# 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:** 130
**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 20, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2581 "2017-03-20T21:08:19Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > If you read the article, you’d see that CBP said that it was because of his name; his (very common in the Arabic-speaking world) name was a known alias for someone on the watch list. I read the article, thankyouverymuch. I thought my sarcasm was obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2582 "2017-03-20T21:08:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The Mar-a-Lago rent is going right into Trump’s personal pocket. The rent Biden was charging the Secret Service was going right into Biden’s personal pocket. Did you object? ---
**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 20, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2583 "2017-03-20T21:16:59Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Ok. Here is one Hawaiian vacation cost for the Secret Service: > > [http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article123335079.html](http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article123335079.html) > > Judicial Watch recently received records revealing that Secret Service expenses for the first family’s 2015 Hawaiian vacation cost taxpayers $1.2 million, bringing the total cost of the vacation trip to at least $4.8 million. And Trump is costing at least 3 million every weekend. Along with a major disruption to businesses around Mar a Lago. Disruptions to the normal routines of every resident in the area. Total shutdown of the airport. Biden was renting out a cottage at his principal residence. Mar A Lago is not Trump’s personal residence, the White House is. He has no need to go running off to one of his resorts every weekend. [Mar A Lago rooms](http://www.thesquander.com/much-staying-trumps-mar-lago-cost-room-rates-membership-fees/) run 1000-5000 per _night,_ not per month. if you actually cared about the cost, you’d be complaining about Trump as much as you complain about Obama. (And Biden) So fuck off with your phony hyperpartisan equivalency bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2584 "2017-03-20T21:20:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I read the article, thankyouverymuch. I thought my sarcasm was obvious. Your sarcasm was the evident. But you used “had nothing to do with” where you should have used “was only due to” had you both read the article and proofread your comment. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2585 "2017-03-20T21:34:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Biden was renting out a cottage at his principal residence. Mar A Lago is not Trump’s personal residence, the White House is. Look up “Number One Observatory Circle”. > [@](#): > > if you actually cared about the cost, you’d be complaining about Trump as much as you complain about Obama. (And Biden) Where did I ever complain about Obama (or Biden’s) Secret Service protection costs? ---
**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 20, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2586 "2017-03-20T21:44:21Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > Look up “Number One Observatory Circle”. > Where did I ever complain about Obama (or Biden’s) Secret Service protection costs? The article referred to VP Biden’s personal home in Del., not the VP residence. You just choose to ignore the timeline laid out in the article. Did Biden fly off to Delaware every weekend? Again, Mar A Lago is not Trump’s principal residence. that would be Trump Tower(which is running up it’s own cost) with the White House being his Presidential residence. You were complaining about the Secret Service paying rent to Biden. You’re nowhere near as clever as you think you are. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2587 "2017-03-20T21:52:26Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > If you read the article, you’d see that CBP said that it was because of his name; his (very common in the Arabic-speaking world) name was a known alias for someone on the watch list. He holds a US passport, is a frequent flyer, and is a former chief of police of Greenville, NC. His fingerprints are almost certainly on file with the FBI, and it should be trivial to verify his identity instead of wasting their time and his patience with a bunch of nonsense. And this is the fundamental problem with racial profiling (and yes, detaining him because of a name common to people from the Middle East is racial profiling): it detracts from doing actual work to secure airports and look for genuine signs of suspicious behavior or activity. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The Mar-a-Lago rent is going right into Trump’s personal pocket. No, no…it’s going into the pockets of his adult children running his businesses, and is therefore a blind trust from which he receives no benefit whatsoever and has no motivation to support. Also, [Forbes just downgraded Trump 220 slots on their billionaires list](http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/20/news/companies/trump-forbes-net-worth/), so [brother, can’t you spare a dime to help a poor has-been real estate and casino tycoon in need?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eih67rlGNhU) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2588 "2017-03-20T21:56:54Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > While I’m happy that his already poor approval ratings are [falling again](http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-approval-rating-hits-new-low-2017-3), it still concerns me that 37 out of 100 people in this country actually do approve of this administration. Is it actually possible for the President to have a lower approval rating than Congress? The RCP average is sitting at 21%. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2589 "2017-03-20T21:59:03Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > When he goes to the Southern Whitetrash House does his entourage all take rooms at the going rate, or do they get a break. I’m sure the Secret Service aren’t sleeping in their cars. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m guessing the taxpayers are paying top dollar for those rooms. Trump would be negligent in his fiduciary duties to other Trump Organization shareholders if he didn’t maximize Trump hotel rentals. Why do you two hate the American system? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2590 "2017-03-20T22:44:06Z")
So now we learn that the FBI is investigating possible[criminal collusion between the Russian government and associates of the Trump campaign since July 2016.](http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/a-bombshell-in-washington-fbi-investigating-russia-trump-campaign-ties-416631914.html) Of course, Comey didn’t want to reveal this during the election for fear of influencing the results. It would be unseemly for the director of the FBI to repeatedly talk about investigations of the candidates… right? That would be bad, right? And Melissa McSpicer assures us that the people under investigation were nothing but a minor volunteer (Flynn, Trump’s No. 1 foreign-policy and national-security adviser), and someone who played “a very limited role for a very limited amount of time.” (Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, who\*\* oversaw the Republican Party’s national convention.\*\* Two questions: 1. How does Comey justify blatantly playing favorites, holding press conferences about investigating Clinton, yet saying nothing about investigating Trump’s campaign manager and major advisor for collaborating with a hostile enemy nation, and therefore handing the election to Trump? 2. How does Spicer not simply get laughed out of the room when he says stupid shit like this? ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2591 "2017-03-20T22:53:29Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Two questions: > > 1. How does Comey justify blatantly playing favorites, holding press conferences about investigating Clinton, yet saying nothing about investigating Trump’s campaign manager and major advisor for collaborating with a hostile enemy nation, and therefore handing the election to Trump? I don’t think he can. There’s no justification. But you know what, I’ll forgive him for the Hillary stuff if he gets us out of this mess HE helped create. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2592 "2017-03-20T23:10:51Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I read the article, thankyouverymuch. I thought my sarcasm was obvious. it seemed so to me, but on the internet you really have to over-communicate. she said, smiling in a friendly manner 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 21, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2593 "2017-03-21T00:10:10Z")
