# 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:** 160
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3181 "2017-04-09T16:10:17Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Minor children are absolutely off limits. They have no choice in the matter. I’d say college age is a gray zone. Or if they stay out of politics, there’s no reason to savage them for who their parents are. Agreed > [@](#): > > Going after the parents for using the kids as props is fair game. It would never occur to me that “the prez’s kids/grandkids sang a little song for visiting world leader” was anything to even remotely invite comment, one way or the other. (I’m assuming that it’s not like they dragged the world leader to a 3 hour recital, rather that it was three minutes of intended-goodwill-building or something along those lines.) ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3182 "2017-04-09T19:13:10Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I don’t think those dolts could report on their bowel movements. Besides, Donald is a big boy and he could read _The Wall Street Journal_ all on his own and figure out how his investments are doing, except _WSJ_ is fake news and there is no better investment than boardwalk casinos in Atlantic City. Anyway, The Trump is bigly ethical and would never propose an infrastructure program or start a war for his own personal enrichment. His sacrifices are [legendary](https://youtu.be/0qtz4zSUW1w). > > Stranger I think it’s more likely that someone has to read it to him and then explain what the big words and numbers mean. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3183 "2017-04-09T20:35:56Z")
I don’t think there is a blind trust. I think Trump refused a blind trust in fact. Perhaps because he _doesn’t_ trust his offspring to watch the family business. ---
**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 9, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3184 "2017-04-09T20:44:56Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I think it’s more likely that someone has to read it to him and then explain what the big words and numbers mean. With pictures. Trump doesn’t read, and requires all briefings to use pictures to explain things to him. > **[Trump Intelligence Briefings Have To Be Mostly Pictures, Because Potus Is...](https://www.latest.com/trump-intelligence-briefings-have-to-be-mostly-pictures-because-potus-is-visual-learner-wapo)** > > President Donald Trump’s staff in the White House made a request in January of the intelligence officials who provide the president with his daily briefings. They asked them to cut down on the “words” in the briefing, opting instead for pictures.... (the reason I’m using this link is because I’ve already used up all of my free access to the Washington Post for the month, but this link has a direct link to the Post article) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3185 "2017-04-09T20:50:15Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I don’t think there is a blind trust. I think Trump refused a blind trust in fact. Perhaps because he _doesn’t_ trust his offspring to watch the family business. Donald J. Trump, the greatest businessman in the history of real estate, eponymous steaks sold online through The Sharper Image, and fraudulent universities, [doesn’t even know what a ‘blind trust’ is.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lfd1aB9YI&t=14m56s) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3186 "2017-04-09T21:15:04Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I don’t think there is a blind trust. I think Trump refused a blind trust in fact. Perhaps because \*\*he _doesn’t_ trust his offspring \*\*to watch the family business. Someone once read him the Classics Illustrated version of _King Lear_. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3187 "2017-04-09T21:18:38Z")
Which one is supposed to be Cordelia? Ivanka? Despite her purported role in moderating his behavior, he appears to be facilitiating his idiocy as much as anyone. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3188 "2017-04-09T22:09:57Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I don’t think there is a blind trust. I think Trump refused a blind trust in fact. Perhaps because he _doesn’t_ trust his offspring to watch the family business. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SYKAli7YUXY/hqdefault.jpg "Trump's "Trust" Lets Him Get Money from Businesses ANY TIME He Wants") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYKAli7YUXY) Title: Trump’s “Trusts” Allow Him To Get Money From Businesses ANY TIME He Wants Don’t know how accurate it is, but some interesting claims. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3189 "2017-04-10T03:42:45Z")
Another plan bites the dust. Another plan bites the dust. And another one’s gone, and another one’s gone [Another plan bites the dust.](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/search-consensus-taxes-veers-unexpected-123451082.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump has scrapped the tax plan he campaigned on and is going back to the drawing board in a search for Republican consensus behind legislation to overhaul the U.S. tax system. > > Administration officials say it’s now unlikely that a tax overhaul will meet the August deadline set by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. But the ambitious pace to figure out a plan reflects Trump’s haste to move quickly past a bruising failure to broker a compromise within his own party on how to replace the health insurance law enacted under President Barack Obama. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3190 "2017-04-10T04:24:52Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > [US Carrier task force sailing to Korean Peninsula as show of force.](http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/08/politics/navy-korean-peninsula/index.html) You can bet your bottom quatloo this is concerning. Not just a normal exercise. Sure, lots of deployments before, but not quite under these escalating circumstances. I don’t appreciate the _bouquet_ of this, as I’m swishing it around. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3191 "2017-04-10T05:20:43Z")
