# 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:** 1447
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28925 "2019-01-05T21:07:19Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > **Snort** Only a couple of times. > > It was an annual event and televised. I remember watching one year when the date for the first number, No. 1, was pulled and the announcers covering the event – there were two announcers – saying anyone with that birthdate had better go ahead and pack his toothbrush now. I remember the draft lotteries. All the parents in my neighborhood, especially the one with draft aged male children, would watch together. It was an emotional support thing. We really have come a long way. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28926 "2019-01-05T23:04:35Z")
Great - now President Thank Og Doesn’t Drink is whining that the shutdown could [last “years”](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/house-democrats-reform-package-1.4967263) if big fucking baby doesn’t get Mr. Wall. ---
**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:** [January 5, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28927 "2019-01-05T23:51:05Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Great - now President Thank Og Doesn’t Drink is whining that the shutdown could [last “years”](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/house-democrats-reform-package-1.4967263) if big fucking baby doesn’t get Mr. Wall. He doesn’t care about the wall, he just wants to prevent the Democratic House from investigating him. They should continue their investigations and make the point that they don’t want to fund the wall because they would expect him to use it as an embezzlement scheme. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28928 "2019-01-06T03:04:03Z")
_Airline Pilots Association, International_ writes directly to the president, asking him to reopen the government. [Text of the letter](http://www.alpa.org/-/media/ALPA/Files/pdfs/news-events/letters/010219-shutdown-trump.pdf) A snippet: > [@](#): > > …The pressure these civil servants are facing at home should not be ignored. At some point, these dedicated federal employees will encounter personal financial damages that will take a long time from which to recover, if at all. > … Bravo to them. But 1. Letter has too many big words for thump to understand 2. It is logically organized and presents a rational argument for stopping the shutdown – fuhgettaboutit! 3. It asks the president to think of someone besides himself (that will never fly – _get it?_) 4. It doesn’t flatter thump, suck up to him, or kiss his ass. In fact, there’s nothing in the letter about thump at all! LOSE! “A” for effort, however. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28929 "2019-01-06T03:30:30Z")
[Fresh bullshit](https://apple.news/AdCpSny-qTpy77M9j0aTcnw) about “fake news”. Shitgibbon claims Jill Abramson criticized the Gray Lady she used to work for. Jill helpfully advises us the he is _so_ full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28930 "2019-01-06T03:39:30Z")
Today I heard Trump’s government shutdown referred to as his “Marie Antoinette Moment.” I like that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28931 "2019-01-06T03:45:12Z")
Loser Donald [decrees it to be Fake News](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/trump-rages-cnn-opposition-party-reporting-tsa-sickout-shutdown-continues/) that TSA employees are calling out en masse. [Actual TSA employees beg to differ.](https://komonews.com/news/local/tsa-officers-at-sea-tac-on-verge-of-quitting-over-lack-of-pay) SAD! ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28932 "2019-01-06T03:49:59Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Today I heard Trump’s government shutdown referred to as his “Marie Antoinette Moment.” > > I like that. I was hoping for a little more…literalism, there… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28933 "2019-01-06T03:50:53Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Great - now President Thank Og Doesn’t Drink is whining that the shutdown could [last “years”](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/house-democrats-reform-package-1.4967263) if big fucking baby doesn’t get Mr. Wall. It won’t happen. If Trump pushes this shutdown for even a single year, he’ll be impeached or declared incompetent. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28934 "2019-01-06T03:56:48Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I was hoping for a little more…literalism, there… You and me both. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28935 "2019-01-06T04:16:02Z")