[45 is developing a commisar system to control government](https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/white-house-installs-political-aides-at-cabinet-agencies-to-be-trumps-eyes-and-ears/2017/03/19/68419f0e-08da-11e7-93dc-00f9bdd74ed1_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_minders-705pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.37fd4be29873) > [@](#): > > The political appointee charged with keeping watch over Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and his aides has offered unsolicited advice so often that after just four weeks on the job, Pruitt has shut him out of many staff meetings, according to two senior administration officials. > > At the Pentagon, they’re privately calling the former Marine officer and fighter pilot who’s supposed to keep his eye on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “the commissar,” according to a high-ranking defense official with knowledge of the situation. It’s a reference to Soviet-era Communist Party officials who were assigned to military units to ensure their commanders remained loyal. > > Most members of President Trump’s Cabinet do not yet have leadership teams in place or even nominees for top deputies. But they do have an influential coterie of senior aides installed by the White House who are charged — above all — with monitoring the secretaries’ loyalty, according to eight officials in and outside the administration. Personal loyalty to 45 seems to be paramount. Effectiveness and everything else is secondary. This seems to be in line with Steve Bannon’s philosophy. > [@](#): > > The aides act as a go-between on policy matters for the agencies and the White House. Behind the scenes, though, they’re on another mission: to monitor Cabinet leaders and their top staffs to make sure they carry out the president’s agenda and don’t stray too far from the White House’s talking points, said several officials with knowledge of the arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2594 "2017-03-21T02:35:25Z")
[First daughter Ivanka Trump gets West Wing office](https://www.apnews.com/9fc65b6c9a3f47e6accbcc3aa56915ca). If I can find a link detailing how she’s going to redecorate the place, I’ll let you know. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2595 "2017-03-21T02:46:15Z")
On April 5-6, there will be a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. The US Secretary of State will not be attending. > **[Exclusive: Tillerson plans to skip NATO meeting, visit Russia in April - sources](https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN16S04I)** > > U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to skip a meeting with NATO foreign ministers next month in order to stay home for a visit by China's president and will go to Russia later in April, U.S. officials said on Monday, disclosing an itinerary... Yeah, who needs to hang out with those NATO dorks? Instead, Tillerson will stay in the US to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago. Later in the month, Tillerson will make time to meet with Vladimir Putin in Russia. Because we want to show NATO that we care. I don’t have a link handy, and I don’t have the physical or emotional strength to find it again on my phone, but earlier today I read that after meeting Xi today, Tillerson publicly stated that he shared Xi’s goal of “mutual respect”. This phrase is evidently a Big Deal in China, where it is taken to mean that the US and China stay out of each other’s way. AIUI, China sees “mutual respect” as including the US not meddling in China-Taiwan issues, among other issues. Chinese media reported that Tillerson’s use of this phrase signaled a diplomatic victory for China. So, whaddya think? Tillerson went to China and let them get the upper hand (terrible deal!)? Or he didn’t understand the importance of this phrase and stumbled into an apparent capitulation? Either way, this is maybe one of those times where having the advice of foreign service professionals would have helped. Remember when Trump told us all how tough he’d be on China? Man, he was gonna show those Chinese who’s boss! Maybe he was using air quotes around the word “tough”, cuz handing Xi a diplomatic victory then skipping a NATO summit to meet with him sounds a little less tough than I imagined. ---
**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 21, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2596 "2017-03-21T02:50:25Z")
Announced on the same day as the Comey hearing. These people care nothing about displaying their callousness towards our long-term allies and their craveness towards our long-standing enemies. ---
**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 21, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2597 "2017-03-21T03:18:15Z")
> [@](#): > > How does Spicer not simply get laughed out of the room when he says stupid shit like this? Jonathan Karl of ABC actually called him out for the Manafort nonsense, and Spicer told him, “This is not your press conference.” and was basically told to shut up. ---
**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 21, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2598 "2017-03-21T03:47:09Z")
Master Orange has released the first weekly list of crimes committed by undocumented aliens. > **[Weekly List Of Alleged Crimes Committed By Undocumented Immigrants In...](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/adolfoflores/trump-administration-starts-publishing-weekly-list-of)** > > Federal authorities on Monday published the first report on crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in so-called sanctuary cities at the behest of President Trump. ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2599 "2017-03-21T05:09:08Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > I don’t think he can. There’s no justification. But you know what, I’ll forgive him for the Hillary stuff if he gets us out of this mess HE helped create. If he believes that the end justifies the means, he will end up after impeachment with a conservative republican president in Mike Pence. This would be enough justification for some people. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/2600 "2017-03-21T09:55:32Z")
> [@eulalia](#): > > If he believes that the end justifies the means, he will end up after impeachment with a conservative republican president in Mike Pence. This would be enough justification for some people. If Mike Pence doesn’t get dragged down by this as well. Which he very well may be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=129) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=131)