# 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:** 1510
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30185 "2019-01-31T06:20:46Z")
The testimony of the intelligence people blows my mind. If my employees went behind my back and directly contradicted me they’d be fired or transferred on the spot. But of course that is because I would have already asked for their input and incorporated it into my plan. If I thought that their opinions were worthless I would have replaced them and brought in someone else. Trump seems to have advisors but completely ignores them to rely on his gut instincts. It is truly frightening. Just one more thing that is not normal. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30186 "2019-01-31T06:22:29Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Still haven’t seen **The President’s Analyst**. It must be good though, if James Coburn took the role instead of doing a third Derek Flint movie. > > I’ve always thought starring in a Derek Flint movie must have been the best gig in the history of Hollywood. “Muggers!” she cried gleefully. A great and prophetic movie. ---
**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 31, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30187 "2019-01-31T12:40:40Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I have a pretty low bar for Republicans now. Actually very, very low expectations. And yet, they manage to tunnel down under it each time anyway. They have no bottom, which makes them… assless chaps? > [@enipla](#): > > Then the author puts the ‘Current President’ in front of reporters and the President makes an intelligent, well thought out, ad-hoc, off the cuff speech about current events. Hahahahah. No bias at all. I nearly dumped the book right there. But, after all, it is fiction. Ah, it’s a fantasy, then, not an alternate history. > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Still haven’t seen **The President’s Analyst**. It must be good though, if James Coburn took the role instead of doing a third Derek Flint movie. > > I’ve always thought starring in a Derek Flint movie must have been the best gig in the history of Hollywood. I was a big fan of the Flint movies\* but on seeing them recently, they didn’t hold up well. Being a Daniels fan, I’ll have to hunt down _TPA_; I hope it is not as disappointing on rewatch. \*I have the Red Phone as my ringtone. ---
**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 31, 2019, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30188 "2019-01-31T12:48:13Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > They have no bottom, which makes them… assless chaps? I mean, if I catch McConnell in a dark alleyway, that chap’ll be quite assless by the end of it. ---
**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 31, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30189 "2019-01-31T13:27:30Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > [Schumer asks intel chiefs to educate Trump after ‘extraordinarily inappropriate’ criticism](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/30/politics/schumer-coats-trump-criticism/index.html) > > Poor Chuck, doesn’t he realize that Trump has the best brain and words and went to the best school? Trump won’t listen to the intelligence chiefs when they’re wrong. Trump’s buddy Vlad has surely already pointed that out to him already how wrong they are and that’s apparently all Trump needs. Poor Chuck nothing. Chuck knows perfectly well that thump cannot be educated. He didn’t make this \*\*public \*\*statement because he wants or expects thump to get a clue. But \*you \*could get a clue. Unless your post was meant as irony? Where are those irony tags? ---
**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 31, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30190 "2019-01-31T14:44:01Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The current book I’m reading (fiction) is an apocalyptic thriller centering on the dissolution of the US. Looks like new civil war in the book, it’s a 4 book series. > > I read another of the authors series about a Yellowstone eruption. I found it immature but entertaining. The science was pretty good. Told my Wife not to bother. > > I can plow through books, so I thought I would give him another try. > > Anyway, the author’s forward stated that he was trying to approach the current situation without any bias. It’s absolutely clear he is talking about the Trump Presidency (mentions Mar-a-Lago and other things). Ok. A bit surprised. > > Then the author puts the ‘Current President’ in front of reporters and the President makes an intelligent, well thought out, ad-hoc, off the cuff speech about current events. Hahahahah. No bias at all. I nearly dumped the book right there. But, after all, it is fiction. I love Frederick Forsyth’s thrillers\*, but his latest novel, **The Fox** , has a US President who is painfully obviously Trump, if not named as such. At one point, the British spy team leader tells Trump about the new asset they’ve unearthed, and how he shouldn’t impulsively do what he was planning on doing, but should take a step back and take the Long View. And pseudo-Trump does. I had to stop at that point and ponder it. _Could_ Trump act rationally and avoid his impulses when all courses were carefully explained to him? No. I just couldn’t. Clearly a work of fiction. Forsyth’s politics are definitely to the Right of mine, n I suspect that bias could’ve helped nudge him that way. That, and the fact that if pseudo-Trump acted the way he usually did, the story would’ve been over at that point, because Trump has been shown to blow intelligence assets before. \*All except for _The Phantom of Manhattan_. I refuse to believe that he wrote a second-rate Phantom of the Opera sequel like that. Obviously someone else got hold of his word processor. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30191 "2019-01-31T14:53:09Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Poor Chuck nothing. Chuck knows perfectly well that thump cannot be educated. He didn’t make this \*\*public \*\*statement because he wants or expects thump to get a clue. But \*you \*could get a clue. > > Unless your post was meant as irony? Where are those irony tags? (Emphasis mine) You mean the ones that say “do not remove under penalty of law?” Anyway, precisely. Schumer is under no illusions that CFSG can be educated; what he appears to be doing is calling attention to the fact that after his (CFSG’s) intelligence chiefs delivered (in public and private) their assessments of the world situation — assessments that were compiled by some of the best professionals anywhere — he basically humiliated them, and by extension the entire intelligence community. It’s not enough that he said that his “very good brain” knows more than they do, he called them incompetent. In effect, whether conscious or not, it was an act of sabotage: however professional they may be, this sort of thing has got to be a hit to morale. Some of the reactions I have seen are “unprecedented,” “disturbing,” “alarming,” and “nucking futs” (okay, that last one was mine). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30192 "2019-01-31T14:59:06Z")
I suppose this should be noted here, for posterity: Democrats in the House proposed that Election Day be made a federal holiday, giving more people the opportunity to vote. Mitch McConnell called the idea a [“power grab by Democrats”](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-power-grab-democrats-reaction_us_5c52aabee4b0ca92c6dd453b). You said the quiet part loud, Mitch. Robert Reich said, “It really shows how scared to death they are of the American people actually having a say in our democracy.” ---
