# 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:** 1817
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36325 "2019-09-07T01:46:05Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But of course it’s also possible Trump was thinking ‘hey, I’m still going to be President in 2024 and beyond!’ Or, more cynically, Trump wants Ivanka to run. That way Trump can act as an éminence grise and still obstruct justice. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36326 "2019-09-07T01:48:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Hard Brexit is on the horizon. People talk about China and trade and Trump in regards to the possibility of an upcoming recession, when in reality there’s just as good a chance that Boris Johnson will “lead” the UK over the cliff, taking the world with him. I don’t see how that would “take the world with him.” Does UK membership affect Great Britain, Canada, Australia and other members? ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36327 "2019-09-07T01:49:36Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Or, more cynically, Trump wants Ivanka to run. That way Trump can act as an éminence grise and still obstruct justice. There’s no way that Trump is thinking about acting as an éminence grise. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36328 "2019-09-07T02:00:37Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > There’s no way that Trump is thinking about acting as an éminence grise. I’ll agree Trump doesn’t know what it’s called, but it’s basically what Putin did when he had to step down due to term limits, so good enough for his apprentice. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36329 "2019-09-07T02:00:41Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I don’t see how that would “take the world with him.” > Does UK membership affect Great Britain, Canada, Australia and other members? Perhaps “UK” was more convenient to type on my phone than “Britain”, but on October 31st a market-impacting event involving entire countries is going to happen and nobody has the slightest fuck as to _how_ this is going to occur or what rules, if any, will be in place to guide the transition. It could just pass by with no repercussions, or it could make Lehman Brothers look like a warm-up game. We have no idea. (Personally, I tend towards the former, but the latter is a strong possibility, given Trump & Johnson.) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36330 "2019-09-07T03:31:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I’m trying to imagine how he would handle a real crisis, say something like the events of September 11, 2001. He would not do well. “Fake News! They will continue to update me on the golf course”. Actually, if there is a real crisis, keeping him out of the loop may be our only hope. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36331 "2019-09-07T03:51:39Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I’ll agree Trump doesn’t know what it’s called, but it’s basically what Putin did when he had to step down due to term limits, so good enough for his apprentice. In this case, the student is not going to become the master. Putin actually ran things in Russia. Trump’s just a wannabe. He can’t even run his own administration so how would he be able to run somebody else’s? The only prestige Trump has is that he’s occupying the office of President of the United States and there’s a bank of institutional prestige build up in that office. Once he leaves office, Trump loses that and goes back to his personal prestige. He’s going to find he can’t even get first term Representatives to return his calls much less run things from behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36332 "2019-09-07T04:41:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In this case, the student is not going to become the master. Putin actually ran things in Russia. Trump’s just a wannabe. He can’t even run his own administration so how would he be able to run somebody else’s? I did preface my original quote with “cynically”. But, in Trump’s mind, he’s the greatest president ever, except possibly Lincoln. How many times has he bragged that his admin accomplished more in two years than any other admin, even ones that lasted 8 years. He’s delusional. He probably thinks Ivanka would be a great president and he would get to tell her what to do. Realistically, I can see Haley as the next Republican candidate. Mattis and Haley seem to be the only Trump officials who have escaped without their reputations totally in the gutter. > [@](#): > > The only prestige Trump has is that he’s occupying the office of President of the United States and there’s a bank of institutional prestige build up in that office. Once he leaves office, Trump loses that and goes back to his personal prestige. He’s going to find he can’t even get first term Representatives to return his calls much less run things from behind the scenes. Yeah, once Trump is out of office, I would love to see him ostracized. I’m sure a lot of Republicans would like to see him go, especially now that he’s using money earmarked for military projects in their districts/states to fund his vanity wall project and hurting their constituents, in addition to acting more unhinged each week. Any Republican would be for conservative judges, deregulation, and tax cuts; they don’t need Trump for those but fear his base and being primaried. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36333 "2019-09-07T05:05:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I don’t see how that would “take the world with him.” > Does UK membership affect Great Britain, Canada, Australia and other members? I don’t get your question. Canada and Australia are not “members” of the United Kingdom. Their monarch happens to be the same person as the monarch of the United Kingdom, and they are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, though. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36334 "2019-09-07T05:25:02Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > Trump can act as an éminence grise More like an éminence orange. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36335 "2019-09-07T06:05:15Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I hope they cannot actually be punished simply for proceeding with California’s (and world markets also) stricter air pollution requirements. It only makes business sense to make all their cars with the same parameters, especially since they seem to feel this is the direction to go - better gas mileage, less pollution, etc. It’s even cheaper: less man-hours, less database complexity, less materials to kanban-track and less time and materials spent changing between setups. That’s one of the mistakes common among people who think _any_ improvement to safety or to environmental practices will hurt the famous bottom line: many of those improvements carry an initial implementation cost (news flash: so does any other change) but end up being cheaper than the original situation. Switching between one and the other is the most expensive of all three options. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36336 "2019-09-07T06:09:34Z")
