# 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:** 1319
**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 10, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26365 "2018-10-10T22:21:05Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > They’re afraid of being sued and looking partisan. Cowards. They ARE lies. I don’t think they’re afraid of being sued by Trump. They would love it. Truth is a defense, and a fun one to litigate. They could be afraid of looking partisan. ---
**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 10, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26366 "2018-10-10T22:23:01Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > They’re afraid of being sued and looking partisan. Cowards. They ARE lies. I could understand their reluctance back when the titian-tinged twerp was purportedly a businessman. Now, however, he is an elected official. Doesn’t that protect what they say about him? It’s not like he’s been taking care to avoid libelling and slandering anyone. ---
**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 10, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26367 "2018-10-10T22:31:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > IMHO that should read, “…in which almost every sentence contained a LIE.” > > What is up with this “falsehood” bullshit? > > Otherwise, okay. There’s a longstanding practice in journalism of distinguishing between a lie and a falsehood. A falsehood is a statement that is factually not true. A lie is when somebody intentionally says something that they know is not true. The difference is intent. And reporters are training to only report what they objectively observe not what they infer. And obviously what a person is thinking can only be inferred. So when Donald Trump says something that isn’t true, reporters just report what he said. They don’t try to guess what’s going on inside his head. Trump might be a liar that knows that what he’s saying isn’t true. Or he might be an idiot that believes what he’s saying even though it isn’t true. With some presidents, it’s easy. When Nixon said something that was false, you knew he was a smart person, so you could assume he was lying. When Reagan said something that was false, you knew he was a decent person, so you could assume he was ignorant. With Trump, it’s impossible to guess; he’s a near equal balance of deceit and stupidity, so when he says something that’s false, you never know where it’s coming from. ---
**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 10, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26368 "2018-10-10T22:57:51Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > It just occurs to me: what if we get rolling on a movement to rebrand the party. _You, sir, are no longer a “Republican”, you are a Trump_. Every person with a R after their name is a Trump Party candidate. What kind of effect would that have? [How is that different from what Trump says, **eschereal**?](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/trump-midterm-pitch-886196) > [@](#): > > The president is telling thousands of devotees at his rallies that a vote for Republicans is really “a vote for me and ‘Make America Great Again.’” > > “I’m not on the ballot,” Trump conceded to the crowd in Southhaven, Miss. “But in a certain way, I’m on the ballot. So, please go out and vote.” ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26369 "2018-10-10T23:55:28Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > They’re afraid of being sued and looking partisan. Cowards. They ARE lies. Actually in the case of Trump, that’s not \*necessarily \*the case. A lie means knowing the truth and deliberately attempting to hide or misrepresent it. And, in terms of journalistic integrity, you have to be able to prove nefarious intent before calling porkies. But Trump is most often engaging in bullshit, which is when you don’t necessarily know or care what the truth is, because it’s entirely unimportant to your point or narrative. (Guess which is more toxic ?) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26370 "2018-10-11T00:48:30Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > Jefferson Beauregard Sessions **III** no less. I’m waiting for him to arrive to a hearing wearing a white linen suit and demanding to be addressed as Colonel. > [@SteveG1](#): > > and talking like Foghorn Leghorn. So you’re waiting for last Tuesday, next Tuesday, and every Tuesday. ---
**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 11, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26371 "2018-10-11T00:59:53Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > and talking like Foghorn Leghorn. I say, son, I say, I don’t believe he knows the word “eviscerate”, let alone can he spell it. Son, I say, son, I do believe that someone else wrote that little old speech for him. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26372 "2018-10-11T03:28:02Z")
The so-called “jobs” President. [Ford Prepares for Mass Layoffs After Losing $1 Billion to Trump’s Trade Tariffs, Report Says](https://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/fortune-ford_prepares_for_mass_layoffs_after_losing_1_bill-rtime) > [@](#): > > Ford is having a bad year in 2018. Its stock is down 29%, and the tariffs imposed by President Trump have reportedly cost the company $1 billion, as the company is in the midst of a reorganization. Now, the company is announcing layoffs. > > Jim Hackett, Ford’s CEO, is working to engineer a $25.5 billion restructuring of the automaker, hoping to cut costs and remain competitive, the Wall Street Journal reports. But auto sales are down, and one reason is the trade tariffs that Trump has imposed on metals and other goods. According to Bloomberg, Hackett has said they have already cost the company $1 billion in profit and could do “more damage” if the disputes aren’t resolved quickly. I’ll bet the Chinese are _hurting._ ---
**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 11, 2018, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26373 "2018-10-11T05:31:54Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The so-called “jobs” President. > [Ford Prepares for Mass Layoffs After Losing $1 Billion to Trump’s Trade Tariffs, Report Says](https://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/fortune-ford_prepares_for_mass_layoffs_after_losing_1_bill-rtime) > > I’ll bet the Chinese are _hurting._ Of course his supporters will stil vote Republican and still blame the Chinese for their new-found woes at the hands of trumpian policies. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26374 "2018-10-11T08:55:37Z")
They’ll blame the Chinese for the loss of their jobs while eagerly awaiting for them to pay for pre-existing conditions like Trump told them. ---
