# 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:** 1432
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28625 "2018-12-27T05:28:32Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Chump going to Iraq. Too little, too late. By this point, it was just checking off a box, that’s all. He was shamed into going, losing the visit loses a lot of merit. Plus he spent only, what? Three hours on the ground? And engaged in blatant politicking among the troops, which has always been a big no-no for any politician. > > Fuck Chump. Also, regarding his comments while in Iraq, he bragged the soldiers had just received their first pay raise in 10 years, when in reality they have received annual raises for quite some time now. He also said Pelosi was responsible for blocking the wall, because she wanted to be Speaker and thus was running the show, that he felt “Chuck” really did want the wall. ---
**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 27, 2018, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28626 "2018-12-27T05:30:32Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Ironically, that Gold Star recipient was just honored by having a post office in Virginia named after him. > > [Redirect Notice](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjer4Pwob_fAhVpc98KHbk4AuwQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Ftrump-names-post-office-after-humayun-khan-fallen-soldier-whose-family-he-1271066&psig=AOvVaw0KvE5xrPDwjS4kNFbncLXn&ust=1545974482231393) I posted that somewhere on this board a day or two ago. Odd thing, though, is I don’t recall the cretin-in-chief having a big signing ceremony for that bill. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28627 "2018-12-27T05:57:21Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > [MAGA](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/united-states-added-list-most-dangerous-countries-journalists-first-time-n949676?fbclid=IwAR1EVmA60WREu0Q57kJ2eGWjQV8yi2337tXXGSeTVMu4LyBcIrLMlCITOhg)! Not arguing that the relevant event wasn’t a tragedy, but using one incident as a foundation for ranking a nation “most dangerous” is . . . a way to use statistical blips in a pretty irresponsible way. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28628 "2018-12-27T08:31:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Chump going to Iraq. Too little, too late. By this point, it was just checking off a box, that’s all. He was shamed into going, losing the visit loses a lot of merit. Plus he spent only, what? Three hours on the ground? And engaged in blatant politicking among the troops, which has always been a big no-no for any politician. > > Fuck Chump. And endangering the troops by publicly revealing the identities of covert ops soldiers. Seriously. [https://splinternews.com/trump-seems-to-have-accidentally-revealed-the-identitie-1831330106](https://splinternews.com/trump-seems-to-have-accidentally-revealed-the-identitie-1831330106) I feel like we should stop complaining about him golfing. Let him spend as much time at Mar-a-Lago as he fucking wants. It stops him from causing more damage. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28629 "2018-12-27T09:41:08Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Heh. I have no idea how true this story is but it could explain why today was Trump’s first ever visit to a combat zone: > > **New York Times: Daughters of foot doctor say he diagnosed Trump with bone spurs as ‘favor’ to Fred Trump** > > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html) The America-hating fuckstick had two brothers, both old enough to have gone before a Selectice Service board. One wonders how they were classified. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28630 "2018-12-27T14:06:20Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Heh. I have no idea how true this story is but it could explain why today was Trump’s first ever visit to a combat zone: > > **New York Times: Daughters of foot doctor say he diagnosed Trump with bone spurs as ‘favor’ to Fred Trump** > > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/politics/trump-bone-spurs-vietnam-war/index.html) I have a question from a medical perspective. If he was diagnosed with bone spurs so long ago, and never had a surgery to correct them, wouldn’t he still have them? Would a simple x-ray reveal that he does not currently have bone spurs and thus never had them ever? Of course, that would require a White House doctor who can get his weight right, among other things. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28631 "2018-12-27T14:47:57Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > But with regard to the market, is Trump a stable genius? > [@jayjay](#): > > Only in the sense that a stable is where you keep jackasses… I was thinking horse’s asses myself. > [@JRDelirious](#): > > 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. I recently read a story from way back in late-2015 before the campaign got started in earnest, where a supporter cited that exact trait as a plus. How do you like him now, sucker? (I know, I know: He’s probably contributed to Trump’s Wall fund. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28632 "2018-12-27T17:10:06Z")
Troops bringing Trump hats to sign may violate military rule [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/troops-bringing-trump-hats-to-sign-may-violate-military-rule/ar-BBRsX6J](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/troops-bringing-trump-hats-to-sign-may-violate-military-rule/ar-BBRsX6J) I was just thinking…where did they get the MAGA hats? Seems like an odd item for soldiers to bring with them. Or did a staffer hand them out before the photo op? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28633 "2018-12-27T17:39:10Z")
