully color a drawing of an American flag](https://www.rawstory.com/2018/08/trump-managed-botch-photo-op-ohio-kids-coloring-american-flag-wrong/). ---
**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:** [August 25, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24463 "2018-08-25T17:27:18Z")
I am confused: AMI’s Chief Content Officer claims that Sajudin’s story was spiked because it was “not credible”. This is the _National Fucking Enquirer_, folks, sister publication to AMI’s Weekly World News – this claim strikes me as, uh, _not credible_. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/24464 "2018-08-25T18:29:05Z")
Must be pretty common, my experience with _Enquirer_: my local store carries it in the impulse buy section, right next to the cash registers. I always look. For the longest time, it was mostly Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, so on and so forth, and then suddenly: _Bat Boy: Hillary/Obama’s Love Child?_ and _Bible Proves Hillary Is The Whore of Babylon_, so on and so forth. First reactions were shock, horror and dismay. Downhill from there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1222) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1224)