# 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:** 1508
**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 30, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30145 "2019-01-30T16:39:41Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > And Dr. Daniel Craig in _St. Elsewhere_ and the voice of KITT in _Knight Rider_. Dude’s been around. > > Edit: ninja’d on the _Knight Rider!_ I, to, saw him on Broadway inn **1776** as well as the subsequent film version, and , having become aware of him, followed his many chameleonlike roles over the years, including all those listed above. One of the odder ones was Wynn Quantrill in **the President’s Analyst**. It wasn’t that his role was odd, but he was supposed to be in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, except it didn’t look at al like Seaside Heights. Just like Grover’s Mill, NJ in _Buckaroo Banzai_ didn’t look at all like Grover’s Mill (ain’t no palm trees outdoors in central NJ) Movies never get New Jersey right. End of hijack. I hope. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30146 "2019-01-30T16:57:47Z")
Trump knows more than his combined intelligence chiefs (and anybody else): **[Trump chastises intel chiefs after they contradict him on Iran and claims of foreign policy success](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/politics/trump-intel-chiefs-foreign-policy-iran-isis-north-korea/index.html)** > [@](#): > > “The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. **They are wrong!** ” Trump tweeted. “When I became President Iran was making trouble all over the Middle East, and beyond. Since ending the terrible Iran Nuclear Deal, they are MUCH different, but a source of potential danger and conflict. They are testing Rockets (last week) and more, and are coming very close to the edge. There economy is now crashing, which is the only thing holding them back. Be careful of Iran. Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!” [my bold] ---
**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 30, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30147 "2019-01-30T17:02:23Z")
Chris Christie unloads on Jared’s father: > [@](#): > > “Mr. Kushner pled guilty. He admitted the crimes,” Christie said. “And so what am I supposed to do as a prosecutor? I mean If a guy hires a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, and videotapes it, and then sends the videotape to his sister to attempt to intimidate her from testifying before a grand jury, do I really need any more justification than that?” ---
**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 30, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30148 "2019-01-30T17:16:07Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Trump knows more than his combined intelligence chiefs (and anybody else): > > **[Trump chastises intel chiefs after they contradict him on Iran and claims of foreign policy success](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/politics/trump-intel-chiefs-foreign-policy-iran-isis-north-korea/index.html)** > > [my bold] Calling them passive also seems rather silly, given that they were encouraging war in Syria and Afghanistan. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30149 "2019-01-30T17:41:49Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Calling them passive also seems rather silly, given that they were encouraging war in Syria and Afghanistan. The irony is Trump calling these people naive about what’s going on in the world. Trump seems to confuse flattery towards himself with his ability to persuade world leaders when really he’s just getting played for a chump. Kim: Oh! Donald! You are such a strong and wise leader of your country! Of course we will disarm for you! Kim [to aide as soon as Trump is gone]: “Move on to next phase in the nuclear weapons development program.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30150 "2019-01-30T17:53:13Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Trump knows more than his combined intelligence chiefs (and anybody else): > > **[Trump chastises intel chiefs after they contradict him on Iran and claims of foreign policy success](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/politics/trump-intel-chiefs-foreign-policy-iran-isis-north-korea/index.html)** > > [my bold] I think what struck me was that one of the Intelligence Chiefs (Director of National Intelligence) is Dan Coats. For those who don’t recall, he was a Senator from Indiana and about as staunch a conservative as any Republican could ask for. _And he was appointed to the job by…wait for it…Donald J Trump._ His own appointee and a strong conservative tells him he is maybe in error and he rejects it. I do despair at times… ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30151 "2019-01-30T17:58:03Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > I think what struck me was that one of the Intelligence Chiefs (Director of National Intelligence) is Dan Coats. For those who don’t recall, he was a Senator from Indiana and about as staunch a conservative as any Republican could ask for. _And he was appointed to the job by…wait for it…Donald J Trump._ > > His own appointee and a strong conservative tells him he is maybe in error and he rejects it. I do despair at times… Right - it was not surprising that he rejected the Intelligence Community as set up by his predecessor - but to reject his own advisors - so much winning! ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30152 "2019-01-30T18:13:13Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I wouldn’t ask him any kind of question that would make him react out of anger. I’d ask him something that would lead him to use his reasoning and logic in front of all America so they can see how truly out-of-touch with reality he is, like “Mr. President, have you ever considered rebuilding the Berlin Wall?” “M. President, as you know\* the London Bridge was moved to Arizona where it became a tremendous tourist attraction. Wouldn’t it make great economic sense to buy the Great Wall of China and move it to safeguard our southern border?” \*Actually, I suspect he doesn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30153 "2019-01-30T18:20:17Z")
> [@digs](#): > > And KITT in Knight Rider. I saw _1776_ with him as Adams (on July 4th, 1976!) and it was amusing when he became a talking car. I always pictured a very proper elder statesman schooling The Hoff with his superior-sounding “Michael…”. And, don’t forget he was in Boy meets World. I never really watched it myself, but I remember thinking that someone was watching Knight Rider, because I heard the voice, but it was admonishing a Corey, rather than a Michael. Interesting to note, and I didn’t realize this until just now, upon looking him up to make sure I was thinking of the right actor, but BMW was set in a school called “John Adams”, possibly a reference to his earlier works. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30154 "2019-01-30T18:21:03Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Right - it was not surprising that he rejected the Intelligence Community as set up by his predecessor - but to reject his own advisors - so much winning! He’s smarter than anyone else anyway, so what does it matter what anyone else thinks? ---