Seen on FARK: The stock market had been declining for some time, then Trump goes to a war zone and the stock market goes up. Trump returns to the US and the market goes down. For the good of our nation, we need to send Trump to a war zone for a permanent stay. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28634 "2018-12-27T17:40:38Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Troops bringing Trump hats to sign may violate military rule > > [MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/troops-bringing-trump-hats-to-sign-may-violate-military-rule/ar-BBRsX6J) > > I was just thinking…where did they get the MAGA hats? Seems like an odd item for soldiers to bring with them. Or did a staffer hand them out before the photo op? I hate that this is a story. Here’s a sample of the guidance we receive: > [@](#): > > Members on active duty may not campaign for a partisan candidate, engage in partisan fundraising activities, serve as an officer of a partisan club, or speak before a partisan gathering. Active duty members may, however, express their personal opinions on political candidates and issues, make monetary contributions to a political campaign or organization, and attend political events as a spectator when not in uniform. There’s a clear demarcation between the sorts of activity that’s allowed and what isn’t. You _can’t_ be a member of a campaign, be active in fundraising, or speak at a rally. You _can_ rant on facebook, put up yard signs, donate money, and generally have political opinions. The difference is pretty clear to me and most others in the military – don’t get too involved, and don’t act like you’re representing the military when you get political. Having the president sign a hat is no big deal, the only issue here is that they’re in uniform and on camera which looks bad but doesn’t really violate the spirit of the rules. Given the circumstances it’s small potatoes. If you had an asshole CO you might get, what, a verbal counseling? But it’s not like this is some scandalous FEC violation. ---
**Author:** ![Wallet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e99b99/32.png) [@Wallet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallet)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28635 "2018-12-27T17:42:13Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Not arguing that the relevant event wasn’t a tragedy, but using one incident as a foundation for ranking a nation “most dangerous” is . . . a way to use statistical blips in a pretty irresponsible way. It’s not just the one incident - it’s our Commander in Chief labeling the media as “enemies of the people”, and encouraging his supporters to attack (literally) the press. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28636 "2018-12-27T17:58:03Z")
> [@Wallet](#): > > It’s not just the one incident - it’s our Commander in Chief labeling the media as “enemies of the people”, and encouraging his supporters to attack (literally) the press. Not according to the article. Don’t get me wrong, all that stuff is awful, but “there’s a feeling of danger” is not what this metric is about. That one incident is in fact the only reason (well, that and two journalists who were killed by a tree covering a hurricane) why the US was labeled a “deadly” country for journalists. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28637 "2018-12-27T18:11:13Z")
This is a fairly long article from the New York Times detailing a number of Tax dodges that Fred Trump used to transfer money from his estate to his children without having to pay any sort of gift taxes. It also highlights just how much money Donald Trump actually received from his Dad - not a 1 million dollar loan like he says but closer to 400 Million Dollars received through various tax schemes intended to evade gift taxes and hide the source. One particularly egregious example in this article is a company the Trump family created called “All County Building & Maintenance”. The “purpose” of this company was to be a single point of contact that would purchase building supplies and materials for all of the Trump properties. The only people employed by this company were Fred Trumps children, and one favorite nephew who managed the invoices. Fred Trump would negotiate discount rates for whatever supplies and materials he needed, and those companies would receive payment from All County. Then All County would send an invoice to Fred Trump inflating the prices by 20 to 100%. All profits went directly to the owners of All County - so already you can see how this is a money transfer minus gift taxes to his family. But then, he’d take the invoices he paid at those inflated prices and use them to justify rent increases in all of his apartments using his services. Win win for the Trumps, lose lose for his tenants. I truly think Donald Trump is largely an idiot, but if this article is true and Donald helped to manufacture these schemes, he really does have to have some brains in there, albeit crooked. But clearly, the rot in that family is finally coming to light. > **[Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father...](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html)** > > The president has long sold himself as a self-made billionaire, but a Times investigation found that he received at least $413 million in today’s dollars from his father’s real estate empire, much of it through tax dodges in the 1990s. