# 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:** 1347
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26925 "2018-11-07T04:06:08Z")
FUCK AMERICA AND ITS 18th CENTURY VALUES!!! I’m so deeply dissapinted in this god damned swamp. Rot in hell America, we deserve it ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26926 "2018-11-07T04:13:10Z")
I thought the Dems were taking the House (???) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26927 "2018-11-07T04:15:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > One of those trademarks is for voting machines. Now ain’t THAT some shit. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26928 "2018-11-07T04:36:32Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I thought the Dems were taking the House (???) Reports say that’s so. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26929 "2018-11-07T04:40:14Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > One of those trademarks is for voting machines. Voting machines? I see everything from Sausages to Umbrellas, but voting machines? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26930 "2018-11-07T05:22:52Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I thought the Dems were taking the House (???) Yeah, but apparently that doesn’t matter, because all or most Republicans weren’t soundly defeated, which means that Trump will feel emboldened. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26931 "2018-11-07T05:24:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Voting machines? > > I see everything from Sausages to Umbrellas, but voting machines? > **[Ivanka Trump's Chinese Trademarks - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and...](https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/ivanka-trump-trademarks/)** > > Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand won approval for 16 new trademarks (including for sausage casing and voting machines) from the Chinese government in October. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26932 "2018-11-07T05:42:45Z")
Florida being the wrong shade of purple for the past two elections is concerning, but as long as the Dems now have a seat at the head of the table, that’s all I needed to sleep well. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26933 "2018-11-07T05:51:47Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Florida being the wrong shade of purple for the past two elections is concerning, but as long as the Dems now have a seat at the head of the table, that’s all I needed to sleep well. Given that, I find it kinda surprising that the restoring voting rights to convicted felons thing apparently actually passed. I would’ve thought the “law and order” mentality (and racism in some cases) would win out. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26934 "2018-11-07T06:30:42Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > [Ivanka Trump's Chinese Trademarks - CREW | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington](https://www.citizensforethics.org/ivanka-trump-trademarks/) OK. So Ivanka Trump has an approval in China to trademark voting machines. That doesn’t necessarily mean any have been made, does it? Is this just a little bit odd from the most politically corrupt family in America? Let’s see - Trademarks on sunglasses, handbags, shoes, and oh yes, got to corner the Ivanka Trump voting machine market. Oh, yeah, I’ll trust that. Is this… I just don’t know. Would ANYONE trust ANY trump branded product? Would ANYONE trust a Trump branded VOTING MACHINE? WTF??? The name Trump stands for lies and corruption. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26935 "2018-11-07T11:32:07Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Given that, I find it kinda surprising that the restoring voting rights to convicted felons thing apparently actually passed. I would’ve thought the “law and order” mentality (and racism in some cases) would win out. When I’m in a generous mood (and the Dems won the House!), I think that most American’s (like most people) are interested in fairness at their core. So FL votes R because they allow themselves to be frightened (and are maybe a little racist), but the felons have paid their debt to society and enough of the scared folks vote for restoration to put it over the top (and racist folks have felonious friends and family also). ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26936 "2018-11-07T11:50:44Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Given that, I find it kinda surprising that the restoring voting rights to convicted felons thing apparently actually passed. I would’ve thought the “law and order” mentality (and racism in some cases) would win out. John Oliver may have helped nudge that one over the line, particularly in showing just how fucking arbitrary the process to give felons back their vote is. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26937 "2018-11-07T12:24:49Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > OK. So Ivanka Trump has an approval in China to trademark voting machines. That doesn’t necessarily mean any have been made, does it > … > Is this… I just don’t know. Would ANYONE trust ANY trump branded product? Would ANYONE trust a Trump branded VOTING MACHINE? WTF??? The name Trump stands for lies and corruption. Why assume buyers want trustworthy machines? ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26938 "2018-11-07T12:32:02Z")
I don’t think last night was all that great for Democrats at all. Yes, they take the House, but they can’t stop Trump from firing Mueller. They just have a bigger megaphone and platform to yell from. They can get Trump’s tax returns, but their majority isn’t going to be that strong, and I’m not sure that every House Democrat is going to be on board with going after Trump. Some were elected on the platform of ‘change’ - participating in partisan squabbles over a highly divisive president is political quicksand. You could argue that at least they can now stop Trey Gowdy and Devin Nunes from harassing the DoJ - problem is, it probably won’t matter much by the time Dems take the gavel. The damage has been done. And the Republicans now dominate the Senate, which means Trump could probably put Jerry Falwell Jr on the Supreme Court bench. America had its chance to send a message, to repudiate Trumpian politics. It failed. And now it must suffer the consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26939 "2018-11-07T12:53:16Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I