# 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:** 1426
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28505 "2018-12-24T15:50:16Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > What does that even mean? Is it racist? It’s human racist? ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28506 "2018-12-24T15:53:47Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Apparently Mattis recognized his role in [protecting us](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/12/23/trump-can-launch-nuclear-weapons-whenever-he-wants-with-or-without-mattis/?utm_term=.6b273ddc7fba) from a toddler with nuclear codes. > \* > "For over a year, Mattis has been trying to reassure congressional leaders that he could help check some of Trump’s impulses, in part by intervening in the nuclear chain of command. In a break with normal procedures, Mattis reportedly told the commander of the Strategic Command to keep him directly informed of any event that might lead to a nuclear alert being sent to the president. He even told the Strategic Command “not to put on a pot of coffee without letting him know.” > > Congressional leaders interpreted this to mean that Mattis would either deal with a possible threat before it reached Trump or ensure he was present to advise Trump when such an alert arrived."\* The last pair of functioning gonads has left the White House. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28507 "2018-12-24T16:02:31Z")
Gonna call this the [Trumpy Bear Market](https://www.gettrumpybear.com/). ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28508 "2018-12-24T16:10:53Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > Mattis will depart and be replaced by the deputy secretary of defense as an interim. Because why let the last remaining member of the administration who commands any respect hang on till you get a permanent replacement confirmed, as he had agreed to do. > > [https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1076881816462737408?s=19](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1076881816462737408?s=19) > > Those Republicans. Always with the respect for our military. It’s apparently pettiness on Trump’s part: **Trump, annoyed by resignation letter, pushes out Mattis early** [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mattis/trump-annoyed-by-resignation-letter-pushes-out-mattis-early-idUSKCN1OM0HO](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-mattis/trump-annoyed-by-resignation-letter-pushes-out-mattis-early-idUSKCN1OM0HO) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was replacing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis two months earlier than had been expected, a move officials said was driven by Trump’s anger at Mattis’ resignation letter and its rebuke of his foreign policy. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28509 "2018-12-24T17:32:34Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Gonna call this the [Trumpy Bear Market](https://www.gettrumpybear.com/). Heck of a job, Munchie! ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28510 "2018-12-24T18:43:20Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > Heck of a job, Munchie! We knew this Administration was evil and corrupt; we can add grossly incompetent and flat-out stupid to the list. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28511 "2018-12-24T19:10:22Z")
Trump is taking what was arguably one of the strongest economies in decades and wrecking it almost completely by himself. Well done. And by the way, he’s a FAKE BILLIONAIRE ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28512 "2018-12-24T19:11:40Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > We knew this Administration was evil and corrupt; we can add grossly incompetent and flat-out stupid to the list. Just utterly, irredeemably, inexcusably rock fucking dumb. I hope the morons who jack off to this guy are happy when they get laid off from their factory or when their farms go bankrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28513 "2018-12-24T20:17:57Z")
How long has it been since there was an old fashioned run on a bank? ETA: IIRC, there may have been some runs on S&Ls in the 1980s but I am not sure. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28514 "2018-12-24T20:33:46Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Just utterly, irredeemably, inexcusably rock fucking dumb. I hope the morons who jack off to this guy are happy when they get laid off from their factory or when their farms go bankrupt. They will blame Obama. Or Hillary. Or anyone other than themselves. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28515 "2018-12-24T20:35:24Z")
Trump says he’s going to pay for the wall with the “savings” from shutting down the government. Doesn’t a shutdown actually cost the government money? “The complete Wall will be built with the Shutdown money plus funds already in hand.” > ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28516 "2018-12-24T20:38:24Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump says he’s going to pay for the wall with the “savings” from shutting down the government. Doesn’t a shutdown actually cost the government money? > “The complete Wall will be built with the Shutdown money plus funds already in hand.” > [https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077250139503452162](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077250139503452162) I just saw this as well. So if the shutdown has saved us a bunch of money, and we already have the rest of the funds, isn’t the problem solved? Let the construction begin! He is an absolute fucking moron. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28517 "2018-12-24T20:39:55Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Fuck all of you!!! > > Weak-nic mother fuckers!! You are enabling the republican traitors!!! > > You…are…traitors!!! Small favor… When you snap, please don’t hurt anyone. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28518 "2018-12-24T21:07:09Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > We knew this Administration was evil and corrupt; we can add grossly incompetent and flat-out stupid to the list. Add? The list started with those. > [@Railer13](#): > > I just saw this as well. So if the shutdown has saved us a bunch of money, and we already have the rest of the funds, isn’t the problem solved? Let the construction begin! > > He is an absolute fucking moron. I just saw a headline about the White House willing to accept less money for the stupid wall and another about some creative accounting scheme showing tan the self-loving man already has funds he can move around to pay for the stupid wall. Now this. So, then, why did he insist on proudly shutting down the government? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28519 "2018-12-24T21:43:25Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Apparently Mattis recognized his role in [protecting us](https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/12/23/trump-can-launch-nuclear-weapons-whenever-he-wants-with-or-without-mattis/?utm_term=.6b273ddc7fba) from a toddler with nuclear codes. > \* > "For over a year, Mattis has been trying to reassure congressional leaders that he could help check some of Trump’s impulses, in part by intervening in the nuclear chain of command. In a break with normal procedures, Mattis reportedly told the commander of the Strategic Command to keep him directly informed of any event that might lead to a nuclear alert being sent to the president. He even told the Strategic Command “not to put on a pot of coffee without letting him know.” > > Congressional leaders interpreted this to mean that Mattis would either deal with a possible threat before it reached Trump or ensure he was present to advise Trump when such an alert arrived."\* With Trump in the White House, I imagine that the Secretary of Defense basically needs to resign himself that the day may come where he has to punch Trump, grab the nuclear codes, and try to hold them as long as possible before being shot by the Secret Service or hauled off to jail. Oh and, hey, everyone…job opening if you’re looking for it! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28520 "2018-12-24T22:17:52Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump says he’s going to pay for the wall with the “savings” from shutting down the government. Doesn’t a shutdown actually cost the government money? > “The complete Wall will be built with the Shutdown money plus funds already in hand.” > [https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077250139503452162](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077250139503452162) Yet again, Trump shows he doesn’t understand the difference between a closely held private corporation and the government of the US. Sure, as President of Trump Co., if there’s some money available because a project fell through, Trump could decide to spend it on some other business venture. It’s his money. But government doesn’t work that way. The money that is “saved” by the shutdown (i.e. not spent) has already been allocated to those specific purposes: salaries, running national parks, etc. If he wants to use that money for the Wall, he can’t just pluck it up for that purpose. He has to ask Congress to re-allocate it for the different purpose. So, he’s back to saying “pretty please with cherries on top” to Nancy and Chuck. ---
**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:** [December 24, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28521 "2018-12-24T22:43:30Z")
Trump probably figures he could just draw a cartoon of a 5 billion dollar bill,and present that as payment. Or he’ll just borrow the money from a Russian bank. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28522 "2018-12-24T23:44:56Z")
Worse, he’s figuring government salaries are like the contractors he robs on a regular basis - they’ve already done the work and he can just stiff them afterward. The idea of cost ‘savings’ in these terms is a disgusting sentiment in the first place and in the second (and much like just about everything out of his mouth), it’s not even true. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28523 "2018-12-24T23:45:02Z")
Russians are not usually known for their quality of their jokes, but that appears to be because they have been saving up for this: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-b-OpkmYGQ) ---
**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:** [December 25, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28524 "2018-12-25T00:15:13Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Well, the government itself seems to believe that immigrant toddlers are so magical they can comprehend English legalese, something which takes natives a couple of decades and several years of college. Yeah, the re-enactment videos of toddlers in courtrooms being asked by judges ‘do you understand the consequences of what’s happening to you today?’ and such are truly bizarre. (One news story: [Attorneys: Immigrant toddlers to appear in court alone](https://www.msnbc.com/weekends-with-alex-witt/watch/attorneys-immigrant-toddlers-to-appear-in-court-alone-1267994691698) More: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkNAS10wlOE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkNAS10wlOE) ) > [@DesertDog](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Originally Posted by Sherrerd > > Many of us look forward to Mattis testifying before the House. No doubt he knows a lot about the ‘privatize the military’ schemes that Trump and cronies have hoped will make them tankloads-full of cash. > > (Underline mine) I see what you did there, or is it Freud strikes again? 🙂 I first considered “aircraft-carrier-loads full of cash” but it was too awkward. And some tanks are pretty big, so I went with that, instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1425) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1427)