# 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:** 1685
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33685 "2019-06-19T01:14:36Z")
> [@simster](#): > > This is by plan - if he keeps appointing ‘temporary’ - none of them ever have to go thru the senate review process. Didn’t Trump delightfully crow in public about that plan some time ago? ---
**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 19, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33686 "2019-06-19T01:18:00Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Aye; [Secretary of the Army Mark Esper is now Acting SecDef.](https://apnews.com/2ee5bafc08a747e6804a5da52e78edc3)“Highly unusual” is an interesting way of putting it. Please use the correct terminology: the “new normal”. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33687 "2019-06-19T02:07:40Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Yes, but the wall isn’t being built, is it? Just like a million immigrants aren’t going to be deported. Clearly, I’m NOT saying to ignore this as an issue. My comment on the expense was more along the lines of an aside. > > \ No, I know you’re not saying to ignore this as an issue. And I was only saying that my take is that Trump intends to _substitute_ these deportation plans for his Wall rhetoric, because he, uh, ran into such a wall of opposition to fund his wall. Trump isn’t building his wall – but not for lack of trying. Look how far he was willing to pervert separation of powers in his efforts to get it done. That’s what I’m afraid of. He’s figured out that he can manipulate ICE as his personal kick-out force against non-documented residents. For this reason, I don’t think he will give his scheme mere lip service. I think he fully intends to carry out his plans, visions of trainloads of miserable-looking brown people heading south dancing in his head. “Think of the campaign footage!” he will think. “The Base will love it!” And they will. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33688 "2019-06-19T04:09:48Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Aye; [Secretary of the Army Mark Esper is now Acting SecDef.](https://apnews.com/2ee5bafc08a747e6804a5da52e78edc3)“Highly unusual” is an interesting way of putting it. Yup, I feel like even FOX has to be internally flipping out that both DHS and the US Military are basically decapitated at the moment and just running by nervous system memory. If the country was attacked right now, we’re basically f’ed. ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33689 "2019-06-19T04:24:46Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > If the country was attacked right now, we’re basically f’ed. That’s been true since January 20, 2017. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33690 "2019-06-19T04:44:46Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > No, I know you’re not saying to ignore this as an issue. And I was only saying that my take is that Trump intends to _substitute_ these deportation plans for his Wall rhetoric, because he, uh, ran into such a wall of opposition to fund his wall. Trump isn’t building his wall – but not for lack of trying. Look how far he was willing to pervert separation of powers in his efforts to get it done. > > That’s what I’m afraid of. He’s figured out that he can manipulate ICE as his personal kick-out force against non-documented residents. For this reason, I don’t think he will give his scheme mere lip service. > > I think he fully intends to carry out his plans, visions of trainloads of miserable-looking brown people heading south dancing in his head. “Think of the campaign footage!” he will think. “The Base will love it!” > > And they will. They’ll lap it up. And they’ll sing… _The best, the best, the best Trump’s Wall Almighty Early in the morning our song shall rise to him The best, the best, the best Beautiful, wonderful The Wall he says Mexico’s paying for_ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33691 "2019-06-19T08:11:28Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Is that a Vorkosigan Saga reference? Yep. If you can’t pull those in this company, where can you… ---
**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:** [June 19, 2019, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33692 "2019-06-19T11:38:32Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The talk will likely start, but to actually DO it would be too expensive. The Nazis were willing to spend the money. Trump and the Pubbies are not. It would cut into their profits. Trump and the Pubbies perhaps not, but both are perfectly willing to _say_ they would to stir up the MAGAts. I can then see one (or many) of them taking matters into their own hands, like that guy who decided to ‘investigate’ the pizza shop that had Hillary’s sex-trade children in the basement. Nobody got killed there but what happens when killing people is the mandate? Don’t forget, three days after 9/11 an asshole shot and killed a Sikh (!) for wearing a turban, and that was 15 BD.\* - Before Donnie. I’m picturing that, like Watergate and 9/11, the election of Donnie Two-scoops will be seen as one of those watershed moments where Everything Changed. I’m just praying it’s for the better. ---
**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 19, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33693 "2019-06-19T12:30:04Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Trump and the Pubbies perhaps not, but both are perfectly willing to _say_ they would to stir up the MAGAts. > > I can then see one (or many) of them taking matters into their own hands, like that guy who decided to ‘investigate’ the pizza shop that had Hillary’s sex-trade children in the basement. Nobody got killed there but what happens when killing people is the mandate? > > Don’t forget, three days after 9/11 an asshole shot and killed a Sikh (!) for wearing a turban, and that was 15 BD.\* > > - Before Donnie. I’m picturing that, like Watergate and 9/11, the election of Donnie Two-scoops will be seen as one of those watershed moments where Everything Changed. I’m just praying it’s for the better. I agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33694 "2019-06-19T13:16:55Z")
[Trump stands by comments about wrongly convicted ‘Central Park Five’](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-television-central-park-five-trump/trump-stands-by-comments-about-wrongly-convicted-central-park-five-idUSKCN1TJ2Y9) > [@The Messiah](#): > > You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein and if you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case. So we’ll leave it at that > [@](#): > > Though they all confessed after long police interrogations, they each later recanted their statements, saying they had been exhausted and coerced by police officers. > > Their convictions were overturned in 2002, after another man confessed to the crime and DNA tests confirmed his guilt. Not only did someone else confess to the crime, but there is incontrovertible DNA evidence that _proves_ the Central Park Five did not commit a crime. But Little Donnie Fail-Fail not only won’t apologise, he won’t even admit he was mistaken; and he still seems to think, in spite of scientific proof, hat the Five are guilty. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33695 "2019-06-19T14:21:20Z")
