# 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:** 1789
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35765 "2019-08-23T20:53:42Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [https://www.axios.com/stocks-plunge-trump-trade-tweet-90a04a0b-0659-4444-aab9-9f7b84530d35.html](https://www.axios.com/stocks-plunge-trump-trade-tweet-90a04a0b-0659-4444-aab9-9f7b84530d35.html) Well, it’s back above 25k again. That always makes Trump jump for joy like he just set a record or something. :smack: Every time it’s happened in the last few years. :smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35766 "2019-08-23T21:17:33Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Exactly. \ “Oh wow, maybe we should inspect packages coming from China for fentanyl. Who knew? Thank you for telling us, oh Chosen One” Does that mean that they will be rejecting shipments of fentanyl for legitimate purposes? It does have legitimate purposes, surgery and late stage cancer, and I don’t want to have to tell people that they cannot live their last days in comfort because Trump banned what they needed. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > [Stocks tumble as Trump urges US companies out of China](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/stocks-tumble-as-trump-urges-us-companies-out-of-china/ar-AAGaqiF?li=BBnbfcN) > > Trump should keep his mouth shut. But how will his buddies make their fortunes off of short selling? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35767 "2019-08-23T22:30:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > [https://www.axios.com/stocks-plunge-trump-trade-tweet-90a04a0b-0659-4444-aab9-9f7b84530d35.html](https://www.axios.com/stocks-plunge-trump-trade-tweet-90a04a0b-0659-4444-aab9-9f7b84530d35.html) I’ve been in asshole recovery for the past few months, but I’m feeling it: rage boy energy is flowing through my veins and out my fingertips tonight! God damn, get this fucker a psychiatrist and defense attorney, invoke the 25th, and be done with it. And any maggot who defends this piece of shit president and his corrupt cronies is a fucking moron, and that’s being insulting to morons. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35768 "2019-08-23T22:42:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve been in asshole recovery for the past few months, but I’m feeling it: rage boy energy is flowing through my veins and out my fingertips tonight! I got together with some of the guys, and we’ve decided to give you a pass for the rage boy stuff, just for tonight. (But don’t fuck with Joel; he’s a mite touchy after the last time. You know what I mean.) yer pal, xenophon41 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35769 "2019-08-23T22:44:01Z")
Careful. Invoke the 25th and you get a President is who is equally evil _and politically competent_. As long as there are people keeping the Resident’s finger off the button, he’s still the better option. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35770 "2019-08-23T22:44:58Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I’ve been in asshole recovery for the past few months, but I’m feeling it: rage boy energy is flowing through my veins and out my fingertips tonight! > > God damn, get this fucker a psychiatrist and defense attorney, invoke the 25th, and be done with it. > > And any maggot who defends this piece of shit president and his corrupt cronies is a fucking moron, and that’s being insulting to morons. Um…WRT… “rage boy energy is flowing through my veins” … is that all that’s flowing? _\_ ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35771 "2019-08-23T22:52:23Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Careful. Invoke the 25th and you get a President is who is equally evil _and politically competent_. As long as there are people keeping the Resident’s finger off the button, he’s still the better option. I keep hearing this, but do you really think the president Pence would seriously piss off a diplomatic ally because they wouldn’t sell him land that wasn’t theirs to sell? Or start and intensify an unwinnable trade war and call it “easy”? Besides, his incompetence is hardly keeping him from building concentration camps. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35772 "2019-08-23T22:53:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Careful. Invoke the 25th and you get a President is who is equally evil _and politically competent_. As long as there are people keeping the Resident’s finger off the button, he’s still the better option. The incompetent one is doing a hell of a lot of damage for one so incompetent. I honestly don’t think “the devil we know” is a good argument here. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35773 "2019-08-23T22:57:46Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Careful. Invoke the 25th and you get a President is who is equally evil _and politically competent_. As long as there are people keeping the Resident’s finger off the button, he’s still the better option. It’s not Trump that concerns me, it is the Cult of Trump that worries me. Pence will still be a crony to his buddies, and will sign regressive legislation into law, just as Trump will, but he won’t have the same effect of enabling white supremacists and divisiveness. He’s wrong, but wrong within normal parameters. A good democratic majority govt could fix anything that Pence breaks without too much extraordinary effort, but Trump is breaking things daily that may never be repaired. If the Republican party repudiates Trump and his followers, then that is the first step, in a series of marathons, back towards being a sane opposition party. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35774 "2019-08-23T23:02:32Z")