I’m probably being Trump levels of childish but, despite never having watched a single episode of Ms. Messing’s work AFAICT, I’m currently feeling terribly fannish about her. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36337 "2019-09-07T06:09:50Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > More like an éminence orange. You forget they’re hiding Behind an éminence orange Eminence orange It’s a put on ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36338 "2019-09-07T13:14:48Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I don’t get your question. Canada and Australia are not “members” of the United Kingdom. Their monarch happens to be the same person as the monarch of the United Kingdom, and they are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, though. I’m trying to understand why Great Britain leaving the European Union would “take the world with them.” I understand that trade is with the EU, not individual countries, but I don’t see how the economic situation would effect any country besides GB. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36339 "2019-09-07T14:24:51Z")
You mean, other than every country which trades with the UK\*, and which right now does it according to a set of rules and after Brexit will do it according to nobody still knows what? Because, you see, even “oh, according to WTO rules!” is an oversimplification: customs points through the UK and some of its overseas domains (hi, Gibraltar!) will be affected, but so will points of entry to the EU for materials and people on their way to the UK. I don’t live in the UK, but I sell my services through agents which right now are a lot less likely to be officially in the UK than two years ago; most of us would rather get our contracts in a stable legal situation. () The government of Gibraltar has a long-standing tradition of “making the summer news entertaining by thumbing their noses at Spain”, but this year they’re on their best behavior and then some: if the entry point so much as gets complete ID checks rather than the current open gate, their own lives and those of the commuters who work there will be turned upside-down. - I have a strong feeling this includes every single country. Maybe there’s some tiny Micronesian state which doesn’t, but it would have to be the least-touristy spot in Micronesia. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36340 "2019-09-07T16:29:20Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’m trying to understand why Great Britain leaving the European Union would “take the world with them.” I understand that trade is with the EU, not individual countries, but I don’t see how the economic situation would effect any country besides GB. The UK is one of America’s top trading partners, and if their economy craters they will not be able to buy as much. Not to mention other countries whose trade is affected will also be poorer with much the same result. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36341 "2019-09-07T17:03:29Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > [It seems the military is being subverted by Trump, also.](https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337) Military aircraft are now refueling at a commercial airport instead of military ones, where the fuel is much less expensive in order to keep Trumps Scottish golf course from going out of business. The flight crews are staying at the golf course. I just added a Google Alert on “Prestwick Airport.” So far Politico and WaPo are covering this but the NYT is not yet. Making the military spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money to prop up Trump’s failing business is a clear cut violation of the emoluments clause. This would be obvious grounds for impeachment if we had a Senate that wasn’t so cowardly and corrupt. [https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2019/09/07/democrats-get-more-serious-about-impeachment-475305](https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2019/09/07/democrats-get-more-serious-about-impeachment-475305) > [@](#): > > The inquiry is part of a broader, previously unreported probe into U.S. military expenditures at and around the Trump property in Scotland. According to a letter the panel sent to the Pentagon in June, the military has spent $11 million on fuel at the Prestwick Airport — the closest airport to Trump Turnberry — since October 2017, fuel that would be cheaper if purchased at a U.S. military base. The letter also cites a Guardian report that the airport provided cut-rate rooms and free rounds of golf at Turnberry for U.S. military members. … The Pentagon, Air Force and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36342 "2019-09-07T18:57:02Z")
I’m all in favor of congressional inquiries, but I don’t see how Trump profits by the military buying fuel near some property he owns. ---
**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:** [September 7, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36343 "2019-09-07T19:02:17Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I’m all in favor of congressional inquiries, but I don’t see how Trump profits by the military buying fuel near some property he owns. The flight crews are staying at Trump properties. If they went to military bases: 1. They would buy cheaper gas from the military 2. They would stay in base housing. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36344 "2019-09-07T19:04:44Z")
So it’s not just a gas-n-go. Thanks. It’s incredible that Trump is so willing to demean the office of the presidency and the prestige of the United States for such a penny ante nickel and dime bullshit. Seriously, how much can he possibly profit from a few hotel rooms? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1816) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1818)