**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:** [January 30, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30155 "2019-01-30T18:25:28Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Trump knows more than his combined intelligence chiefs (and anybody else): > > **[Trump chastises intel chiefs after they contradict him on Iran and claims of foreign policy success](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/politics/trump-intel-chiefs-foreign-policy-iran-isis-north-korea/index.html)** > > [my bold] They don’t watch the same movies he does. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30156 "2019-01-30T18:27:26Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > I wouldn’t ask him any kind of question that would make him react out of anger. I’d ask him something that would lead him to use his reasoning and logic in front of all America so they can see how truly out-of-touch with reality he is, like “Mr. President, have you ever considered rebuilding the Berlin Wall?” The Berlin Wall was a “GREAT” wall. It worked folks, they say that walls don’t work, but this one worked. Many people don’t know this, but the republicans were against that wall. Reagan said, “Mr Gor- Gorba- Gobblechecks take down the wall!”, that’s why he’s no longer president, folks, that’s why, because he was against walls. I would have said, “Build the wall higher!”. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2019, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30157 "2019-01-30T18:34:03Z")
Trump Calls His Intelligence People ‘Naive’ [https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-calls-his-intelligence-people-‘naive’/ar-BBSWGkF?li=BBnb7Kz](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-calls-his-intelligence-people-%E2%80%98naive%E2%80%99/ar-BBSWGkF?li=BBnb7Kz) Irony at it’s finest. > [@](#): > > “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school,” Mr. Trump said. ---
**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 30, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30158 "2019-01-30T18:35:46Z")
> [@simster](#): > > Right - it was not surprising that he rejected the Intelligence Community as set up by his predecessor - but to reject his own advisors - so much winning! To be fair, Trump almost certainly had no part in hiring almost anyone that works for him. I presume that McConnell or someone gave him a list and Trump picked the one who most closely matched the image in his head of what that sort of person should look like on TV. Now he is straddled with people who were chosen by McConnell as loyal to Congress. Of course, he should have realized that a long time ago, and yet he keeps doing the same thing and appointing people that he has been set up to take. Granted, there’s no value in trying to appoint your sister to the Supreme Court or whatever, if the Senate will just reject her, but Trump isn’t even dragging his feet on appointments. He teed up Bill Barr pretty quick, despite probably loving having Whitaker in there as his guy. As with most things Trump, I have to wonder if he’s been compromised in some way by McConnell and the RNC? Whatever you might say about Trump, he does do an impressive job of living under pressure with some amount of grace. While it’s hard to say who all has what on him, I have to assume that he’s living almost every moment of his life balancing his choices against the varying rules that his various blackmailers, with varying levels of compromising material, have given him. And I mean, it seems to have gone over the heads of most of America, but the Cohen case made it pretty clear that Trump was going to be charged as well. While it’s sealed, we can probably safely say that Trump has already been brought up on some crimes and will be charged as soon as he leaves office. And while he may be protected by his office, it’s probably not terribly fun wondering how long until your children are all charged with crimes. ---
**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 30, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30159 "2019-01-30T18:40:32Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Now he is straddled with people who were chosen by McConnell as loyal to Congress. ‘Saddled’. Although Little Donnie Fail-Fail _is_ [being straddled](https://imgur.com/3LsjPhH.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30160 "2019-01-30T18:52:41Z")
I was reading this article: [An Obscure White House Staffer’s Jaw-Dropping Trump Tell-All](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/01/obscure-white-house-aide-writes-stunning-trump-tell-all/581416/) and this caught my eye: > [@](#): > > He writes of the evening that Trump watched on television as the speaker criticized his remarks in the aftermath of the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. From his private dining room off the Oval Office, “jaw clenched,” Trump yelled for his secretary to get Ryan on the phone. He then stood, clutching the remote control “like a pistol.” When his secretary gave him the go-ahead, Trump snatched up the phone. > > “Paul, do you know why Democrats have been kicking your a— for decades?” his tirade began, as Sims tells it. “Because they know a little word called ‘loyalty.’  Why do you think Nancy [Pelosi] has held on this long? Have you seen her? She’s a disaster. Every time she opens her mouth another Republican gets elected. But they stick with her … Why can’t you be loyal to your president, Paul?” Umm…Ryan is the only person whose ass “the disaster” Nancy has kicked recently. And, of course, loyalty with Trump is a one-way street. ---
**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 30, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30161 "2019-01-30T18:59:33Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Saddled’. > > Although Little Donnie Fail-Fail _is_ [being straddled](https://imgur.com/3LsjPhH.jpg). Phone autocorrect. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30162 "2019-01-30T19:05:20Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Phone autocorrect. This too? > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > some amount of grace. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30163 "2019-01-30T19:13:22Z")
> [@](#): > > DON’T GIVE ME THAT, YOU SNOTTY-FACED HEAP OF PARROT DROPPINGS! SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOB, YOU TIT! YOUR TYPE MAKES ME PUKE! YOU VACUOUS TOFFEE-NOSED MALODOROUS PERVERT!!! Sorry. Phone autocorrect. I had typed “I respectfully disagree”… ---
**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 30, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30164 "2019-01-30T19:36:41Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Sorry. Phone autocorrect. > > I had typed “I respectfully disagree”… Hey, I came in here for an argument! I didn’t expect to be abused! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1507) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1509)