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2018, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28638 "2018-12-27T20:03:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I have a question from a medical perspective. If he was diagnosed with bone spurs so long ago, and never had a surgery to correct them, wouldn’t he still have them? Would a simple x-ray reveal that he does not currently have bone spurs and thus never had them ever? Of course, that would require a White House doctor who can get his weight right, among other things. That could backfire horribly. You don’t think that fat fuck’s feet are a podiatrists nightmare after 72 years of abuse and/or mis-use? ---
**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 27, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28639 "2018-12-27T20:14:14Z")
It just occurred to me that the French may be very happy Trump is pulling the U.S. out of Syria. They’re getting tired of being called Surrender Monkeys, and now they can transfer the moniker to the United States. ---
**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 27, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28640 "2018-12-27T20:21:43Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > That could backfire horribly. You don’t think that fat fuck’s feet are a podiatrists nightmare after 72 years of abuse and/or mis-use? They would be if he spent any time on them. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28641 "2018-12-27T20:34:30Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > This is a fairly long article from the New York Times detailing a number of Tax dodges that Fred Trump used to transfer money from his estate to his children without having to pay any sort of gift taxes. It also highlights just how much money Donald Trump actually received from his Dad - not a 1 million dollar loan like he says but closer to 400 Million Dollars received through various tax schemes intended to evade gift taxes and hide the source. > > One particularly egregious example in this article is a company the Trump family created called “All County Building & Maintenance”. The “purpose” of this company was to be a single point of contact that would purchase building supplies and materials for all of the Trump properties. The only people employed by this company were Fred Trumps children, and one favorite nephew who managed the invoices. Fred Trump would negotiate discount rates for whatever supplies and materials he needed, and those companies would receive payment from All County. Then All County would send an invoice to Fred Trump inflating the prices by 20 to 100%. All profits went directly to the owners of All County - so already you can see how this is a money transfer minus gift taxes to his family. But then, he’d take the invoices he paid at those inflated prices and use them to justify rent increases in all of his apartments using his services. Win win for the Trumps, lose lose for his tenants. > > I truly think Donald Trump is largely an idiot, but if this article is true and Donald helped to manufacture these schemes, he really does have to have some brains in there, albeit crooked. But clearly, the rot in that family is finally coming to light. > > [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/02/us/politics/donald-trump-tax-schemes-fred-trump.html) You’re 88 posts too late. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28642 "2018-12-27T20:59:11Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I have a question from a medical perspective. If he was diagnosed with bone spurs so long ago, and never had a surgery to correct them, wouldn’t he still have them? Would a simple x-ray reveal that he does not currently have bone spurs and thus never had them ever? Of course, that would require a White House doctor who can get his weight right, among other things. He can’t release x-rays of his bone spurs. They are still under audit from HIPAA. ---
**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 27, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28643 "2018-12-27T21:07:50Z")
:golf clap: ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28644 "2018-12-28T01:57:55Z")
I don’t care too much if he dodged the draft on general principle applied to everyone. What I hate about him, Gingrich, Rush… I hate chickenhawks. You cheat your way out of service or don’t sign up in times of peace. Fine. But you don’t commit your life to drumming up fear, encouraging wars, supporting those wars that you yourself are too cowardly to partake in. I think non-veterans can support wars, but it’s the “encouraging” and fear-mongering that makes one a chickenhawk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1431) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1433)