Pence wouldn’t run his mouth like an idiot teenager bragging to idiot buddies about how great and smart he is. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35775 "2019-08-23T23:04:16Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > I keep hearing this, but do you really think the president Pence would seriously piss off a diplomatic ally because they wouldn’t sell him land that wasn’t theirs to sell? Or start and intensify an unwinnable trade war and call it “easy”? He would not do the embarrassing shit that really doesn’t have any long-term effect except on our national reputation, such as the Greenland thing or anything else on the long list. And yes, he’d do something that looks like screwing the Chinese if he thought the Deplorables would like it. > [@](#): > > Besides, his incompetence is hardly keeping him from building concentration camps. ISTM Pence would press it harder and do it more competently, including the part about fending off the courts and critics. Do you think he’s \*less \*racist or less bigoted in any other way than the incumbent he apes so adoringly? If I could see Pence as being in _any_ way not as bad, I’d be much happier to impeach or 25th. But I don’t see any reason to think he is. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > It’s not Trump that concerns me, it is the Cult of Trump that worries me. Cults of personality last about as long as TV ratings, and for the same reasons. I don’t see it as a cult of Trump personally that’s the problem, but that there is so much of a market for his brand of hate and ignorance. That will live on, but can be defeated. > [@](#): > > he won’t have the same effect of enabling white supremacists and divisiveness. His bigotry is based on (pseudo-)religious zealotry, and is focused on women and gays instead. Is that better? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35776 "2019-08-23T23:08:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > … > > And any maggot who defends this piece of shit president and his corrupt cronies is a fucking moron, and that’s being insulting to morons. I wonder if any of the board’s Trump supporters have anything coherent to say about today’s escalation of the self imposed trade war, the stock market plummet, and Trumps insulting twitter comments about the Fed chair. What’s that sounds like crickets? (ETA: Not to mention his fucking ridiculous “ORDERS” to the business world. Yup, future readers, all of this was to-fucking-day. See ya tomorrow.) ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35777 "2019-08-23T23:14:36Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > ISTM Pence would press it harder and do it more competently, including the part about fending off the courts and critics. Do you think he’s \*less \*racist or less bigoted in any other way than the incumbent he apes so adoringly? I think _Trump_ is less racist and bigoted than Trump. Sure the guy is a bigoted racist, but I’m confident that way he constantly plays for his base and for attention in general inflates the level of his evils much higher than they would be without an audience. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > If I could see Pence as being in _any_ way not as bad, I’d be much happier to impeach or 25th. But I don’t see any reason to think he is. There is no way Pence would carry on the trade wars or continue actively destroying our international relationships with our allies. Those aren’t acts of evil, those are the acts of juvenile bullying idiocy. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Cults of personality last about as long as TV ratings, and for the same reasons. I don’t see it as a cult of Trump personally that’s the problem, but that there is so much of a market for his brand of hate and ignorance. That will live on, but can be defeated. I don’t think Pence will be able to feed into that brand of hate and ignorance anywhere _near_ as effectively as Trump, because Trump pulls it off by being the shitbag that they all want to be. Nobody wants to be Pence, and so Pence would lose the base - and the next election. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > His bigotry is based on (pseudo-)religious zealotry, and is focused on women and gays instead. Is that better? Frankly yes, because his base isn’t anywhere _near_ as fired up by that as they are by racism and xenophobia. The man’s a shit, but he’s not a shit will be able to rally the shitty masses. ---
**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:** [August 23, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35778 "2019-08-23T23:23:18Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Trump is also asking his aides why does he have to go to the G-7 meeting. Apparently, Trump thinks “it’s not a good use of his time”. > > Yes, the American President should concentrate on the important stuff like watching cable TV, tweeting, playing golf, and publically ranting about his “enemies” and the unfairness of his treatment by the whole world (excepting some sycophants, Kim, and Putin). You’re right that he’d rather play golf and watch TV. But that’s not the main reason he doesn’t want to go to the G-7 meeting. The main reason is that the other heads of state are pretty much over hiding their contempt for him. Donald knows he faces days of sitting in rooms full of faces looking at him with distaste. He faces days of no one deferring to him or flattering him or telling him how wonderful he is. He faces days of being ignored and excluded. You could almost feel sorry for him…_almost_. But he’s brought it all on himself: every particle of it. