# 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:** 1593
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31845 "2019-04-11T01:22:04Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Fox News cuts away from Loser Donald](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/fox-news-cuts-away-from-press-conference-as-trump-begins-rambling-incoherently-about-fences-and-trucks/) as he apparently realizes for the first time that Texas is bigger than New York City, and then rambles on with… _something_ about fences and trucks that he probably saw in a movie. And here I’d always thought nobody could ever beat Sarah Palin in the incoherent word salad category. Did he perhaps go on to say something about firing shots at ringing bells ? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31846 "2019-04-11T02:07:02Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > She was already semi-retired, in that state where senior judges don’t work much but are still considered members of the judiciary. This just forced her to retire all the way and give up the emeritus-type perqs. For what it’s worth, Donald was also implicated in this same fraud that forced her to retire. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31847 "2019-04-11T02:32:44Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > Which has nothing to do with refunds. You’re the one who brought up refunds. What do they have to do with the Trump administration being a clusterfuck? [Overall refunds are down _because_ of the overhaul](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/your-money/tax-refund-decrease.html) and Rettig is trying to pass the situation off as being normal. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31848 "2019-04-11T02:49:22Z")
Remember, Rettig is one of Trump’s lapdogs. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2019, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31849 "2019-04-11T03:34:51Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > For what it’s worth, Donald was also implicated in this same fraud that forced her to retire. Yeah, except that half the ethics oversight board that would be able to sanction him is controlled by his toady fellow travelers who aren’t going to find him guilty of any violations. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2019, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31850 "2019-04-11T04:27:06Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Um…Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue run parallel. By definition, they don’t “connect” anywhere. > > What’s the Short-Fingered Vulgarian’s home town, again? He meant, uh, spiritually. Yeah, yeah, that’s it, that’s the ticket, there’s a spiritual connection between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue. Vonnegut could have made it work. Somehow. Or maybe Heller. Asimov? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31851 "2019-04-11T04:40:15Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Fox News cuts away from Loser Donald](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/fox-news-cuts-away-from-press-conference-as-trump-begins-rambling-incoherently-about-fences-and-trucks/) as he apparently realizes for the first time that Texas is bigger than New York City, and then rambles on with… _something_ about fences and trucks that he probably saw in a movie. Then Dana Perino comes on and says, "Okay, you’ve been watching the president down there in Texas, doing something I think is smart.” What a craven, ass-licking, toady–the guy really seems like he has dementia, and that’s what she says? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31852 "2019-04-11T04:41:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Fox News cuts away from Loser Donald](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/fox-news-cuts-away-from-press-conference-as-trump-begins-rambling-incoherently-about-fences-and-trucks/) as he apparently realizes for the first time that Texas is bigger than New York City, and then rambles on with… _something_ about fences and trucks that he probably saw in a movie. That was fucking amazing. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31853 "2019-04-11T04:44:58Z")
Individual 1’s sister the judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, was under judicial investigation for her involvement in a tax fraud scheme involving her siblings and their father’s real estate empire. She announced her retirement ten days after the news of the investigation came out, because, apparently, in retirement, she is no longer subject to review. > **[Trump’s sister retires as judge, ending probe into alleged misconduct](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/438345-trumps-sister-retires-as-judge-ending-probe-into-alleged-misconduct/)** > > President Trump’s sister Maryanne Trump Barry has retired as a federal judge in a move that will end a court inquiry into possible misconduct relating to tax and financial transactions.The Ne… ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31854 "2019-04-11T04:45:22Z")
> [@](#): > > He meant, uh, spiritually. Yeah, yeah, that’s it, that’s the ticket, there’s a spiritual connection between Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue. Vonnegut could have made it work. Somehow. Or maybe Heller. Asimov? President Minderbinder announced the creation of a new Federal park at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Park, “Everyone has a share!” said the President. Nearby, a robot wept silently, a single tear slipping down his titanium face and clattering onto the sidewalk. And so it goes. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31855 "2019-04-11T05:15:59Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > (emphasis added) > Yes. > > What you said wasn’t the problem. If you are already on the outs with the person, don’t get into an email exchange with him about this shit. It’s just further proof that this is someone you need to excise from your life. Are you sending emails to every fascist idiot who goes on about Dumb Mussolini-lite is doing whomever’s work? Did you think you were going to change his mind? > > . I have never emailed anyone but him, and I didn’t think I would change his mind. I did, however, want him to know that I never cared to hear from him again, and his MAGA-lovin’ and nasty tweeting is a major reason why. His reaction goes deeper because I wanted to sever this long friendship. His response was: You can’t just decide to get rid of me, I would never write such an awful email to a friend, you must have had a bad day or been drunk when you wrote it, the world has too few relationships like ours, this friendship is too important to both of us to trash it, I’ve made mistakes but I’m not a terrible person. _shrug_ I’m done. He just doesn’t want to let go. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31856 "2019-04-11T05:21:32Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Um…Fifth Avenue and Park Avenue run parallel. By definition, they don’t “connect” anywhere. > > What’s the Short-Fingered Vulgarian’s home town, again? The inside of his arse? It connects him to the whole world! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31857 "2019-04-11T06:03:17Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Ironically, while Trump may have to remain in office in order to avoid fraud charges, his sister just had to retire in order to avoid fraud charges. > > [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/us/maryanne-trump-barry-misconduct-inquiry.html#click=https://t.co/VKBBA8Vy1T](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/us/maryanne-trump-barry-misconduct-inquiry.html#click=https://t.co/VKBBA8Vy1T) But it’s all a witch hunt. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31858 "2019-04-11T09:14:27Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > If your refund is late and it’s the IRS’s fault they do, in fact, pay interest … My refund was late and it was NOT the IRS’ fault, but they attempted to pay me interest anyway. Things did not go well for me, however. It’s off-topic so I’ll put the details in a spoiler. [SPOILER]The sent me a check for $9000 approx — $8000 refund plus $1000 interest. U.S. Treasury checks are difficult and expensive to cash where I live so I … endorsed the Treasury check with “Pay to the IRS” and mailed it in as payment for a subsequent year’s tax. (As a kid, I’d learned the fantasy that 3rd-party, or even 4th-, 5th-party checks were fine. So why not just mail their own check back to them? Boy, was that a dumb idea!) First they sent me a bill for $9000! The refund check I’d mailed back to them got dumped in the “Strange: must be a donation on the debt” bin. :eek: I got that straightened out, but they still sent me a bill for $1000. _The interest portion of that refund check could not be credited to me._ This made no sense to me — can anyone here explain it? It was an ordinary check; I could have exchanged it for $9000 with any U.S. bank or banker. Real money. But the IRS shortchanged me by the $1000 interest. Does this make sense? I contacted the IRS Taxpayer Advocate. She seemed to want to help, but could only show me the regulation. I was annoyed. “OK, I give up on ever getting my $1000 back. I just want someone to explain how this rule can have any relevance to my situation. I want to hear an IRS official admit: ‘It’s a stupid rule; you got screwed; Ha ha ha.’” But I never got a response. It all annoyed me so much I stopped filing altogether. I’m retired with little income now. Maybe I’m safe: _I hear the IRS is now too understaffed to collect on huge tax bills that courts have already agreed they’re due from multi-millionaires!_ :eek: [/SPOILER] ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31859 "2019-04-11T13:42:47Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [Fox News cuts away from Loser Donald](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/fox-news-cuts-away-from-press-conference-as-trump-begins-rambling-incoherently-about-fences-and-trucks/) as he apparently realizes for the first time that Texas is bigger than New York City, and then rambles on with… _something_ about fences and trucks that he probably saw in a movie. > > “If we had the wall, the good people will not be able — you’ll see them on the other side of the wall,” said Trump. “Number one, they won’t come, because they’ll say there’s no way of getting through. Right now they think there’s a way to get through. And the people back home never hear about that, they start to walk. They tell them Houston’s half a mile away, but it’s 300 miles. It’s desert.” > > "This is a vast state, it’s a vast area. You look at it, the state’s tremendous,” said Trump, who seemed genuinely stunned that Texas occupied a large land area. “I come from New York. You have Fifth Avenue and that connects you to Park Avenue, its not too far away, but this is hundreds of miles between places… > > They’re very expensive fences, but they don’t want to go through the process of going through the fences, so, again, they wait until the fence is open, the gate is open. They wait at the gate and they kill people,” said Trump. “They want to take the truck, a lot of times they don’t even want to go to the house, they want to steal the truck. So you always go to the gate in doubles.” > > “It’s been going on for many years, it’s coming up, I’m bringing it out,” Trump continued. “And these people are coming into our country, some are dying during the walk. Many of those people I’ll bet are very good people, but some are dying during the walk. Many, many have died. That is what surprised me." One of the problems with this quality board is that we don’t have many Trump supporters who speak fluent gibberish and can translate this dog’s breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31860 "2019-04-11T13:45:02Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > One of the problems with this quality board is that we don’t have many Trump supporters who speak fluent gibberish and can translate this dog’s breakfast. He’s saying that the immigrants are n[BONG]rs. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2019, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31861 "2019-04-11T14:09:20Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > One of the problems with this quality board is that we don’t have many Trump supporters who speak fluent gibberish and can translate this dog’s breakfast. It doesn’t need translation. Properly viewed, it’s _Poetry_: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=873889](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=873889) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31862 "2019-04-11T14:21:27Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > One of the problems with this quality board is that we don’t have many Trump supporters who speak fluent gibberish and can translate this dog’s breakfast. We do have occasional threads about dementia. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31863 "2019-04-11T14:34:58Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It doesn’t need translation. Properly viewed, it’s _Poetry_: > > [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=873889](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=873889) I prefer the work of the Vogons. ---
**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:** [April 11, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/31864 "2019-04-11T14:41:08Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I prefer the work of the Vogons. Heck, I prefer the Civil Service of the Vogons to Trump’s! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1592) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1594)