**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 11, 2018, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26375 "2018-10-11T09:42:56Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The so-called “jobs” President. > [Ford Prepares for Mass Layoffs After Losing $1 Billion to Trump’s Trade Tariffs, Report Says](https://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/fortune-ford_prepares_for_mass_layoffs_after_losing_1_bill-rtime) > > I’ll bet the Chinese are _hurting._ We’re just starting to feel the effects of the Trump economy. GM and other layoffs are just the warm-up act. Yesterday’s stock slide portends what’s on the horizon. Granted, an 800 drop isn’t what it used to be, not when the index is in the mid to high 20K range, but again, don’t look at the numbers; think about why they’re down. Think about why the interest rates are up. Trump and his moronic supporters can blame the Fed all they want: the Fed has no choice but to raise rates. The bond market is not driven by the fed but by market reaction to risk. Bond buyers know that there’s greater risk and want their investments in the US government to pay greater dividends. We’re looking at trillion dollar deficits every year from here on, and that assumes we don’t have an economic recession, which would curb tax revenues and make the deficit even worse. The market is looking at the Trump / GOP economic formula for what it is: a sham. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26376 "2018-10-11T12:11:20Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Of course his supporters will stil vote Republican and still blame the Chinese for their new-found woes at the hands of trumpian policies. > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > They’ll blame the Chinese for the loss of their jobs while eagerly awaiting for them to pay for pre-existing conditions like Trump told them. They’ll blame the Chinese, the Democrats, Crooked Hillary, Obama, and possibly the Canadians (just for good measure). Everything would have been great if the Dems hadn’t “obstructed him!” Oh yeah, and Christine Ford. Her fault, too. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26377 "2018-10-11T14:12:56Z")
Looks like even Fox is getting tired of the shtick: [Trump, no longer ratings gold, loses his prime-time spot on Fox News](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/trump-tv-ratings-fox-news-891621) The rallies are no longer getting better ratings than regular programming. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2018, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26378 "2018-10-11T14:51:42Z")
If true, this is funny as _hell_. [Trump has reportedly tried to fire John Kelly, but fails because he usually uses Kelly to fire people](https://start.att.net/news/read/article/business_insider-trump_has_reportedly_tried_to_fire_john_kelly_but-newscred2/category/news+) > [@](#): > > ``` > President Donald Trump has reportedly attempted to fire White House chief of staff John Kelly, according to a bombshell interview with New York Magazine reporter Olivia Nuzzi. > That effort has failed because Trump typically uses the retired Marine general to oust people, and didn't know who else to ask. > Kelly has also reportedly ignored Trump during attempted dismissals. > Trump repeatedly told Nuzzi he has no intention of firing Kelly in the near future. > > ``` > > President Donald Trump has reportedly attempted to fire White House chief of staff John Kelly, but has apparently failed because **he typically uses Kelly to oust other people from his administration and didn’t know who else to ask.** 😃 😃 😃 ---
**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 11, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26379 "2018-10-11T15:26:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > If true, this is funny as _hell_. > > [Trump has reportedly tried to fire John Kelly, but fails because he usually uses Kelly to fire people](https://start.att.net/news/read/article/business_insider-trump_has_reportedly_tried_to_fire_john_kelly_but-newscred2/category/news+) > > 😃 😃 😃 It’s to funny to be true. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26380 "2018-10-11T16:06:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > There’s a longstanding practice in journalism of distinguishing between a lie and a falsehood. A falsehood is a statement that is factually not true. A lie is when somebody intentionally says something that they know is not true. The difference is intent. And reporters are training to only report what they objectively observe not what they infer. And obviously what a person is thinking can only be inferred. > > So when Donald Trump says something that isn’t true, reporters just report what he said. They don’t try to guess what’s going on inside his head. Trump might be a liar that knows that what he’s saying isn’t true. Or he might be an idiot that believes what he’s saying even though it isn’t true. > > With some presidents, it’s easy. When Nixon said something that was false, you knew he was a smart person, so you could assume he was lying. When Reagan said something that was false, you knew he was a decent person, so you could assume he was ignorant. With Trump, it’s impossible to guess; he’s a near equal balance of deceit and stupidity, so when he says something that’s false, you never know where it’s coming from. So rather than calling him out on all his lies, he gets to use “the stupidity defense”??? NO. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26381 "2018-10-11T16:09:38Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Graham said mean things about Trump during the primaries. He has no chance of becoming AG. He might be paraded in front of the cameras like Romney only to be humiliated, like Romney. Well, the piece of shit deserves it. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26382 "2018-10-11T16:10:52Z")
> [@SingleMalt](#): > > Per Wiki: > > “He was named after his father, who was named after his grandfather, who was named after Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America, and P. G. T. Beauregard, the Confederate general who oversaw the bombardment of Fort Sumter, starting the American Civil War.” So treason runs in the family. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26383 "2018-10-11T16:13:00Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t think they’re afraid of being sued by Trump. They would love it. Truth is a defense, and a fun one to litigate. > > They could be afraid of looking partisan. It’s cowardice, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26384 "2018-10-11T16:16:58Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > So you’re waiting for last Tuesday, next Tuesday, and every Tuesday. I say son, that boy Jeff is about as sharp as a sack of wet mice. That boy’s about as sharp as a bowling ball. Pay attention to me boy! I’m not just talkin’ to hear my head roar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1318) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1320)