# 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:** 1681
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33605 "2019-06-15T19:28:07Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I am daily reminded of the Witches’ Creed: “Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law.” I always thought that was Aleister Crowley’s. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33606 "2019-06-15T19:44:05Z")
I thought it was Anton LeVay’s (I’ll gratefully accept correction). AIUI, the Witches’ Creed is prefaced with the qualifier _an it harm no one_… ---
**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:** [June 15, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33607 "2019-06-15T19:49:30Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I am daily reminded of the Witches’ Creed: “Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law.” The Witches Creed? Never heard the [Law of Thelema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema) called that before. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33608 "2019-06-15T19:58:12Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I am daily reminded of the Witches’ Creed: “Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law.” That is Crowley’s Law of Thelema, not the Wiccan Rede, which is ‘An it harm none, do as ye will’. [Edit - ninja’d. That’s what I get for posting without preview after my internet’s gone out for a half an hour. Oops.] ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33609 "2019-06-15T21:12:51Z")
That is a quality correction. I owe you guys a beer. ---
**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:** [June 15, 2019, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33610 "2019-06-15T21:46:58Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I am daily reminded of the Witches’ Creed: “Do what thou wilt, shall be the whole of the law.” > [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > That is Crowley’s Law of Thelema, not the Wiccan Rede, which is ‘An it harm none, do as ye will’. Note, too, that “_do what thou wilt_ shall be the whole of the law” is also the **Toddler’s** Creed and the **Sociopath’s** Creed. And by virtue of a Venn diagram, it is also the creed of the occupant of the Oval Office. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33611 "2019-06-16T00:24:49Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > That is Crowley’s Law of Thelema, not the Wiccan Rede, which is ‘An it harm none, do as ye will’. > > [Edit - ninja’d. That’s what I get for posting without preview after my internet’s gone out for a half an hour. Oops.] Crowley ? It’s Rabelais ! ---
**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:** [June 16, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33612 "2019-06-16T01:55:51Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Note, too, that “_do what thou wilt_ shall be the whole of the law” is also the **Toddler’s** Creed and the **Sociopath’s** Creed. > > And by virtue of a Venn diagram, it is also the creed of the occupant of the Oval Office. In support of our dear old Uncle Al, the meaning of the phrase is to divine your true will as one of our glorious race of humanity, and don’t be afraid to carry it out. A dumbed down version would be “Gee, I like dogs…maybe I’ll go to veterinary school so I can keep them safe and heathy!” It does NOT mean “Do whatever the fuck you want the second you want to do it.” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33613 "2019-06-16T09:07:02Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > That is a quality correction. I owe you guys a beer. Text me your address. I’ll mail you a bill… ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33614 "2019-06-16T17:15:11Z")
I’ve decided I wilt not be doing that. That was easy to get out of. Time to get a real estate license! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33615 "2019-06-16T18:18:17Z")
If the supreme court rules: 1. that Congress shouldn’t get Trumps returns because even though there is a demonstrable legislative reason for wanting the returns, the court infers that Congresses motives are purely partisan, and 1. the citizenship question is OK because despite the fact there is clear evidence that it was added for partisan reasons, the administration can come up with an implausible film of a non-partisan justification. Then it will be clear that the fix is in. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33616 "2019-06-16T19:45:54Z")
I just drove by a guy standing on the corner, holding a sign that said on one side “ Shame on Trump supporters”, and on the other “Honk to impeach the moron”. Of course this was in California so he’s preaching to the choir, but you got to admire his enthusiasm. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33617 "2019-06-16T20:46:20Z")
Trump, in his ABC interview, [claims to have read the Mueller report](https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1140247917313347587). The Mueller report must be Trump’s least favorite book, and yet he’s read it! Which is ironic, because his favorite book is _Bonfire of the Vanities_, and he [hasn’t read it](https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1138813927754743808/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1138813927754743808). ---
