# 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:** 1352
**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:** [November 9, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27025 "2018-11-09T00:36:20Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is exploring job opportunities with Fox News. > > [https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/11/08/ryan-zinke-fox-news-956537?\_\_twitter\_impression=true](https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2018/11/08/ryan-zinke-fox-news-956537?__twitter_impression=true) He’s exploring opportunity with Fox News? Odd; I thought he was leaving the Trump administration. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27026 "2018-11-09T01:09:07Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t see how this would accomplish anything. First, I’m sure they’d be happy to just do away with press briefings at all. Second, so, what, you’re just left with administration-friendly media there lobbing softballs and reporting on it? What purpose does that serve? I’m sure this administration and its followers would just _love it_ if the mainstream press said “screw this, I’m going home.” ^This. All the suggestions about what “the press corps” should do (walk out; turn their backs; stare in silence, etc.) ignore the reality that at Trump White House briefings, half or so of “the press corps” are ardent Trump supporters. So it’s more productive to discuss options that could be taken by the other half who are genuine journalists. I’m liking the “ask the same question that Trump just refused to answer from another reporter” idea. Also, fact-checking Trump: when Trump gives one reporter a lie as an answer, the next one up should be ready to refute the lie with some good sources. (Are they allowed to have any kind of Internet access in there? Or are their phones locked up somewhere?) Anyway, the further reality shouldn’t be forgotten: even those who are actual journalists and thus interested in holding Trump accountable, are also interested in the fortunes of their own employers (not to mention their own careers). Full coordination in holding Trump’s or SHS’s feet to the fire, however much we might like to see it, is probably unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27027 "2018-11-09T01:59:06Z")
Why is it that conservatives are so good at creating little verbal gems like “fake news” or “death panels” that resonate with voters? The fake news phrase has now even spread to foreign dictators. Palin and Trump appear to be clueless about policy issues, history, technology, or much of anything else, but they seem to find things that their followers can relate to. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27028 "2018-11-09T01:59:36Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Full coordination in holding Trump’s or SHS’s feet to the fire, however much we might like to see it, is probably unlikely. Unfortunately, I believe you are right. But damn, I would love to see somebody ask SHS about the doctored video. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27029 "2018-11-09T02:24:44Z")
> [@Batano](#): > > Why is it that conservatives are so good at creating little verbal gems like “fake news” or “death panels” that resonate with voters? The fake news phrase has now even spread to foreign dictators. > > Palin and Trump appear to be clueless about policy issues, history, technology, or much of anything else, but they seem to find things that their followers can relate to. Simple. Their followers are morons just like they are. They speak the same language. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27030 "2018-11-09T02:28:12Z")
> [@Batano](#): > > Why is it that conservatives are so good at creating little verbal gems like “fake news” or “death panels” that resonate with voters? The fake news phrase has now even spread to foreign dictators. > > Palin and Trump appear to be clueless about policy issues, history, technology, or much of anything else, but they seem to find things that their followers can relate to. It’s the “mean girl” gene. Either you are born with it or you’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27031 "2018-11-09T02:39:43Z")
Was it a right winger who came up with “fake news”? The way I remember it, the term was coined for the crap that Russia was flooding social media with to influence the election. Trump just co-opted it to mean “news I don’t like”. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27032 "2018-11-09T02:50:35Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Nah, that won’t work. They hate having the press briefings anyway, which is why the “daily briefing” only happens once every three weeks or so. It doesn’t punish them to stay away from a party they don’t want you to be at in the first place. > > They should send just one guy, so that there’s no one else to call on. And to piss them off, it should be [Randy Rainbow](https://www.randyrainbow.com/). I propose that we make that one journalist Gilbert Gottfried. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27033 "2018-11-09T03:20:41Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Was it a right winger who came up with “fake news”? The way I remember it, the term was coined for the crap that Russia was flooding social media with to influence the election. Trump just co-opted it to mean “news I don’t like”. According to [this](https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/07/31/who-first-used-fake-news-phrase-not-donald-trump/864396002/), the term was first used in that sense by [First Draft](https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/07/31/who-first-used-fake-news-phrase-not-donald-trump/864396002/), "a project of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2018, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27034 "2018-11-09T03:30:21Z")
It certainly SOUNDS like a trick of dastardly Harvard Men. — Uke, Yale ‘82 ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27035 "2018-11-09T07:59:20Z")
Germany has a very similar term, “Lügenpresse”. Go ahead, take a wild guess where it comes from. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27036 "2018-11-09T08:02:09Z")
Yale? ---
