# 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:** 124
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2461 "2017-03-15T20:32:20Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Ted Cruz was against EMINENT domain during the primary. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt4gXlEteTk&feature=youtu.be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt4gXlEteTk&feature=youtu.be) > > The Club for Growth opposes eminent domain. [PolitiFact | Trump supports eminent domain 'abuse,' says conservative Club for Growth](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/07/club-growth/trump-supports-eminent-domain-abuse-says-conservat/) [Except for pipelines.](https://www.texastribune.org/2016/01/28/eminent-domain-attacks-pro-pipeline-cruz-walks-fin/) > [@](#): > > To Julia Trigg Crawford, the attack sounded odd coming from Cruz, who didn’t speak out when TransCanada, a Canadian pipeline company, invoked eminent domain to build part of the Keystone XL pipeline through her 600-acre farm on the Texas side of the Red River. Instead, Cruz supported the company’s effort. > > “It certainly seems incongruous to me,” the northeast Texan said. “He is allowing a foreign corporation for a for-profit pipeline to take land from more American citizens against their will." ---
**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:** [March 15, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2462 "2017-03-15T22:59:19Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > So the DOJ is sending out letters to land owners along the border telling them the government is taking their property to build the Wall. They are giving them a take it or leave it offer on their land, otherwise it will be condemned under imminent domain. Aren’t the Republicans opposed to imminent domain? > [Texans Receive First Notices of Land Condemnation for Trump's Border Wall](https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-wall-mexico-condemnation-letter/) > > The property in the article is covered by a treaty with Mexico preventing building on the land. The letter is dated January 12, 2017. Trump wasn’t sworn in until January 17. WTF?? Did the US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Kenneth Magidson act on his own initiative? Is he one of the US Attorneys who have been asked to resign? 😕 Not to mention, the letter was signed by a paralegal. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2463 "2017-03-15T23:23:13Z")
The land taking is actually for[Bush’s wall.](https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-wall-mexico-condemnation-letter/) It got stalled by being in a flood plain, and there’s a treaty against it. ---
**Author:** ![ckalli1998](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ckalli1998](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ckalli1998)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2464 "2017-03-15T23:29:27Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The land taking is actually for[Bush’s wall.](https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-wall-mexico-condemnation-letter/) It got stalled by being in a flood plain, and there’s a treaty against it. George W. got a lot of things wrong, but he got that right, God bless his soul. And the treaty is against building the wall in a floodplain only. There are other areas where construction can commence. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2465 "2017-03-15T23:33:51Z")
Those Meskins would \*never \*think of crossing a flood plain, would they? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2466 "2017-03-16T02:13:58Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Aren’t the Republicans opposed to imminent domain? > [Texans Receive First Notices of Land Condemnation for Trump's Border Wall](https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-border-wall-mexico-condemnation-letter/) To be fair, Trump has always been a big fan of [eminent domain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vera_Coking). ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2467 "2017-03-16T03:22:40Z")
Could somebody help me to find that part of the Constitution which 45 said gives him the right to control immigration? ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2468 "2017-03-16T03:33:41Z")
So, up above, I posted a story about Mad Dog Mattis trying to get rid of a Trump political appointee who is keeping him from doing his job. And now, HR McMaster has had a run in with a guy who has Steve Bannon’s ear, and McMaster has lost. Will he stick around now? > **[Report: Trump Overrules McMaster on NSC Aide’s Ouster](https://www.thedailybeast.com/report-trump-overrules-mcmaster-on-nsc-aides-ouster?via=desktop&source=copyurl)** > > After Bannon and Kushner whispered in his ear. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2469 "2017-03-16T03:40:03Z")