At the risk of putting on my tinfoil hat, I’m wondering how much of the idiocy going on here is based on people protecting themselves from blackmail. Just to pick some obvious examples, we have Lindsay Graham and his [inexplicable turnaround](https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lindsey-graham-and-trump-are-best-friends-2017-12) from saying Trump is unfit for office to supporting him full throatily following a round of golf. The evangelical community seems to have come around on Trump following Falwell’s weird relationship[with a pool boy](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/18/us/trump-falwell-endorsement-michael-cohen.html). We even have Trump suggesting that he is [already blackmailing](https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/trump-casually-suggests-he-could-blackmail-a-us-senator?verso=true) certain senators. Not to mention Trump Kompromat. The GOP went from laughing at Trump to fellating him in a matter of months. How much kompromat on how many people would it really take to get something like this going? Especially considering reports that the [GOP was hacked](https://www.thedailybeast.com/report-russian-hackers-had-rnc-data-but-didnt-release-it), and yet that information is being held for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33696 "2019-06-19T14:31:37Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Trump stands by comments about wrongly convicted ‘Central Park Five’](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-television-central-park-five-trump/trump-stands-by-comments-about-wrongly-convicted-central-park-five-idUSKCN1TJ2Y9) _Orange man sees red when yellow journalist requests apology for using Gray Lady to kiss blue ass over black suspects_ ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33697 "2019-06-19T14:39:01Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > _Orange man sees red when yellow journalist requests apology for using Gray Lady to kiss blue ass over black suspects_ I’m green with envy that I didn’t come up with that post. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33698 "2019-06-19T14:49:13Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > _Orange man sees red when yellow journalist requests apology for using Gray Lady to kiss blue ass over black suspects_ Yeah, you’ve outdone yourself on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33699 "2019-06-19T14:50:24Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > _Orange man sees red when yellow journalist requests apology for using Gray Lady to kiss blue ass over black suspects_ Stealing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33700 "2019-06-19T15:11:28Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > At the risk of putting on my tinfoil hat, I’m wondering how much of the idiocy going on here is based on people protecting themselves from blackmail. Maybe in the broadest sense, that they know their party and their own electoral futures are now controlled by the Deplorables, and their fear is that they have to be on the side of deplorability. There may be \*kompromat \*involved too, here and there (and in Lindsay Graham’s case _we already know_😉 ), but that isn’t necessary to explain it and it would take a lot of it. ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33701 "2019-06-19T15:34:29Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Maybe in the broadest sense, that they know their party and their own electoral futures are now controlled by the Deplorables, and their fear is that they have to be on the side of deplorability. There may be \*kompromat \*involved too, here and there (and in Lindsay Graham’s case _we already know_😉 ), but that isn’t necessary to explain it and it would take a lot of it. I’m with **Fiveyearlurker**. I think pretty much the entire Republican Party is being blackmailed. Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell especially, but the rest of them either are or know that the party is compromised. I seem to remember post 2016 a whole bunch of them suddenly deciding to [retire from politics](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/here-are-all-the-republicans-retiring-from-congress-in-2018/). ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33702 "2019-06-19T15:39:57Z")
> [@slumtrimpet](#): > > I’m with **Fiveyearlurker**. > I think pretty much the entire Republican Party is being blackmailed. Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell especially, but the rest of them either are or know that the party is compromised. I seem to remember post 2016 a whole bunch of them suddenly deciding to [retire from politics](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/here-are-all-the-republicans-retiring-from-congress-in-2018/). I’ve always wondered this too. It wouldn’t be something very ingenious from Trump though. Probably something as simple like, “I know you all cheat on your wives! I have proof! (he doesn’t) Show me loyalty or pay alimony!” ---
**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 19, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33703 "2019-06-19T16:25:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Trump stands by comments about wrongly convicted ‘Central Park Five’](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-television-central-park-five-trump/trump-stands-by-comments-about-wrongly-convicted-central-park-five-idUSKCN1TJ2Y9) > > > [@The Messiah](#): > > > > You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt. If you look at Linda Fairstein and if you look at some of the prosecutors, they think that the city should never have settled that case. So we’ll leave it at that > > > [@](#): > > > > Though they all confessed after long police interrogations, they each later recanted their statements, saying they had been exhausted and coerced by police officers. > > > > Their convictions were overturned in 2002, after another man confessed to the crime and DNA tests confirmed his guilt. > > Not only did someone else confess to the crime, but there is incontrovertible DNA evidence that _proves_ the Central Park Five did not commit a crime. But Little Donnie Fail-Fail not only won’t apologise, he won’t even admit he was mistaken; and he still seems to think, in spite of scientific proof, hat the Five are guilty. I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but it could be worse. He could be ordering Barr to round them up and have them executed _now_. ---
**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 19, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/33704 "2019-06-19T16:26:10Z")
Hope Hick’s testimonial hearing [doesn’t appear to have gone well](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/hope-hicks-testimony-trump-oversight-1368164). Rep. Pramila Jayapal: “It’s a farce.” Rep. Ted Lieu: “We’re watching obstruction of justice in action.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1684) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1686)