# 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:** 1476
**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:** [January 15, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29505 "2019-01-15T17:36:15Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I didn’t do a ‘find’. Looks like it has been fixed now: Last edited by Miller; Today at 09:19 AM… Reason: Fixed quote attribution ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29506 "2019-01-15T18:22:48Z")
While kind of realized it a while ago, but for some reason the folowing quote from[this article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-vow-to-devastate-turkey-rattles-negotiations-over-syria-withdrawal/2019/01/14/1a61049c-17ff-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?utm_term=.5a6e54ba828b) made it sink in: **At this point in time the US has no foreign policy**. > [@](#): > > In trying to explain Trump’s tweets, Pompeo told reporters in Riyadh on Monday that he assumed that Trump meant the United States would levy sanctions on Turkey if it attacked the Kurds but that he did not know for certain. > > “I assume he’s speaking about those kinds of things, but you would have to ask him,” said Pompeo, who noted that he had not talked to Trump about the tweet. When asked a very basic and straight forward question about our intentions towards one of our NATO allies, the only think the Secretary of State can say is “I don’t know”. Let that sink in. The Fucking Secretary of State has no idea what our national policy is, and that is because no one knows what our policy is. Not even the president who supposedly makes the policy knows what it is because he changes his mind every five minutes. Heck even North Korea has managed to arrange it so that the Supreme Leader’s lackeys can issue statements that aren’t contradicted by him two hour later. The beacon of the free world, with the mightiest military that the world has ever seen is being led by a magic eight ball. ETA: I just asked [here](http://www.ask8ball.net/), whether I should invade North Korea. Answer: Most Likely. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29507 "2019-01-15T18:55:37Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > “And if you check the pro-nuke box, every few months you get a lead-lined tackle-box to watch over for the next 10,000 years.” I’d be happy to take that. We already have some radioactive material in our lab. I’m not afraid. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29508 "2019-01-15T19:03:12Z")
You could make a buttload of money selling your share of the radioactive waste to some shithole country like Iran or someplace. ---
**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 15, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29509 "2019-01-15T19:26:37Z")
> [@](#): > > When Donny’s trade war with China started up, China stopped buying our soybeans. They didn’t say, “I guess we don’t need those soybeans after all,” they found other suppliers, Brazil and Argentina most likely. Russia, actually. Not surprisingly. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-17/china-buys-record-amount-of-russian-soy-as-it-shuns-u-s-growers](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-17/china-buys-record-amount-of-russian-soy-as-it-shuns-u-s-growers) ---
**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 15, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29510 "2019-01-15T19:30:50Z")
Again. THIS IS ALL PART OF THE TREASON. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29511 "2019-01-15T19:40:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You could make a buttload of money selling your share of the radioactive waste to some shithole country like Iran or someplace. Think big: sell it in chemistry sets to kids. ---
**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 15, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29512 "2019-01-15T20:32:15Z")
Bill Barr, who is nominated to be Attorney General, doesn’t know what the emoluments clause means. > **['I can't tell you what the Emoluments Clause means': Trump's AG nominee...](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/cant-tell-emoluments-clause-means-trumps-ag-nominee-admits-doesnt-understand-constitution/#.XD4EDb9hN5g.twitter)** > > In an exchange on Tuesday, President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general, Bill Barr, admitted to California's Dianne Feinstein that he didn't understand the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution.The clause is meant to protect the United... ---
**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:** [January 15, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29513 "2019-01-15T20:34:47Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Bill Barr, who is nominated to be Attorney General, doesn’t know what the emoluments clause means. > ['I can't tell you what the Emoluments Clause means': Trump's AG nominee admits he doesn't understand the Constitution - Raw Story](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/01/cant-tell-emoluments-clause-means-trumps-ag-nominee-admits-doesnt-understand-constitution/#.XD4EDb9hN5g.twitter) ‘Ah don’t know whut that is, but Ah’m agin it!’ ---
**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 15, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29514 "2019-01-15T20:40:06Z")
A thread for the Barr questioning. At one point he said he could envision jailing reporters. He doesn’t know if waterboarding is torture. > ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29515 "2019-01-15T21:06:04Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > A thread for the Barr questioning. At one point he said he could envision jailing reporters. > He doesn’t know if waterboarding is torture. > [https://twitter.com/briantashman/status/1085232583821135875](https://twitter.com/briantashman/status/1085232583821135875) So he’s a typical mainstream Republican. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [January 15, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29516 "2019-01-15T21:41:04Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > **At this point in time the US has no foreign policy**. Friend, at this point in time, the US has no policy of any kind, period. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29517 "2019-01-15T22:31:10Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Friend, at this point in time, the US has no policy of any kind, period. Surely there is, “Make money”. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29518 "2019-01-16T00:40:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Surely there is, “Make money”. You just know Trump believes that the Treasury Department only has to print more money and that will solve the cash flow problems. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29519 "2019-01-16T00:56:15Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > You just know Trump believes that the Treasury Department only has to print more money and that will solve the cash flow problems. Would any Republican object to that idea? ---
**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 16, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29520 "2019-01-16T00:59:47Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Well, [here’s](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-census-decision/judge-rejects-citizenship-question-for-2020-u-s-census-idUSKCN1P91SF) a little bit of cluster fuck reversal, at least (Reuters): It is so _insanely bonkers crucial_ that that fucked-up census question takes a flying leap. > [@](#): > > The case is thought likely to wind up before the Supreme Court, but time is short: the Census Bureau must print census forms sometime this spring. > > Congress could also ban the question, which would eliminate the need for litigation. Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to use their newfound majority in the House to investigate the question. Wilbur “King of Bankruptcy” Ross can go take a flying leap. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29521 "2019-01-16T01:00:03Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > You just know Trump believes that the Treasury Department only has to print more money and that will solve the cash flow problems. It’s not “Make more money for the country/government”, it’s “Make more money for _Trump_” ---
**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:** [January 16, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29522 "2019-01-16T01:40:45Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > It’s not “Make more money for the country/government”, it’s “Make more money for _Trump_” Oh, yes; I realize that. Doesn’t negate my point. I’ve long said Trump is basically King Ralph with none of the good qualities, but with bad qualities added. Graft, grift, greed, and just downright orneriness top the latter. They’re probably thinking that the more banknotes issued, the less likely it is that it doesn’t have to go through their grubby paws. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29523 "2019-01-16T02:53:13Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Would any Republican object to that idea? The gold bugs will go bonkers. ---
**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 16, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29524 "2019-01-16T05:09:40Z")
To update the quote below (from a couple posts above) > [@](#): > > The case is thought likely to wind up before the Supreme Court, but time is short: the Census Bureau must print census forms sometime this spring. On PBS they mentioned the Supreme Court date will be [Feb. 19](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-administration-barred-from-adding-citizenship-question-to-2020-census-for-now) Isn’t that…shotgunny? Or is that perfectly within the usual time frame parameters of court procedure? (I could possibly get off my lazy ass and find that out for myself.) I was always under the (evidently naive) impression that Supreme Court cases were backed up the yin-yang. > [@](#): > > **PBS** artcle: > When Ross announced the plan in March, he said the question was needed in part to help the government enforce the Voting Rights Act, a 1965 law meant to protect political representation of minority groups. If someone can somehow square such :dubious:protection:dubious: with the minority voter suppression that would so obviously result from such an abhorrent question, I’m all ears. > [@](#): > > Ross said politics played no role in the decision, initially testifying under oath that he hadn’t spoken to anyone in the White House on the subject. > > Later, however, Justice Department lawyers submitted papers saying Ross remembered speaking in spring 2017 about adding the question with former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon and with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Oh. Nice. That guy with the gin blossom. Forgot about him. So this Wilbur Ross carbunclewaffle perjures himself about hanging with Steve “Lick My Festering Pinkeye” Bannon. Great. Along with sound, paranoid advice from the Keebler. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1475) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1477)