**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:** [November 9, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27037 "2018-11-09T20:06:42Z")
Wall Street Journal report on Trump’s personal involvement in the hush money to Stormy Daniels and the National Enquirer coverup. > **[Donald Trump Played Central Role in Hush Payoffs to Stormy Daniels and Karen...](https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-played-central-role-in-hush-payoffs-to-stormy-daniels-and-karen-mcdougal-1541786601)** > > Federal prosecutors have gathered evidence of the president’s participation in deals to buy the silence of a former adult-film actress and an ex-Playboy model. The deals have led Trump’s former lawyer to plead guilty to violating campaign-finance... ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27038 "2018-11-09T22:03:33Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I propose that we make that one journalist Gilbert Gottfried. Is he one of them Aristocrats? ---
**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 10, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27039 "2018-11-10T01:50:37Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Food for thought: > > [Adolf Hitler's rise to power - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_rise_to_power) > > The Enabling Act of 1933 allowed Hitler and his Cabinet to rule by emergency decree for four years, though Hindenburg remained President.[85] Hitler immediately set about abolishing the powers of the states and the existence of non-Nazi political parties and organisations. Non-Nazi parties were formally outlawed on 14 July 1933, and the Reichstag abdicated its democratic responsibilities.[86] Hindenburg remained commander-in-chief of the military and retained the power to negotiate foreign treaties. > > The Act did not infringe upon the powers of the President, and Hitler would not fully achieve full dictatorial power until after the death of Hindenburg in August 1934.[87] Journalists and diplomats wondered whether Hitler could appoint himself President, who might succeed him as Chancellor, and what the army would do. Hitler combined the two positions, so that all governmental power lay in his hands. All soldiers took the Hitler Oath on the day of Hindenburg’s death, swearing “unconditional obedience” to Hitler.[88] Trump is dangerous, but he’s not a ‘killer’. Murdering people isn’t his game. He doesn’t want to rule the world because he actually believes he can remake the world in his image. In fact, I suspect he sometimes wonders how the hell he got here. He ran for president because he’s a snake oils salesman who likes to see and hear his name every waking minute of every day. He also enjoys being a fake billionaire and his fake billionaire lifestyle. He’s dangerous because somewhere along the way to being president, his family and friends committed crimes and he tried to cover it up, and now he’s looking at jail time. He’ll do anything to survive, even if it means destroying the country’s political and legal norms. But all of that being said, Trump isn’t a killer. The killers are the Christian warriors, and they’re in abundance. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27040 "2018-11-10T02:43:31Z")
Trump loyalist Matthew Whittaker was counseling White House on investigating Clinton > **[Exclusive: Trump loyalist Matthew Whitaker was counseling the White House on...](https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2018/11/9/18080656/matthew-whitaker-trump-hillary-clinton-sessions-attorney-general)** > > Whitaker advised the president on launching a new special counsel while working as chief of staff for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. I thought Trump said today that he doesn’t know this guy. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27041 "2018-11-10T03:08:21Z")
**‘The guardrails are off’: Trump takes aggressive moves he resisted before elections** > **[‘The guardrails are off’: Trump takes aggressive moves he resisted before...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-guardrails-are-off-trump-takes-aggressive-moves-he-resisted-before-elections/2018/11/08/434ed816-e36b-11e8-8f5f-a55347f48762_story.html)** > > The president quickly forced out his attorney general and has signaled that more actions are yet to come. > [@](#): > > Following this week’s midterm elections, President Trump ousted his attorney general, seized control of the Russia investigation for a partisan loyalist and suspended the credentials for a journalist he deemed too adversarial. > > And that was just the first 24 hours. > > After voters delivered a mixed verdict in the first national referendum of his presidency, Trump has been unbound, claiming more of a popular mandate than exists — “very close to a complete victory,” as he put it Wednesday — and moving swiftly to press some of the buttons he had previously resisted pressing. > > “All of the guardrails are off and the rule of law is under an unprecedented threat,” said Joyce White Vance, who served as a U.S. attorney in Alabama during the Obama administration… I was going to post this, but WaPo said it well. If you thought he was out of control before, you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet. ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27042 "2018-11-10T03:11:15Z")
I may have to break down and subscribe to the Washington Post. On the other hand, just excerpts from their articles posted here at the Dope can make me crazy, so why pay for even more torture? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27043 "2018-11-10T03:18:28Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > I may have to break down and subscribe to the Washington Post. On the other hand, just excerpts from their articles posted here at the Dope can make me crazy, so why pay for even more torture? ☹ To support them and their journalism. Ink costs money. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/27044 "2018-11-10T03:20:03Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > To support them and their journalism. Ink costs money. 😃 Y’know, _ **THAT’S** _ a good reason: support. \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1351) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1353)