Here is a helpful form for news posts in this thread: Individual-1/Cheeto-Faced ShitGibbon/Thump says \. People that know stuff about that beg to differ. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28936 "2019-01-06T04:23:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It won’t happen. If Trump pushes this shutdown for even a single year, he’ll be impeached or declared incompetent. Saw a graph today somewhere that showed recent presidents’ total number of days of ‘government shutdown’ (all compared to each other, although exact details of each shutdown are I’m sure unique), and no president’s record exceeded a month (think Clinton had 26 days). Before 45 equals that, there will be screaming for someone’s head. If he exceeds that, there will be more screaming which will not fade into complacency. Long _ **LONG** _ before we get anywhere near a year, 45 will find himself hounded by howling mobs (okay, I can dream, can’t I?). I’m sure he will cave soon enough, as soon as he finds a way to save face (he’ll give in for the sake of the poor affected Federal workers, so abandoned in their hour of need, and blame the Democrats for the whole fiasco, lock stock and barrel). In other words, I agree with **Little Nemo** , but think he/she might be a tad optimistic. With other news of 45 floating the idea of a national emergency, I wonder if he’s clumsily angling to declare a full state of emergency somehow, martial law included. He’s that stupid, and now Kelly and Mattis (and Sessions!) are out of his way. Their replacements are only ever going to say ‘Yes Sir!’ and ‘How high?’ ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28937 "2019-01-06T04:41:05Z")
> [@tripthicket](#): > > With other news of 45 floating the idea of a national emergency, I wonder if he’s clumsily angling to declare a full state of emergency somehow, martial law included. He’s that stupid, and now Kelly and Mattis (and Sessions!) are out of his way. Their replacements are only ever going to say ‘Yes Sir!’ and ‘How high?’ Seems like that would trigger some lawsuits similar to what Truman faced during the Korean War - which he lost in the Supreme Court. With the Federal courts due to close next week because of the shutdown, what would happen? Trump gets his way with no lawsuits by the state AGs and no meddling judges? ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28938 "2019-01-06T04:47:20Z")
What happens? We call our Senators and demand that they do something about a criminal President who shut down the government to avoid indictments. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28939 "2019-01-06T04:50:33Z")
If Individual-1 is saying he will keep the government shut down for months/years, how is this an immediate national emergency? It’s either something you’ll wait years for or it’s something you need now, it can’t be both. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28940 "2019-01-06T04:58:38Z")
They’re very slow invaders. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28941 "2019-01-06T05:01:45Z")
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand quantum mechanics, but this sounds like Schroendinger’s Government: the shutdown exists because of a national emergency, and the emergency is due to the shutdown? My head hurts. Excuse me please, while I sign up to donate all of my blood and organs to RBG, Sotomayor, etc. Just in case. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28942 "2019-01-06T05:08:44Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > If Individual-1 is saying he will keep the government shut down for months/years, how is this an immediate national emergency? It’s either something you’ll wait years for or it’s something you need now, it can’t be both. [:dubious:](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21401461&postcount=5928) > [@Butt-Hurt Trump Takes to Twitter Again (Part 1)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/butt-hurt-trump-takes-to-twitter-again-part-1/772428/5929): > > Really, it’s Schrodinger’s Wall at this point. It hasn’t been built yet, but it’s mostly finished; it’s both a Concrete Wall and a Steel Slat Barrier; Mexico will pay for it, Mexico has already paid for it, it’s paying for itself with NAFTA which has now been repealed, the Democrats must pay for it, it’ll be paid for with “Shutdown Money” saved from the shutdown that’s more expensive than the Wall will ever be, which is supported by federal workers who are mostly Democrats but also want Trump to keep it shut down until the Wall is paid for; it’s needed to stop the Caravans that have already been stopped, and there are no more Caravans coming even though word is there’s one on the way right now; and if there’s no wall, we’re going to have to shut down the entire border with the wall that does not exist. > > The Wall currently exists in a state of quantum flux where attempting to observe it only changes its nature. ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28943 "2019-01-06T05:13:41Z")
I hope RBG is O positive. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2019, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/28944 "2019-01-06T05:40:52Z")
From the Maddow Blog. The unsettling list of Trump’s made-up conversations keeps growing > **[The unsettling list of Trump's made-up conversations keeps growing](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-unsettling-list-trumps-made-conversations-keeps-growing-msna1180326)** > > Trump keeps describing imaginary conversations. Today, for example, he said "some" of his predecessors told him a wall should've been built before now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1446) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1448)