# 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:** 1819
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36365 "2019-09-08T19:20:53Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I guess it’s just an airplane but I would think that the ramp guys that are used to 737’s would be a bit surprised to have to fuel a C130. Wouldn’t that be a bit like an M1 pulling up to a Conoco? I’ve been to quite a few airports happy to service anything from single-seat ultraights and powered parachutes on up to things like F-16’s, Airbus jets, and B-747’s. My experience as a pilot of small aircraft is that as long as the refueling guys can get the fuel nozzle into the proper hole on your aircraft they don’t much care (well, you also have to pay for the go-juice, but I assumed that was a given). ---
**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:** [September 8, 2019, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36366 "2019-09-08T19:28:34Z")
> **[Air Force orders review of all international layover stays following bookings...](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/politics/air-force-donald-trump-turnberry/index.html)** > > The Air Force has ordered a review of all international layover stays following controversial visits by crew members at Donald Trump's Turnberry resort during refueling stops, which have again raised ethics questions about government use of the... Military saying it is not a big deal. They are wrong. They should be going out of their way to avoid even a seeming conflict of interest. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36367 "2019-09-08T19:40:03Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/politics/air-force-donald-trump-turnberry/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/politics/air-force-donald-trump-turnberry/index.html) > > Military saying it is not a big deal. They are wrong. They should be going out of their way to avoid even a seeming conflict of interest. Exactly right. The issue isn’t that military planes can refuel at municipal airports. It’s that Trump directly profits and benefits from them doing so. ---
**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 8, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36368 "2019-09-08T20:23:12Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > So the[list of projects](https://apps.npr.org/documents/document.html?id=6382249-50-States-and-Territories-Projects)being canceled to fund Trumps wall is out. > > A few notable entries. > > At $402 million Puerto Rico is by far the biggest contributor because Trump never turns down the opportunity so hit someone when they’re down. Also they are practically Mexican so he’s fulfilling his campaign promise. > > $75 million from canceling the upgrades to Eilson Air force base heat and power plant in Alaska, since upgrading and maintaining the [60 year old plant](https://airman.dodlive.mil/2015/04/27/power-plant/)might improve efficiency so that the plant would use less coal and have less emissions, and therefore piss off fewer liberals. Also its Alaska, what with global warming do they really need to heat the place? > > $62.6 million from [Fort Campbell Middle School](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/us/trump-border-wall-military-families.html) because, being true red blooded children from the heart of real America, I’m sure that rather than a new school they would like about 2.9 miles of shiny new wall. [Military.com](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/04/pentagon-releases-list-military-construction-projects-paused-fund-border-wall.html?ESRC=dod_190906.nl)’s story includes this lovely tidbit: > [@](#): > > The [senior Defense Department] official also said the administration will talk with allies about picking up the costs for some overseas projects whose funding has been cut off in the Trump administration’s effort to build 175 miles of new and replacement wall on the southern U.S. border. > > “We’ve reached out to them about burden sharing,” the official said. What will it take to get Trump impeached? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36369 "2019-09-08T20:38:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’ve been to quite a few airports happy to service anything from single-seat ultraights and powered parachutes on up to things like F-16’s, Airbus jets, and B-747’s. My experience as a pilot of small aircraft is that as long as the refueling guys can get the fuel nozzle into the proper hole on your aircraft they don’t much care (well, you also have to pay for the go-juice, but I assumed that was a given). I stand corrected. Just thought it might be a bit odd to have a C130 pull in. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2019, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36370 "2019-09-08T20:52:02Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > [Military.com](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/04/pentagon-releases-list-military-construction-projects-paused-fund-border-wall.html?ESRC=dod_190906.nl)’s story includes this lovely tidbit: > > What will it take to get Trump impeached? He will have to shoot someone on 5th Avenue. And rip the heart out and eat it. And the MAGA hat wearing morons will say, “What a Man” [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-WFNbMohTQ) ---
**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 9, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36371 "2019-09-09T01:39:19Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > What will it take to get Trump impeached? He’d have to announce he was becoming a Democrat. There’s no other impeachable offense as far as Republicans are concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36372 "2019-09-09T01:44:39Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > What will it take to get Trump impeached? Walk into Congress and start killing Republicans. Not Democrats; they wouldn’t impeach him for killing Democrats. It would have to be Republicans. The moment Trump decided to run for office with an R next to his name he became essentially above the law. He can lie, cheat, steal, rape, murder and everyone will fall all over themselves to keep him from suffering any consequences, because protecting and promoting the Republican party of the US is the primary purpose of Western civilization at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36373 "2019-09-09T03:55:39Z")
A friend of mine is a mental health professional. He admits that he cannot diagnose without an exam, but even without one, he thinks Trump is mentally ill. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36374 "2019-09-09T04:21:08Z")