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35779 "2019-08-23T23:30:30Z")
And _we_ would rather he play golf and watch TV. > [@begbert2](#): > > There is no way Pence would carry on the trade wars or continue actively destroying our international relationships with our allies. Those aren’t acts of evil, those are the acts of juvenile bullying idiocy. I’m not so sure Pence is immune from that either. > [@](#): > > I don’t think Pence will be able to feed into that brand of hate and ignorance anywhere _near_ as effectively as Trump, because Trump pulls it off by being the shitbag that they all want to be. Nobody wants to be Pence, and so Pence would lose the base - and the next election. Pence similarly won’t inspire the same emotional reaction among the _non_-deplorables. The Good Guys are the ones with the electoral turnout problem, and Pence would not inspire as many to turn out to vote \*against \*him. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35780 "2019-08-23T23:33:43Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He would not do the embarrassing shit that really doesn’t have any long-term effect except on our national reputation, such as the Greenland thing or anything else on the long list. And yes, he’d do something that looks like screwing the Chinese if he thought the Deplorables would like it. > > ISTM Pence would press it harder and do it more competently, including the part about fending off the courts and critics. Do you think he’s \*less \*racist or less bigoted in any other way than the incumbent he apes so adoringly? > > If I could see Pence as being in _any_ way not as bad, I’d be much happier to impeach or 25th. But I don’t see any reason to think he is. > > Cults of personality last about as long as TV ratings, and for the same reasons. I don’t see it as a cult of Trump personally that’s the problem, but that there is so much of a market for his brand of hate and ignorance. That will live on, but can be defeated. > > His bigotry is based on (pseudo-)religious zealotry, and is focused on women and gays instead. Is that better? Trump is much more charismatic than Pence. You don’t see, as you see a drooling idiot that lies about his weight and his hand size. But millions do. Millions are enamored by these amazing Emperor’s Clothes that he wears for them. Trump isn’t really a racist or a white supremacist, he’s selfish and greedy and short sighted, he’s a Trump supremacist, and he will ally or enable anyone who will follow him, then discard them without a thought. Pence has some rather disgusting ideas for how the country should be, but he still actually wants there to be a country. I don’t really think that Trump cares if he leaves a smoking ruin, as long as he can put his name on something. I am also more worried about Trump being re-elected in 2020 than Pence. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35781 "2019-08-23T23:37:54Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > You’re right that he’d rather play golf and watch TV. > > But that’s not the main reason he doesn’t want to go to the G-7 meeting. The main reason is that the other heads of state are pretty much over hiding their contempt for him. Donald knows he faces days of sitting in rooms full of faces looking at him with distaste. He faces days of no one deferring to him or flattering him or telling him how wonderful he is. He faces days of being ignored and excluded. > > You could almost feel sorry for him…_almost_. But he’s brought it all on himself: every particle of it. He’s only happy when he’s a bully, and he’s learning that he can’t bully them around, so it’s not as fun for him. I’m sure you’ve seen the video where he pushes a Prime Minister aside, I’m sure that’s the sort of thing that he loves to do, and for a while, people let him get away with it, as the US is a pretty good sized bully pulpit. But, he’s burned our standing, and the rest of the world is realizing that they can just get on without us just fine,and they don’t have to take that sort of thing. Impeaching or 25ing Trump would at least send a message to the world that we find this sort of thing unacceptable too. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35782 "2019-08-23T23:40:33Z")
“I’m smaaaht! I can handle things! I’m not like everybody says, like DUMB! I’m SMAAHT and I want RESPECT!” Fredo Trump. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35783 "2019-08-23T23:41:32Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Trump is much more charismatic than Pence. You don’t see, as you see a drooling idiot that lies about his weight and his hand size. But millions do. Millions are enamored by these amazing Emperor’s Clothes that he wears for them. And don’t think Pence doesn’t understand that pandering to them is his only chance to win. He’ll just do it with a different style. > [@](#): > > Pence has some rather disgusting ideas for how the country should be, but he still actually wants there to be a country. I wish there was a way to be sure that he wants there to be a US rather than Gilead. > [@](#): > > I am also more worried about Trump being re-elected in 2020 than Pence. Depends entirely on how much confidence the deplorables will still have in him. His base remains strong but in the minority (62% disapproval) and with no growth potential, but Pence is much less well known and therefore much less hated. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/35784 "2019-08-23T23:49:25Z")
Pence is evil (a deranged True Believer? A more polished con artist?), but he’s not CHAOTIC evil. I hated Bush, but I could at least forget about him for a few days and the big stories were often about his mis-steps as policy failings, not the man himself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1788) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1790)