**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:** [June 16, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33618 "2019-06-16T20:57:59Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I just drove by a guy standing on the corner, holding a sign that said on one side “ Shame on Trump supporters”, and on the other “Honk to impeach the moron”. > Of course this was in California so he’s preaching to the choir, but you got to admire his enthusiasm. I think people should line Fifth Avenue in New York with signs reading, “Come on, you bastard, SHOOT ME!” ---
**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:** [June 16, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33619 "2019-06-16T21:52:10Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > … this was in California so he’s preaching to the choir … Devin Nunes is from California. And there is that shithead in San Diego, whose name escapes me, who ran afoul of campaign finance laws with his ridiculous movie stunts. Every state has a mix of MAGAts and people. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33620 "2019-06-16T22:57:31Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Devin Nunes is from California. And there is that shithead in San Diego, whose name escapes me, who ran afoul of campaign finance laws with his ridiculous movie stunts. Every state has a mix of MAGAts and people. Duncan Hunter. His wife just accepted a plea deal and admitted that they misused campaign funds to support their lavish lifestyle. She may testify against him. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33621 "2019-06-17T00:10:01Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > In support of our dear old Uncle Al, the meaning of the phrase is to divine your true will as one of our glorious race of humanity, and don’t be afraid to carry it out. A dumbed down version would be “Gee, I like dogs…maybe I’ll go to veterinary school so I can keep them safe and heathy!” > It does NOT mean “Do whatever the fuck you want the second you want to do it.” Well, of course people can interpret words in any way they like, but surely it matters when the majority of people interpret them in a particular way. > [@](#): > > In the mid-18th century, Sir Francis Dashwood inscribed the adage [“Do what thou wilt…”] on a doorway of his abbey at Medmenham,[18] where it served as the motto of the Hellfire Club. > > …The one direct testimonial comes from John Wilkes, a member who never got into the chapter-room of the inner circle. He describes the group as hedonists who met to “celebrate woman in wine”, and added ideas from the ancients just to make the experience more decadent. > **[Thelema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelema)** > > Thelema (/θəˈliːmə/) is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy, as well as a new religious movement that was founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. Central to Thelema is the idea of discovering and following one's True Will, a unique purpose and calling that goes beyond ordinary desires. Crowley's system begins with The Book of the Law, a text he said was dictated to him by an entity na The... If most people interpret the adage and the “True Will” concept to have more to do with pleasing oneself/hedonism/indifference to others, than with career advice, then that’s surely the fault of the person who came up with (or publicized) the adage. It’s not a matter of translation—Crowley was writing in English. If he’d wanted to say ‘be sure you find and follow your true calling in life,’ then he could have said that. But he didn’t. (Meh–it’s a sidetrack. People are always going to interpret particular philosophies in a positive way if they happen to like those philosophies. (Trump is still a sociopathic toddler, either way.) ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33622 "2019-06-17T00:37:18Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > Trump, in his ABC interview, [claims to have read the Mueller report](https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1140247917313347587). > > The Mueller report must be Trump’s least favorite book, and yet he’s read it! Which is ironic, because his favorite book is _Bonfire of the Vanities_, and he [hasn’t read it](https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1138813927754743808/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1138813927754743808). Wow. I am just reading this book again. So fucking good. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33623 "2019-06-17T00:43:05Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Wow. I am just reading this book again. So fucking good. The snippet of conversation linked to (second link) was a complete word salad (without dressing). BTW, _Bonfire of the Vanities_ is a fabulous book and the sort of book thump would love if he were capable of reading/comprehending anything longer than a tweet.\* The paperback is over 704 pages, FFS. It has an involved plot. I mean, the man couldn’t read a one-page briefing summary (so they did away with briefings). I would bet that The Donald has not read an entire book in his life, once he got through the Dick and Jane series in grade school. Probably didn’t finish those either. - Not saying he can comprehend a tweet. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2019, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33624 "2019-06-17T01:05:38Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The snippet of conversation linked to (second link) was a complete word salad (without dressing). > > BTW, _Bonfire of the Vanities_ is a fabulous book and the sort of book thump would love if he were capable of reading/comprehending anything longer than a tweet.\* The paperback is over 704 pages, FFS. It has an involved plot. I mean, the man couldn’t read a one-page briefing summary (so they did away with briefings). I would bet that The Donald has not read an entire book in his life, once he got through the Dick and Jane series in grade school. Probably didn’t finish those either. > > - Not saying he can comprehend a tweet. I think it was Fran Lebowitz who said, in the 90s, that you could not find anyone dumber than Donald Trump. And now I see there is controversy with something she said- > **[Fran Lebowitz Apologizes After Telling Bill Maher U.S. Should Give Donald...](https://deadline.com/2019/05/fran-lebowitz-bill-maher-donald-trump-saudis-jamal-khashoggi-video-1202618033/)** > > Fran Lebowitz said she regrets that “everyone misinterpreted” her comment onb Bill Maher‘s Real Time Friday night, when she suggested the U.S. turn President Donald Trump “over to the Saudis, his buddies – the same Saudis who got rid of that... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1680) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1682)