# 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:** 1430
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28585 "2018-12-26T17:18:00Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Somebody … one of the few remaining grown-ups, I guess … needs to stand up, and point out that the charter of the Treasury Department, and the Federal Reserve, does not include “making sure the markets only go up.” The response to that will be _“you say that because you are WEAK!!”_ – the notion that any part of the government or of independent public entities does not have as its primary mission making DJT look good at any cost, that there is NO official or organization who is not an underling owing him personal obedience, or even that anyone has to accept that sometimes you lose, is just unacceptable. As previously mentioned, the only way he knows how to deal with pushback is through intimidation, through “hitting back harder” so they are sorry to have challenged him. And so far in life it has worked well because even people who could have been in a position to push back effectively often felt it was not worth the cost and aggravation and image hit to do so (the “wrestling with the pig” scenario). ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28586 "2018-12-26T18:11:32Z")
Only “The Best!” hires: **Acting AG incorrectly claimed ‘Academic All-American’ honors on resume: report** [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/422894-wsj-acting-ag-incorrectly-claimed-academic-all-american-honors](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/422894-wsj-acting-ag-incorrectly-claimed-academic-all-american-honors) > [@](#): > > Matthew Whitaker, the acting attorney general, incorrectly claimed on his resume and on government documents that he was named an Academic All-American while he played football at the University of Iowa, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. > > Whitaker claimed the Academic All-American status in his biography on the website of the law firm where he used to work, as well as on a résumé he sent in 2014 to a patent-marketing firm, according to the newspaper. > > The Journal reported that the résumé was also included in documents that the Federal Trade Commission released in November and that the claim was included in a 2009 press release from the Department of Justice. > > … > > A spokeswoman for the College Sports Information Directors of America told the Journal that the organization doesn’t have a record of Whitaker as an Academic All-American. The spokeswoman, Barb Kowal, said Whitaker appeared to have been awarded a lower honor, an All-District honor. > > Additionally, his name isn’t on a list of past Academic All-Americans on the organization’s website. False claims on government documents? Trump might have to find a permanent position for this multi-level fraudster. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28587 "2018-12-26T18:14:14Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > anyone has to accept that sometimes you lose Yabbut, the DOW climbed to effing 26,000, and the other indicies saw similar gains. The really smart people sold above 26k, and made a healthy profit, not losing at all. The sort-of smart people like me swapped out of stocks above 24k, locking in gains from the whole economic expansion, if they’d been investing all along. Some still pretty smart people will decide it is still worth selling now, either to take what profit they can or to protect against the downside. And the very last guy who decides to sell takes a bath, because he’s selling at the bottom and the whole thing is going to bounce the other way some day. It’s called a [Stock Market](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market). Then there’s Trump, who suggests firing the Treasury Secretary over falling stock prices, when he’s the guy who tethered his star to stock prices in the first place! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28588 "2018-12-26T18:43:17Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > But with regard to the market, is Trump a stable genius? Only in the sense that a stable is where you keep jackasses… ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28589 "2018-12-26T19:07:37Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Only in the sense that a stable is where you keep jackasses… I’ll admit, Trump is a genius at jackassery–it’s a feature of what he is and does, not a bug. It’s also what appeals to much of his base. Country might be going down the toilet, but at least the liberuls are triggered. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28590 "2018-12-26T20:26:56Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Who would contradict a boss that had no qualms at all about throwing an underling to the wolves? Someone whose self-respect mattered more than their greed or ambition would probably write a “fuck you” resignation letter and walk away. ---
**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 26, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28591 "2018-12-26T20:45:38Z")
Surprise! [**Trump And First Lady Make Secret Trip To Iraq To Visit U.S. Troops**](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680057009/trump-and-first-lady-make-secret-trip-to-iraq-to-visit-u-s-troops?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news) > [@](#): > > President Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Iraq to visit U.S. troops the day after Christmas, a surprise trip the president had been hinting at for some time. > > The Trumps’ arrival at Al Asad Air Base, in western Iraq, followed the president’s orders to pull back on U.S. troop deployments that have come under intense scrutiny. > > The trip was announced on Twitter by press secretary Sarah Sanders. It’s the president’s first such trip since taking office nearly two years ago. > > The president and the first lady spent about three hours at Al Asad. Trump delivered a speech and defended his decision to withdraw American forces from Syria. > > The president and the first lady also met with troops. They visited a dining hall and posed for photos and signed autographs. The official party was then set to return to Air Force One for the flight back to the United States. > … They stayed three hours. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28592 "2018-12-26T21:10:22Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Only in the sense that a stable is where you keep jackasses… Where’s the fucking like button? \ This is a great one-liner, and I’mma stealing it. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28593 "2018-12-26T21:39:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Surprise! > > [**Trump And First Lady Make Secret Trip To Iraq To Visit U.S. Troops**](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680057009/trump-and-first-lady-make-secret-trip-to-iraq-to-visit-u-s-troops?