Among other things, the Trump budget cuts include removing the $3 billion Community Development Block Grant program, which funds programs like Meals on Wheels, housing assistance and other community assistance efforts. > **[Donald Trump Budget Slashes Funds for E.P.A. and State Department (Published...](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/us/politics/budget-epa-state-department-cuts.html)** > > The plan represents Mr. Trump’s first real effort to translate his broad but vague campaign themes into the black and white of spending priorities. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2470 "2017-03-16T04:41:32Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Ted Cruz was against EMINENT domain during the primary. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt4gXlEteTk&feature=youtu.be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt4gXlEteTk&feature=youtu.be) > > The Club for Growth opposes eminent domain. [PolitiFact | Trump supports eminent domain 'abuse,' says conservative Club for Growth](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/oct/07/club-growth/trump-supports-eminent-domain-abuse-says-conservat/) On your first link, Ted Cruz’s ad was explicitly aimed at Donald Trump, and was an effort to capitalize on Trump’s rather egregious efforts to use eminent domain for his own private gain. I’d need more evidence than one ad from a vicious political campaign to reach any conclusions about his overall policy on eminent domain. As for the second link, did you actually read the article and watch the video? The Club for Growth, who i have no time for and am not interested in defending, was NOT making a blanket argument against eminent domain. It was arguing explicitly against the abuse of eminent domain in order to take private property for private use, and was explicitly referencing the exact same case that i mentioned in my previous post, the Supreme Court’s _Kelo v. New London_ decision. While i have little time for the Club for Growth, i happen to agree with them about _Kelo_. In fact, about the only place where i disagree with their argument on that issue is when they describe opposition to _Kelo_ as a conservative position. There are plenty of liberals and leftists in the US, including me and a bunch of others of this message board, who opposed the Supreme Court’s decision in _Kelo_. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2471 "2017-03-16T08:20:29Z")
Some of the people at Trump’s rally in Detroit were given time off with pay and bussed to the event. > **[Autoworkers Get Time Off To Attend, Others Protest Detroit Area Trump Speech](https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/autoworkers-get-time-off-to-attend-others-protest-detroit-area-trump-speech/)** > > The crowd inside was a mix of supporters and the curious. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2472 "2017-03-16T13:43:54Z")
The Hawaiian judge who struck down Travel Ban II: Electric Boogaloo said that his decision took into account not just the text of the ban, but statements made by Trump and his surrogates. Which may mean that by Trump and Giuliani running their fat mouths and using the words “ban on Muslims”, Trump may _never_ get a travel ban no matter how he words it. And that would be hilarious. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2473 "2017-03-16T14:09:28Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The Hawaiian judge who struck down Travel Ban II: Electric Boogaloo said that his decision took into account not just the text of the ban, but statements made by Trump and his surrogates. > > Which may mean that by Trump and Giuliani running their fat mouths and using the words “ban on Muslims”, Trump may _never_ get a travel ban no matter how he words it. And that would be hilarious. Isn’t it only supposed to be a 90-day ban, so the government can “figure out what’s going on” and then be perfect about who is admitted to the country? Seems likely to me that it will be more than 90 days just to get the ban in place. We should have an admission process totally figured out by then. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2474 "2017-03-16T14:19:14Z")
We are, btw, 56 or so days into the Trump presidency, meaning he’s 26 days late in revealing his TOP SECRET ISIS PLAN. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2475 "2017-03-16T14:38:33Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The Hawaiian judge who struck down Travel Ban II: Electric Boogaloo said that his decision took into account not just the text of the ban, but statements made by Trump and his surrogates. > > Which may mean that by Trump and Giuliani running their fat mouths and using the words “ban on Muslims”, Trump may _never_ get a travel ban no matter how he words it. And that would be hilarious. Even better: he makes good on his promise to take it to the Supremes and they refuse to hear his case. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2476 "2017-03-16T15:38:36Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Isn’t it only supposed to be a 90-day ban, so the government can “figure out what’s going on” and then be perfect about who is admitted to the country? > > Seems likely to me that it will be more than 90 days just to get the ban in place. We should have an admission process totally figured out by then. Federal judge. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2477 "2017-03-16T18:27:10Z")