**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 31, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30193 "2019-01-31T15:12:38Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I suppose this should be noted here, for posterity: > > Democrats in the House proposed that Election Day be made a federal holiday, giving more people the opportunity to vote. Mitch McConnell called the idea a [“power grab by Democrats”](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-power-grab-democrats-reaction_us_5c52aabee4b0ca92c6dd453b). > > You said the quiet part loud, Mitch. Robert Reich said, “It really shows how scared to death they are of the American people actually having a say in our democracy.” What Mitch knows is that when voting is easily accessible, voters vote for Democrats. Must stop that by any and every means possible. Legally or illegally. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30194 "2019-01-31T15:23:21Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > [Well, Sarah Sanders thinks God wanted Agent Orange to be president](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427730-sarah-sanders-god-wanted-donald-trump-to-become-president). Which begs the question, why does he want to punish us? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30195 "2019-01-31T15:37:10Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Okay, I can’t figure it out from these clues. Are you guys talking about Harry Turtledove? I’m talking about Bobby Akart. Dime novel stuff really. Twas free with Amazon Prime. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30196 "2019-01-31T15:40:11Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > [Well, Sarah Sanders thinks God wanted Agent Orange to be president](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427730-sarah-sanders-god-wanted-donald-trump-to-become-president). That at least explains why she seems willing to go down with the ship, and probably Pence too. Too bad that Sarah didn’t have a good Christian in her family in her formative years. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30197 "2019-01-31T16:05:48Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I suppose this should be noted here, for posterity: > > Democrats in the House proposed that Election Day be made a federal holiday, giving more people the opportunity to vote. Mitch McConnell called the idea a [“power grab by Democrats”](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-power-grab-democrats-reaction_us_5c52aabee4b0ca92c6dd453b). > > You said the quiet part loud, Mitch. Robert Reich said, “It really shows how scared to death they are of the American people actually having a say in our democracy.” As Borowitz just said, Trump’s 2020 nightmare is that Americans get to decide the election. ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30198 "2019-01-31T16:21:10Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I’m talking about Bobby Akart. Dime novel stuff really. Twas free with Amazon Prime. Heh, I guessed that 🙂 I love zombie/EMP/survivalist books even though I am a Lib/Dem/Hippy. Any time politics get entered into the stories I just sort of skim pass. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30199 "2019-01-31T16:37:54Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > (Emphasis mine) You mean the ones that say “do not remove under penalty of law?” > > Anyway, precisely. Schumer is under no illusions that CFSG can be educated; what he appears to be doing is calling attention to the fact that after his (CFSG’s) intelligence chiefs delivered (in public and private) their assessments of the world situation — assessments that were compiled by some of the best professionals anywhere — he basically humiliated them, and by extension the entire intelligence community. It’s not enough that he said that his “very good brain” knows more than they do, he called them incompetent. In effect, whether conscious or not, it was an act of sabotage: however professional they may be, this sort of thing has got to be a hit to morale. > > Some of the reactions I have seen are “unprecedented,” “disturbing,” “alarming,” and “nucking futs” (okay, that last one was mine). On one hand: you would think that any administrator with a shred of dignity and self-respect would not stand for this abuse. They might phrase it the way John Kelly did, and say in their letter of resignation that the President deserves to have counselors that he can trust. On the other hand: Coats and Haspel may think that the fewer appointments Trump is allowed to make, the better off the country is. ---
**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 31, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30200 "2019-01-31T16:40:31Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Which begs the question, why does he want to punish us? You know what you did. > [@jasg](#): > > As Borowitz just said, Trump’s 2020 nightmare is that Americans get to decide the election. Not just Trump. There are many republican voters out there who thank Russia for preventing Americans from having a voice in the election. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30201 "2019-01-31T16:42:01Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > [Well, Sarah Sanders thinks God wanted Agent Orange to be president](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/427730-sarah-sanders-god-wanted-donald-trump-to-become-president). That at least explains why she seems willing to go down with the ship, and probably Pence too. It’s disappointing when you realize God is just another idiot wearing a MAGA hat. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30202 "2019-01-31T17:00:11Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Which begs the question, why does he want to punish us? Yeah, this is the same God who shook His almighty Etch A Sketch and destroyed all of civilization once because He didn’t like what He saw, so I wouldn’t assume the endorsement to be positive. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30203 "2019-01-31T17:09:29Z")
“Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” - Thomas Jefferson ---
**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 31, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/30204 "2019-01-31T17:29:44Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I’m talking about Bobby Akart. Dime novel stuff really. Twas free with Amazon Prime. Okay. But I knew Turtledove had written a recent series about a Yellowstone volcano explosion so I was wondering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1509) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1511)