# 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:** 1307
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26125 "2018-10-02T00:33:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The Wizard of Osmium? You may be on to something: the Wizard was a flimflam artist and snake oil salesman who had bamboozled the citizens of the Emerald City into believing he could perform miracles. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26126 "2018-10-02T00:36:03Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > It’s been his schtick for a while and he’s already been taken to task for it several times in this very thread. Yeah, I observed that asahi’s been doing Putin’s work months ago. (Not claiming it’s paid work; it could be _coincidence_ that what asahi posts adheres so closely to what paid Putin operatives try to get Westerners to believe. But: even so.) ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26127 "2018-10-02T00:58:07Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I agree with Llama. That is too stupid, even for Trump. 'Tain’t nothing too stupid for trump, nor, evidently, for his supporters. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26128 "2018-10-02T01:27:18Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > I, for one, will have to be empirically convinced there is a substance, let alone life form, that is “too stupid”, compared to Trump. The people who voted for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26129 "2018-10-02T01:45:40Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > 'Tain’t nothing too stupid for trump, nor, evidently, for his supporters. Meh. He is an idiot, but not much of an id… He is stupid, but not that stu… NM ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26130 "2018-10-02T02:04:08Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > > The Wizard of Osmium? > > You may be on to something: the Wizard was a flimflam artist and snake oil salesman who had bamboozled the citizens of the Emerald City into believing he could perform miracles. 🙂 Works for the Senate Majority Leader as well: the Wizard and the Lizard. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26131 "2018-10-02T02:09:28Z")
I don’t believe iDJiT has ever heard of the Bangles. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26132 "2018-10-02T03:09:36Z")
The White House official transcript of today’s press conference claims that he was saying that Cecilia Vega was not _ **thanking** _, instead of thinking. > **[White House Edits Trump Insult to Reporter Out of Official Transcript](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-edits-trump-insult-to-reporter-out-of-official-transcript)** > > According to the White House, Trump said a female reporter was “never thanking” rather than “never thinking.” ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26133 "2018-10-02T03:16:31Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > When engaging in discussion with my conservative friends, I really don’t need chuckle-heads like asahi on my side spouting off literal Stalinist solutions. I’ve decided I don’t need conservative friends or family members. When conservative meant preserving old values, I could tolerate their presence. But what conservative means now is preserving old and inhumane values, and I refuse to legitimize that. I would no more try to reason with a conservative than I would a rabid raccoon. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26134 "2018-10-02T03:26:36Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > I don’t believe iDJiT has ever heard of the Bangles. I cannot visualize the short-fingered vulgarian listening to or appreciating any music whatsoever. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26135 "2018-10-02T03:31:30Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I cannot visualize the short-fingered vulgarian listening to or appreciating any music whatsoever. He was probably just thinking about how nice it would be to grope Susanna Hoffs. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26136 "2018-10-02T04:00:41Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I agree with Llama. That is too stupid, even for Trump. Nothing is too stupid for our God-Emperor, alas. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26137 "2018-10-02T13:28:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The White House official transcript of today’s press conference claims that he was saying that Cecilia Vega was not _ **thanking** _, instead of thinking. > [White House Edits Trump Insult to Reporter Out of Official Transcript](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-edits-trump-insult-to-reporter-out-of-official-transcript) This would have been a top three scandal in the Obama administration. Here? Barely newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26138 "2018-10-02T13:57:43Z")
[Trump personally directed efforts to silence Stormy Daniels](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-personally-directed-effort-to-stop-stormy-daniels-from-going-public): > [@](#): > > Donald Trump “personally directed” a legal effort to prevent Stormy Daniels from publicly disclosing lewd details of their alleged affair, The Wall Street Journal reports. The newspaper says the president told his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to seek a restraining order against the adult-film star in February through a confidential arbitration proceeding. Trump and Cohen had reportedly become aware that Daniels was considering giving a media interview about her alleged relationship with the then-real-estate mogul, despite having signed a 2016 nondisclosure agreement. Trump told Cohen to coordinate the legal response with Eric Trump, who then entrusted a Trump Organization staff attorney with signing off on the arbitration paperwork. It hasn’t been previously reported that Trump had direct involvement in the effort to silence Daniels. The WSJ story is behind a paywall but the link to it is [https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-directed-legal-action-to-enforce-stormy-danielss-hush-agreement-1538478000](https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-directed-legal-action-to-enforce-stormy-danielss-hush-agreement-1538478000) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26139 "2018-10-02T16:30:58Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve decided I don’t need conservative friends or family members. > > When conservative meant preserving old values, I could tolerate their presence. But what conservative means now is preserving old and inhumane values, and I refuse to legitimize that. I would no more try to reason with a conservative than I would a rabid raccoon. Yeah - This is getting old. Plonk. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26140 "2018-10-02T21:00:53Z")
[According to the Times](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/02/trump-helped-parents-hide-money-on-tax-returns-new-york-times), Trump committed millions of dollars worth of tax fraud. Developing story… Donald Trump engaged in tax schemes that included cases of fraud in which he and his siblings helped their parents dodge taxes, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The Times investigation, which a Trump lawyer said was inaccurate, cited a “vast trove” of confidential tax return and financial records to show Trump received the equivalent today of at least $413m from his father’s real estate business. The Times reported that much of that fortune came to Trump because he helped his parents evade taxes, setting up a fake corporation with his siblings to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26141 "2018-10-02T21:10:42Z")
I’m beginning to sour on Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26142 "2018-10-02T21:15:03Z")
He seems like such a nice boy. It’s probably just a simple accounting slip-up. He works so hard but he really should slow down and be more careful. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26143 "2018-10-02T21:23:09Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > He seems like such a nice boy. It’s probably just a simple accounting slip-up. He works so hard but he really should slow down and be more careful. A $500 million slip-up: Trump’s parents transferred more than $1 billion to their children and paid about $52.2 million in taxes. Given the relevant tax rates on gifts and inheritances, they should have paid about $550 million — 10 times more. Guess that claim that he only received $1 million from his dad was a small lie. Whooops, probably miscounted. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26144 "2018-10-02T21:45:49Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > [According to the Times](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/02/trump-helped-parents-hide-money-on-tax-returns-new-york-times), Trump committed millions of dollars worth of tax fraud. > > Developing story… > > Donald Trump engaged in tax schemes that included cases of fraud in which he and his siblings helped their parents dodge taxes, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. > > The Times investigation, which a Trump lawyer said was inaccurate, cited a “vast trove” of confidential tax return and financial records to show Trump received the equivalent today of at least $413m from his father’s real estate business. > > The Times reported that much of that fortune came to Trump because he helped his parents evade taxes, setting up a fake corporation with his siblings to disguise millions of dollars in gifts from their parents. That sounds too good to be true. I would think that the IRS would pay a lot of attention to a family with that much wealth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1306) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1308)