The wife was asking me just today about North Korea’s nukes, because she’d heard something about them being pointed at Hawaii. I told her not to worry. We’re too small a target too far away. If Kim does launch a nuke, it would probably be at South Korea or Japan. I told her if Kim did get the ability and the balls to launch a nuke at the US, with any luck it would strike the mainland, since that’s such a big target. Said if he did launch it at Hawaii, he’d probably miss and that he’d have only the one chance since if he did launch a nuke right at us, China or no China, North Korea would immediately be turned into a radioactive no-go zone for the foreseeable future. So we’re pretty safe, I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3192 "2017-04-10T05:36:43Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I told her if Kim did get the ability and the balls to launch a nuke at the US, with any luck it would strike the mainland, since that’s such a big target. Oh, and just to clarify, because someone may remark on it, yes, I would much rather the mainland be nuked than Hawaii. I don’t see this as a “take one for the team” situation. If anyone’s going to get nuked, I’d much rather it be you than me. 😉 ---
**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:** [April 10, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3193 "2017-04-10T05:39:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The wife was asking me just today about North Korea’s nukes, because she’d heard something about them being pointed at Hawaii. I told her not to worry. We’re too small a target too far away. If Kim does launch a nuke, it would probably be at South Korea or Japan. I told her if Kim did get the ability and the balls to launch a nuke at the US, with any luck it would strike the mainland, since that’s such a big target. Said if he did launch it at Hawaii, he’d probably miss and that he’d have only the one chance since if he did launch a nuke right at us, China or no China, North Korea would immediately be turned into a radioactive no-go zone for the foreseeable future. So we’re pretty safe, I hope. Honolulu may be safe, but Ann Coulter [has a suggestion](http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/Ann-Coulter-green-lights-North-Korea-to-hit-11056201.php) for lil’ Kim. > [@](#): > > N Korea will make nuke capable of hitting Seattle! Situation will be dire as soon as they can hit a city worth saving. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3194 "2017-04-10T05:41:22Z")
Do we really _need_ Los Angeles? ---
**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 10, 2017, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3195 "2017-04-10T09:05:52Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I pointed that out on Facebook earlier, and one of my rabid Trump-supporting friends countered with > > > [@](#): > > > > There’s a difference in helping them and supporting them. Help them in THEIR LAND NOT SUPPORT THEM IN OURS! Liberals just think everything is free and money is like monopoly you should be paid to walk around the block. > > After my rational, reasoned response, he said > > > [@](#): > > > > If they are not safe in their land due to a leader who bombs them with gas attacks and nerve agents then we remove the leader and try him for crimes against humanity. And then they will be safe and their society can be productive there. Oh wait…thats exactly what President trump is doing. > > Congratulations on a excellent decision mr.President Counterpoint at same level: “Conservatives think missiles don’t cost money”. $100 million spent on an attack which the target was warned of in advance (but Congress wasn’t) and which even failed to disable the airbase - planes were taking off from it the very next day. Also, it ostensibly heightened tensions between Russia and the US. And since Raytheon, the company that makes chemical weapons for Syria, saw a jump in stock price following the attack, Shareholder Trump saw a personal benefit from it all. But yeah…somehow an attack that did nothing will cause rainbows and sunshine to spontaneously erupt in Syria, much in the same way toppling Saddam Hussein caused everything to be wonderful in Iraq just like we were promised. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3196 "2017-04-10T10:02:18Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Do we really _need_ Los Angeles? Yes, but we don’t need La Jolla. ---
**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 10, 2017, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3197 "2017-04-10T10:10:33Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Yes, but we don’t need La Jolla. Damn. And they were just about to get a public library. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3198 "2017-04-10T10:12:17Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > But yeah…somehow an attack that did nothing will cause rainbows and sunshine to spontaneously erupt in Syria, much in the same way toppling Saddam Hussein caused everything to be wonderful in Iraq just like we were promised. Ok, so what _should_ we do? Apart from hitting the actual runway (How the hell did we manage not to? Did stormtroopers aim the missiles?) I would have done the same. ---
**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 10, 2017, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3199 "2017-04-10T10:41:51Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Ok, so what _should_ we do? > Apart from hitting the actual runway (How the hell did we manage not to? Did stormtroopers aim the missiles?) I would have done the same. Let’s face it - if I, Random Guy On The Internet, could come up with a decent plan for Syria, then Obama - who is a lot smarter and better informed than both me and Trump, and who actually listened to people who were smarter and better informed than him on such matters - would have thought of it too. There really is no good answer to this question. Take on Assad and you take on Russia; ignore Assad and innocent people die; play the diplomacy card and get ignored while innocent people still die, etc. etc. That said (and as Obama learned), if you’re going to do something in a situation this complex, don’t do it in a half-assed way. Your action doesn’t have to be as blunt as a missile strike but if you have a plan of action, commit to it or don’t do it. And certainly don’t attack something in a way that makes things worse while doing nothing to achieve your objectives. Were I a more suspicious man I might suspect this whole thing is a charade cooked up in conjunction with the Russians to distract from Trump’s other failings - he throws a few missiles that do nothing, the Russians pretend to take umbrage, and the appetite in the US for an investigation into collusion with said Russians fades. But that’s mere speculation and such things are of course generally unprovable even if true. ---
**Author:** ![saturncomet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@saturncomet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saturncomet)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2017, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/3200 "2017-04-10T10:43:14Z")
It feels good to start winning again. MAGA !!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=159) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=161)