Kevin Drum lists a bunch of Trump admin failures/fuckups, then asks: > [@](#): > > Incompetence is the obvious explanation for all this, but you gotta wonder. Is Trump trying to fail so he can blame everyone else when things go to hell while he remains a populist hero? Just by accident you’d think he’d do a few things that might actually work. > **[Is Trump trying to fail?](https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/03/trump-trying-fail/)** > >   I doubt Drum takes this 12D chess theory seriously, but it’s interesting how we (humans) feel uncomfortable accepting things that are as chaotic and inexplicable as our president. Imposing an orderly mental map onto a disorderly situation. There’s something almost Lovecraftian about the whole thing. And Trump is Azathoth, the blind idiot god. (Making Putin Yog-Sothoth, devourer of souls. Steve Bannon is obviously his high priest, Great Cthulhu.) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2478 "2017-03-16T18:46:34Z")
This is a man who cut off health care to his own family, and yet people are hoping he isn’t going to do the same for 24 million+ Americans. We refuse to admit he’s evil as that means there’s something evil about the people, and/or process, which elected him. So we attribute a lot of it to chaos, incompetence, etc… of which there is a lot of, true. But… He could just as easily suck at expanding the ACA, improving the immigration process, implementing greater efforts to save the ecology, etc. He could be incompetent at doing things to improve lives. But he’s not - he’s sucking at evil things… simply because he, himself, is evil. _That_ is what I think people really do not want to see: the malice in the man’s heart. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2479 "2017-03-16T19:19:10Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > This is a man who cut off health care to his own family, and yet people are hoping he isn’t going to do the same for 24 million+ Americans. We refuse to admit he’s evil as that means there’s something evil about the people, and/or process, which elected him. So we attribute a lot of it to chaos, incompetence, etc… of which there is a lot of, true. > > But… > > He could just as easily suck at expanding the ACA, improving the immigration process, implementing greater efforts to save the ecology, etc. He could be incompetent at doing things to improve lives. But he’s not - he’s sucking at evil things… simply because he, himself, is evil. > > _That_ is what I think people really do not want to see: the malice in the man’s heart. Good point. Punishing his enemies - and there are a lot of us! - or _the people they care about_\*\*\* is a big part of his MO. (Along with leaving his damn DNA splashed all over every single crime scene. And sucking at alibis.) Being a total fuckup doesn’t mean you’re not dangerous. - Punished his brother by cutting off health insurance to his brother’s young kid: [http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/trump-files-donald-sick-infant-medical-care](http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/trump-files-donald-sick-infant-medical-care) ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2480 "2017-03-16T19:27:24Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The Hawaiian judge who struck down Travel Ban II: Electric Boogaloo said that his decision took into account not just the text of the ban, but statements made by Trump and his surrogates. > > Which may mean that by Trump and Giuliani running their fat mouths and using the words “ban on Muslims”, Trump may _never_ get a travel ban no matter how he words it. And that would be hilarious. Don’t forget this stooge: [Stephen Miller’s Fox News interview is coming back to haunt President Trump](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/03/09/stephen-millers-fox-news-interview-is-coming-back-to-haunt-president-trump/?utm_term=.c27ec765720b) > [@](#): > > One piece of evidence submitted to support Hawaii’s case is a Feb. 21 interview White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller granted to Fox News. Here’s an excerpt from Hawaii’s lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Honolulu: > > ``` > Miller told Fox News that the new travel ban would have the same effect as the old one. He said: “Fundamentally, you're still going to have the same basic policy outcome for the country, but you're going to be responsive to a lot of very technical issues that were brought up by the court, and those will be addressed. But, in terms of protecting the country, those basic policies are still going to be in effect.” > > ``` > > We don’t know how the federal court in Hawaii will weigh Miller’s remarks. But we do know that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit (Hawaii is on the 9th Circuit, by the way) did factor public remarks by Trump and his surrogates into its decision last month to keep implementation of the original travel ban on hold. He seems like the kind of person who probably pulled the wings off of insects as a kid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=123) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=125)