# 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:** 1498
**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 25, 2019, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29945 "2019-01-25T05:50:32Z")
I work in a grocery store and we’ve not yet received any memos about “working along” with anyone. Maybe it only applies to those grocery stores where you have to show your voter ID to buy anything. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29946 "2019-01-25T05:59:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I work in a grocery store and we’ve not yet received any memos about “working along” with anyone. > > Maybe it only applies to those grocery stores where you have to show your voter ID to buy anything. If you’re local and you know the people there, once you all talk to the Commerce Secretary, Wilbur, you can all work along. It’s just like the mortgage companies. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29947 "2019-01-25T06:18:18Z")
If a bank wanted to give interest-free loans to federal workers, would it be illegal for them to do so? ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29948 "2019-01-25T06:26:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > If a bank wanted to give interest-free loans to federal workers, would it be illegal for them to do so? [Doesn’t seem to be, at least for the Navy Federal Credit Union.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/wilbur-ross-says-furloughed-workers-should-take-out-a-loan-his-agencys-own-credit-union-is-charging-nearly-9-percent/2019/01/24/be1c9f1e-2020-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html?utm_term=.73a4d3e0384b) > [@](#): > > A Commerce Department spokesperson said furloughed workers can access less expensive loans via other financial institutions. Navy Federal Credit Union, for example, offers no-interest 60-day loans of up to $6,000 for federal employees and contractors. U.S. Bank is offering similar terms for customers who are federal employees, charging 0.1 percent interest on amounts up to $6,000 with 12-month terms. Credit unions may operate under different rules than banks I should also note that Wilbur Ross’ Commerce Department’s credit union is offering emergency loans at…8.99%. And up. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29949 "2019-01-25T06:40:59Z")
The term limit and the amount limit are relevant. A longer term and/or a greater amount may have tax implications for the bank if they charge less than the market rate. ---
**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 25, 2019, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29950 "2019-01-25T06:41:23Z")
California Republican state legislator Brian Maienschein has switched to the Democratic Party while criticizing Individual 1. Cynical me was thinking that he realized that Republicans in California are pretty much like unicorns, and he did it to keep his job, which is exactly what the Republican Leader of the state Assembly said (I thought it before I saw his comments). [https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article225026840.html](https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article225026840.html) ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29951 "2019-01-25T07:18:43Z")
[CNN is saying](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/politics/trump-border-wall-emergency-draft/index.html) that the National Emergency order is being drafted as as we speak, and that legions of lawyers are being hired on to handle the eminent domain litigation that will inevitably accompany seizing enough land to build the Monument to Stupid. They claim to have found $7B that can be diverted from other allocations. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29952 "2019-01-25T07:57:33Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > California Republican state legislator Brian Maienschein has switched to the Democratic Party while criticizing Individual 1. > Cynical me was thinking that he realized that Republicans in California are pretty much like unicorns, and he did it to keep his job, which is exactly what the Republican Leader of the state Assembly said (I thought it before I saw his comments). > [https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article225026840.html](https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/article225026840.html) He was smart enough to get off a sinking ship, at least, which puts him ahead of the other Republicans here. California does not have party primaries any more, but an election with everyone and then a runoff on election day for the two top vote getters - often both Democrats. It will be interesting to see how he does. ---
**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 25, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29953 "2019-01-25T08:48:00Z")
The families of dead service members don’t get their death benefits during the shutdown, including funeral expenses and travel expenses to Dover AFB to pick up their dead loved one’s body. [Mourning military families won't get gov't death benefits | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/22/politics/us-soldier-death-benefits-shutdown/index.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29954 "2019-01-25T10:45:43Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > …and that legions of lawyers are being hired on to handle the eminent domain litigation… How are they being hired? I thought the government was shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29955 "2019-01-25T11:42:14Z")
And there goes Roger Stone. YES! > **[Mueller indicts Roger Stone, says he was coordinating with Trump officials...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/25/politics/roger-stone-arrested/index.html)** > > Roger Stone has been indicted by a grand jury on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller, who alleges that the longtime Donald Trump associate sought stolen emails from WikiLeaks that could damage Trump's opponents while in coordination... ---
**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 25, 2019, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29956 "2019-01-25T11:53:18Z")
In the Indictment: “By in or around June and July 2016, STONE informed senior Trump Campaign officials that he had info indicating Org. 1 had docs whose release would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. The head of Org. 1 was located … at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.” ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29957 "2019-01-25T11:56:04Z")
To quote the above article: Pounding on his door, one agent said: “FBI. Open the door.” **Stone opened the door.**" (bolding mine) Here’s hoping that last sentence means something metaphorical. As in, opened the door to the most revealing evidence in this investigation, bringing over 200 charges of fraud against the Trump family… ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29958 "2019-01-25T12:14:26Z")
Oh please, oh please, oh please let Pence be one of the “senior Campaign officials”. Please! ---
**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 25, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29959 "2019-01-25T12:24:28Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > In the Indictment: “By in or around June and July 2016, STONE informed senior Trump Campaign officials that he had info indicating Org. 1 had docs whose release would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign. The head of Org. 1 was located … at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.” And there goes Assange and Wikileaks. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29960 "2019-01-25T12:44:22Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross just can’t understand why federal workers are going to food pantries during the shut down. Why don’t they just take out loans?!](https://thehill.com/policy/finance/426741-ross-i-dont-quite-understand-why-federal-workers-need-food-banks-during) > > I mean, if anyone knows about making due with less, it’s Wilbur Ross. The man is worth only $700 million in a cabinet full of billionaires. These sad sack federal workers should really listen to what he has to say. Maybe he could start a blog for them. I saw the snippet where the quote came from and I think my blood pressure spiked. Would that I had the power to freeze all of his accounts so that he _and his family_ had to get by for the next month on the cash they happened to have on them when the freeze happened. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29961 "2019-01-25T13:38:17Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > Oh please, oh please, oh please let Pence be one of the “senior Campaign officials”. Please! I’d assume Don Jr or Bannon. ---
**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:** [January 25, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29962 "2019-01-25T14:39:59Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I saw the snippet where the quote came from and I think my blood pressure spiked. Would that I had the power to freeze all of his accounts so that he _and his family_ had to get by for the next month on the cash they happened to have on them when the freeze happened. When do the guillotines come out? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29963 "2019-01-25T14:51:39Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > [CNN is saying](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/politics/trump-border-wall-emergency-draft/index.html) that the National Emergency order is being drafted as as we speak, and that legions of lawyers are being hired on to handle the eminent domain litigation that will inevitably accompany seizing enough land to build the Monument to Stupid. They claim to have found $7B that can be diverted from other allocations. I’ve been seeing this on their website since yesterday afternoon, but no other major news orgs have mentioned anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/29964 "2019-01-25T16:24:12Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > [CNN is saying](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/24/politics/trump-border-wall-emergency-draft/index.html) that the National Emergency order is being drafted as as we speak, and that legions of lawyers are being hired on to handle the eminent domain litigation that will inevitably accompany seizing enough land to build the Monument to Stupid. They claim to have found $7B that can be diverted from other allocations. I originally read this quickly as “They claim to have found $78 that can be diverted from other allocations.” THAT figure I can believe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1497) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1499)