don’t think last night was all that great for Democrats at all. Yes, they take the House, but they can’t stop Trump from firing Mueller. Even if Trump fires Mueller, they can subpoena all the evidence Mueller has gathered. Whatever happens, the Mueller report will see the light of day. > [@](#): > > They just have a bigger megaphone and platform to yell from. They can get Trump’s tax returns, but their majority isn’t going to be that strong, and I’m not sure that every House Democrat is going to be on board with going after Trump. Some were elected on the platform of ‘change’ - participating in partisan squabbles over a highly divisive president is political quicksand. It didn’t seem to the hurt the Republicans that they endlessly went after Clinton with multiple Benghazi investigations. I don’t think it will hurt Democrats to perform reasonable Congressional investigations and oversight. > [@](#): > > You could argue that at least they can now stop Trey Gowdy and Devin Nunes from harassing the DoJ - problem is, it probably won’t matter much by the time Dems take the gavel. The damage has been done. And the Republicans now dominate the Senate, which means Trump could probably put Jerry Falwell Jr on the Supreme Court bench. Yes, it would have been nice to take the Senate. But unfortunately the Senate map this year was massively stacked against the Democrats. It will look much better in 2020. > [@](#): > > America had its chance to send a message, to repudiate Trumpian politics. It failed. And now it must suffer the consequences. It looks like Democrats are going to get approximately +7 percentage points in the popular vote totals. This will meet or exceed what the GOP got in 2010 with the Tea Party wave. It won’t translate into the same number of seats due to gerrymandering, but it’s still a victory. I wish it were larger. I wish we had a Blue Tsunami last night, but I will thankful for what we have. The Affordable Care Act appears to be safe for now. I won’t have to lose any sleep over the possibility of not having health insurance. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26940 "2018-11-07T12:58:52Z")
I’m not exactly happy there wasn’t a Blue “Tsunami”, but at least we now have a real “Check and Balance” for Traitor Trump. That’ll do for now. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26941 "2018-11-07T13:04:30Z")
Time to subpoena your tax returns, scumbag. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26942 "2018-11-07T13:11:12Z")
Few things whet Trump’s appetite more than the thought of a political gladiator match with Nancy Pelosi. The first step Democrats have to make is nominating someone to Speaker who can be relatively likable. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26943 "2018-11-07T13:18:08Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Even if Trump fires Mueller, they can subpoena all the evidence Mueller has gathered. Whatever happens, the Mueller report will see the light of day. > > It didn’t seem to the hurt the Republicans that they endlessly went after Clinton with multiple Benghazi investigations. I don’t think it will hurt Democrats to perform reasonable Congressional investigations and oversight. > > Yes, it would have been nice to take the Senate. But unfortunately the Senate map this year was massively stacked against the Democrats. It will look much better in 2020. > > It looks like Democrats are going to get approximately +7 percentage points in the popular vote totals. This will meet or exceed what the GOP got in 2010 with the Tea Party wave. It won’t translate into the same number of seats due to gerrymandering, but it’s still a victory. I wish it were larger. I wish we had a Blue Tsunami last night, but I will thankful for what we have. The Affordable Care Act appears to be safe for now. I won’t have to lose any sleep over the possibility of not having health insurance. You make some good points. The problem I see is that it’s better to let the prosecutors prosecute, and leave the politics to the politicians. Having House Democrats trying to litigate the Russia investigation is problematic even if they produce some bombshells, because no matter what they release to the public, it will be viewed through the prism of politics. What I had hoped is for a serious body blow that would have forced Republicans in the House, the Senate, and the Legislatures to stop and say “Whoa, maybe it’s time to think of getting off the Trump train.” Not that I expected it, but the sobering reality is that it just didn’t happen. So yes, the Dems can call for witnesses and tax returns, but it’s not going to have the same impact. I think the Democrats are going to have to wait for Republicans to make political mistakes and capitalize when they do. One of the first and most serious mistakes could be the lawsuit against Obamacare. Dems ought to be ready to pounce on that and make it an issue. That’s going to cause millions to lose health care coverage, and it’s going to piss voters off and more importantly, expose one of the most blatant lies that people somehow bought in this past election: that Republicans actually care about the issue of healthcare coverage. If they miss the opportunity to capitalize on that, if they miss the opportunity to capitalize on helping distressed farmers struggling in the wake of Trump’s trade war, because they’re focused on trying to litigate the Russia investigation, that’ll be one hell of a missed opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/26944 "2018-11-07T13:20:58Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > When I’m in a generous mood (and the Dems won the House!), I think that most American’s (like most people) are interested in fairness at their core. > > So FL votes R because they allow themselves to be frightened (and are maybe a little racist), but the felons have paid their debt to society and enough of the scared folks vote for restoration to put it over the top (and racist folks have felonious friends and family also). It’s nice to think there might be something so high-minded to it, but unfortunately, the common meme going around Florida prior to the election was that everybody should just vote “yes” on all the amendments. It wouldn’t surprise me if most people embraced that meme in order to avoid reading or understanding all of the legalese. 11 of the 12 constitutional amendments passed… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1346) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1348)