# 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:** 1623
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32445 "2019-05-14T14:24:52Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > And if I understand correctly, Mueller’s congressional testimony has been put off again. I guess if he waits until he’s no longer DOJ, then Barr can’t hamstring him like a Fuckin Trump toady naturally would. Ok, I’ve asked several times on this board and have yet to receive an answer: what the fuck are you talking about? “Hamstring him” how? Will Barr cut Mueller tongue out? Is Mueller’s family in danger of being killed? 😕 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32446 "2019-05-14T14:40:55Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Translation: “I know it’s my fault farmers are getting screwed by my ill-considered tariffs, but I’m hoping the farmers will blame China instead.” Or Obama. > [@running\_coach](#): > > To make it bester. To make it “Be Best!” ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32447 "2019-05-14T15:11:22Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > “Patriot farmers”? Yup, got 100 acres of patriot to get in the barn… With all that patriotism in the barn, there must be a pony in there somewhere. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32448 "2019-05-14T15:11:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Ok, I’ve asked several times on this board and have yet to receive an answer: what the fuck are you talking about? “Hamstring him” how? Will Barr cut Mueller tongue out? Is Mueller’s family in danger of being killed? 😕 I don’t see why this is confusing. Mueller is a current employee of the DOJ. He is bound by rules, regulations, laws, custom. Everything we know about him… and, frankly, what we know is nowhere near as much as we think… says that he follows orders. So if his boss says “don’t discuss X, Y, or Z”, Mueller may feel compelled to not discuss X, Y, or Z. If he doesn’t have a boss, he won’t get the order. He will also not be bound by DOJ regulations (but will still be bound by law) as to what he may speak about. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32449 "2019-05-14T15:30:32Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I don’t see why this is confusing. > > Mueller is a current employee of the DOJ. He is bound by rules, regulations, laws, custom. Everything we know about him… and, frankly, what we know is nowhere near as much as we think… says that he follows orders. So if his boss says “don’t discuss X, Y, or Z”, Mueller may feel compelled to not discuss X, Y, or Z. > > If he doesn’t have a boss, he won’t get the order. He will also not be bound by DOJ regulations (but will still be bound by law) as to what he may speak about. So the answer is: nothing is stopping Mueller from speaking freely except Robert Mueller? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32450 "2019-05-14T15:40:13Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So the answer is: nothing is stopping Mueller from speaking freely except Robert Mueller? And the threat of prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32451 "2019-05-14T15:43:02Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And the threat of prosecution. So there is a threat of harm to him after all; thank you. What would the penalties be? Would he be prosecuted in open court or would it be a closed administrative court of some kind? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32452 "2019-05-14T15:52:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > So there is a threat of harm to him after all; thank you. What would the penalties be? Would he be prosecuted in open court or would it be a closed administrative court of some kind? Probably prosecuted in the Eastern District of Virginia, in federal court. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32453 "2019-05-14T16:00:10Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And the threat of prosecution. If he’s subpoenaed by Congress I don’t know what law he could be accused of violating. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32454 "2019-05-14T16:49:37Z")
Unfortunately, delaying Mueller’s testimony gives Republicans several more weeks to frame the narrative. “The Mueller report? That’s two-month old news! We said back THEN that we were ‘moving on!’ The real story NOW is Barr’s investigation into the investigation! Lookit all these crooked Democrats!” Repeat _ad nauseam_ on Fox News. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32455 "2019-05-14T18:27:57Z")
I wish news outlets would stop calling John Bolton “a hardliner” or “hawkish.” He’s a psychopathic warmonger; describing him as anything less severely minimizes the threat he poses to American troops and the world in general. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32456 "2019-05-14T18:32:39Z")
Individual 1 is proposing to eliminate “inability to communicate in English” from disability claims. > **[2019-00250.pdf](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf)** > > 292.80 KB ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32457 "2019-05-14T18:39:49Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 is proposing to eliminate “inability to communicate in English” from disability claims. > [https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf) Why would “inability to communicate in English” be a disability in the first place? ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32458 "2019-05-14T18:43:15Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Why would “inability to communicate in English” be a disability in the first place? Because you can’t get a job? ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32459 "2019-05-14T18:46:02Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Why would “inability to communicate in English” be a disability in the first place? From the link: In many cases, the Act requires us to consider an adult claimant’s education when we determine whether or not he or she is disabled. The Act states that an adult shall be determined to be under a disability only if his physical or mental impairment(s) are of such severity that he is not only unable to do his previous work but cannot, considering his age, education, and work experience, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which exists in the national economy, regardless of whether such work exists in the immediate area in which he lives, whether a specific job vacancy exists for him, or whether he would be hired if he applied for work. * * * Our rules explain that we consider inability to communicate in English an education category because the ability to speak, read, and understand English is generally learned or increased in school. Our current rules further explain that because English is the dominant language of this country, it may be difficult for someone who does not speak and understand English to do a job, regardless of the amount of education he or she may have in another language. Therefore, under our current rules, we consider an individual’s ability to communicate in English when we evaluate what work, if any, he or she can do. We do not consider fluency in other languages. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32460 "2019-05-14T18:46:02Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Because you can’t get a job? Really? There are no jobs for people who don’t speak English? There is no possible way for someone who can’t communicate in English to learn to communicate in English? Strange. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32461 "2019-05-14T18:53:08Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 is proposing to eliminate “inability to communicate in English” from disability claims. Will he still be able to claim disability on some other grounds, then? ---
**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:** [May 14, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32462 "2019-05-14T20:15:40Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 is proposing to eliminate “inability to communicate in English” from disability claims. > [https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf) I’m with him on this one. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32463 "2019-05-15T00:13:32Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 is proposing to eliminate “inability to communicate in English” from disability claims. > [https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-01/pdf/2019-00250.pdf) > [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Will he still be able to claim disability on some other grounds, then? Very nicely done! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/32464 "2019-05-15T00:21:06Z")
Well, OK, what standards are to be applied? Laws and policies must be written, otherwise somebody who just stone hates Hispanic immigrants would claim they can’t make themselves “adequately” understood. What objective and definite criteria would prevent such a thing? And if the shop floor is largely made up of workers who have Spanish for their language, isn’t it more of a drawback to hire someone who speaks only English? Could a prospective employee be rejected on that basis? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1622) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1624)