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news) > > They stayed three hours. Of all the total outrages of the Trump Administration, we can cross off “Failed to ever visit troops in a combat zone.” That only leaves 847 other crimes, failures, embarrassments and fuck-ups. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28594 "2018-12-26T21:57:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Surprise! > > [**Trump And First Lady Make Secret Trip To Iraq To Visit U.S. Troops**](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680057009/trump-and-first-lady-make-secret-trip-to-iraq-to-visit-u-s-troops?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news) > > They stayed three hours. Amazing how quickly a PR stunt can be organized when necessary. If only that same level of organization could be applied to any and every other thing in this administration. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28595 "2018-12-26T21:59:08Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Of all the total outrages of the Trump Administration, we can cross off “Failed to ever visit troops in a combat zone.” ‘Shit! They’re on my case for not visiting the troops? Fine! I’ll show them! Get me Air Force One…’ ---
**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:** [December 26, 2018, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28596 "2018-12-26T22:01:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Shit! They’re on my case for not visiting the troops? Fine! I’ll show them! Get me Air Force One…’ He must really hate hanging out in the White House ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28597 "2018-12-26T22:03:20Z")
And I’ve just seen this: [Twitter Users Suspect Trump Didn’t Visit Iraq Troops Out Of Generosity Of His Heart](https://www.yahoo.com/news/twitter-users-suspect-trump-didnt-205046762.html). ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28598 "2018-12-26T22:28:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > And I’ve just seen this: [Twitter Users Suspect Trump Didn’t Visit Iraq Troops Out Of Generosity Of His Heart](https://www.yahoo.com/news/twitter-users-suspect-trump-didnt-205046762.html). I liked the comment about changing the White House locks while Trump is gone. ---
**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 26, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28599 "2018-12-26T22:33:16Z")
Whether or not it was a last minute publicity stunt, this one I can’t criticize much. If public pressure/perception got him to act like a halfway decent human being at least a few times during his miserable tenure, all the better. The other million terrible things happening on a near daily basis on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28600 "2018-12-26T22:33:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > … [Twitter Users Suspect Trump Didn’t Visit Iraq Troops Out Of Generosity Of His Heart](https://www.yahoo.com/news/twitter-users-suspect-trump-didnt-205046762.html). The what of his what?? ---
**Author:** ![Swampwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Swampwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swampwolf)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28601 "2018-12-26T22:36:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Surprise! > > [**Trump And First Lady Make Secret Trip To Iraq To Visit U.S. Troops**](https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680057009/trump-and-first-lady-make-secret-trip-to-iraq-to-visit-u-s-troops?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news) > > They stayed three hours. Maybe I’m a little too cynical and mistrustful, but I can’t help but wonder if six months from now someone will come out and say, “Yeah, this was actually filmed at [Fort Myer](https://www.military.com/base-guide/fort-myer).” ---
**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:** [December 26, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28602 "2018-12-26T22:45:02Z")
> [@Swampwolf](#): > > Maybe I’m a little too cynical and mistrustful, but I can’t help but wonder if six months from now someone will come out and say, “Yeah, this was actually filmed at Fort Myer.” Agreed. How long did it take to fly there, one-way? And the trip back? All that for a 3-hour photo-op, I mean, visit to the deserving troops? When his original plan was to be golfing in Florida about this time? I find it hard to believe he was talked into this by his PR staff, too – it’s _such_ an imposition on his time, and a trip like this, for a man of his years (and health) is not nothing, even in a flying hotel room. It _does_ fit with his ego and level of displayed ‘intelligence’ that he would think he could perpetrate such a scam and not think (and not care, either) it would ever get exposed. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28603 "2018-12-26T22:48:24Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > Amazing how quickly a PR stunt can be organized when necessary. If only that same level of organization could be applied to any and every other thing in this administration. In all honesty, _every_ presidential visit to Iraq since 2003 has been a PR stunt. It’s not like they’re going there to hand-deliver military orders. (And…every presidential or cabinet-level visit to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 has been “unannounced”. When the day comes that we all get advance notice that a president is going to put Baghdad or Kabul on the itinerary, we’ll know that we’ve achieved Utopia.) ---
**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:** [December 26, 2018, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28604 "2018-12-26T22:53:53Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > Agreed. How long did it take to fly there, one-way? And the trip back? All that for a 3-hour photo-op, I mean, visit to the deserving troops? When his original plan was to be golfing in Florida about this time? I find it hard to believe he was talked into this by his PR staff, too – it’s _such_ an imposition on his time, and a trip like this, for a man of his years (and health) is not nothing, even in a flying hotel room. It _does_ fit with his ego and level of displayed ‘intelligence’ that he would think he could perpetrate such a scam and not think (and not care, either) it would ever get exposed. Maybe, through a hilarious series of mistakes worthy of a Chevy Chase movie, he’ll land in Florida. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1429) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1431)