The Russian news agency, Tass, says the US and the Taliban are both insisting that Russia be in their joint talks. > **[US, Taliban insist on Russia’s presence at signing of agreement — senior...](https://tass.com/world/1076157)** > > It is not yet known whether the agreement will be signed and when, the official pointed out ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36375 "2019-09-09T05:39:12Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Russian news agency, Tass, says the US and the Taliban are both insisting that Russia be in their joint talks. > [https://tass.com/world/1076157](https://tass.com/world/1076157) Heck, why not invite anyone who’s ever invaded Afghanistan? Britain, India, Mongolia, Iran… They could talk shop. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36376 "2019-09-09T07:51:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Heck, why not invite anyone who’s ever invaded Afghanistan? Britain, India, Mongolia, Iran… They could talk shop. Well put. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36377 "2019-09-09T12:41:55Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Excellent post. I’ve long thought that Republican politics is stuck in a kind of feedback loop. Their voters are angry, they vote for a candidate who validates that anger, but no matter how many elections they win or how many policies they enact, the voters just get angrier. Long ago there was a locomotive company, Alco, that transitioned from manufacturing steam to diesel locomotives. One of its earlier models had a design flaw where the wall separating the lubricating oil passage and a couple of the cylinders was a little thin. Once in a while it would break and the cylinders would start burning lubricating oil. All control of the engine was lost. Diesel engines are not inherently speed limiting and have a governor that senses the speed and adjusts the fuel rack position to keep the desired RPM. Unfortunately, despite the governor sensing the overspeed and setting the rack to zero, assuming the engineer had not already done so, the engine isn’t going on fuel any more and just keeps going faster and faster. This isn’t a smooth process, only a few cylinders are still firing and the oil isn’t being properly atomized through an injector but it does run rather lumpily. Crews learned to recognize what the sounds and shaking meant (besides the throttle becoming a mere decoration) and would stop the train to bail off to a safe distance and wait for the engine to seize up when the lubricant was gone – there was nothing else they could do. This is how I view the Republican party and wonder only at which party will rise in its place, much as the Republicans rose after the Whig party [collapsed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whig_Party_(United_States)#Collapse,_1853%E2%80%931856) some 160 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36378 "2019-09-09T13:05:49Z")
So, apparently, the US needed to get a top spy in Russia out before Trump blew his cover: [Exclusive: US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/politics/russia-us-spy-extracted/index.html) > [@](#): > > In a previously undisclosed secret mission in 2017, the United States successfully extracted from Russia one of its highest-level covert sources inside the Russian government, multiple Trump administration officials with direct knowledge told CNN. > > A person directly involved in the discussions said that the removal of the Russian was driven, in part, by concerns that President Donald Trump and his administration repeatedly mishandled classified intelligence and could contribute to exposing the covert source as a spy. > > The decision to carry out the extraction occurred soon after a May 2017 meeting in the Oval Office in which Trump discussed highly classified intelligence with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. The intelligence, concerning ISIS in Syria, had been provided by Israel. Once again, it looks like Putin’s investment in Trump is paying off in spades. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36379 "2019-09-09T13:24:34Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > So, apparently, the US needed to get a top spy in Russia out before Trump blew his cover: > > [Exclusive: US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/politics/russia-us-spy-extracted/index.html) > > Once again, it looks like Putin’s investment in Trump is paying off in spades. Oh, yeah. I forgot to add that that the REAL threat to national security, according to Trump, was Hillary Clinton’s emails and server. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36380 "2019-09-09T13:28:39Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > So, apparently, the US needed to get a top spy in Russia out before Trump blew his cover: > > [Exclusive: US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/politics/russia-us-spy-extracted/index.html) > > Once again, it looks like Putin’s investment in Trump is paying off in spades. But thank god we have him instead of someone who uses a personal e-mail server, then our security would be in real trouble. ETA: Damn Russian Ninjas ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36381 "2019-09-09T18:52:00Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Long ago there was a locomotive company, Alco, that transitioned from manufacturing steam to diesel locomotives. One of its earlier models had a design flaw where the wall separating the lubricating oil passage and a couple of the cylinders was a little thin. Once in a while it would break and the cylinders would start burning lubricating oil. > > All control of the engine was lost. Diesel engines are not inherently speed limiting and have a governor that senses the speed and adjusts the fuel rack position to keep the desired RPM. Unfortunately, despite the governor sensing the overspeed and setting the rack to zero, assuming the engineer had not already done so, the engine isn’t going on fuel any more and just keeps going faster and faster. > > This isn’t a smooth process, only a few cylinders are still firing and the oil isn’t being properly atomized through an injector but it does run rather lumpily. Crews learned to recognize what the sounds and shaking meant (besides the throttle becoming a mere decoration) and would stop the train to bail off to a safe distance and wait for the engine to seize up when the lubricant was gone – there was nothing else they could do. > > This is how I view the Republican party and wonder only at which party will rise in its place, much as the Republicans rose after the Whig party [collapsed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whig_Party_(United_States)#Collapse,_1853%E2%80%931856) some 160 years ago. I guess that was the 244 prime mover? So true about the modern incarnation of the republican party, especially in regards to the “angry voters” wing. I fully understand why many are angry, hell, so am I at times, but am baffled at their tilting at windmills and barking up the wrong tree. Also, bizarre, no, fucking insane levels of partisanship, errr “negative partisanship” for the sake of itself. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36382 "2019-09-09T20:33:21Z")
[Apparently Wilbur Ross threatened to fire NOAA staff unless they put out a memo to the public confirming Trump’s Alabama lie.](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/460574-ross-threatened-to-fire-top-noaa-staff-after-office-contradicted) It’s science, people! ---
**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 9, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36383 "2019-09-09T20:54:50Z")
NOAA’s arc continues… ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36384 "2019-09-09T21:19:37Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > NOAA’s arc continues… Oy vey [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1818) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1820)