# 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:** 1820
**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:** [September 9, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36385 "2019-09-09T21:37:09Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [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! The NOAA says “no; that’s not science.” [NOAA scientist: agency likely broke science integrity rules](https://apnews.com/e7a4480d33ce4040b59bd48d4b832c05). > [@](#): > > The acting chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said his agency likely violated its scientific integrity rules last week when it publicly chastised a weather office that contradicted President Donald Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama. > > Two top NOAA civil servants not so quietly revolted against an unsigned agency press release issued late Friday rebuking the Birmingham weather office for saying Alabama was safe. The agency’s top scientist called Friday’s release “political” and the head of the National Weather Service said the Alabama office “did what any office would do to protect the public.” > [@](#): > > “My understanding is that this intervention to contradict the forecaster was not based on science but on external factors including reputation and appearance, or simply put, political,” acting chief scientist and assistant administrator for ocean and atmospheric research Craig McLean wrote to staffers Sunday night. > > In the email, first reported by The Washington Post, McLean said he is “pursuing the potential violations” of the agency’s science integrity policy. > > NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen said Monday, “NOAA’s policies on scientific integrity and communications are among the strongest in the federal government, and get high marks from third party observers. The agency’s senior career leaders are free to express their opinions about matters of agency operations and science. The agency will not be providing further official comment, and will not speculate on internal reviews.” > [@](#): > > McLean in his letter said the Birmingham staff “corrected any public misunderstanding in an expert and timely way as they should. There followed, last Friday, an unsigned press release from ‘NOAA’ that inappropriately and incorrectly contradicted the NWS forecaster.” > > McLean said that the NOAA Scientific Integrity Policy tells all agency employees to “approach all scientific activities with honesty, objectively, and completely, without allegiance to individuals, organizations, or ideology.” > > He said the Friday NOAA press release “compromises the ability of NOAA to convey life-saving information” and “violated NOAA’s policies of scientific integrity.” > [@](#): > > Meanwhile, another career civil servant, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said forecasters in Birmingham did the right thing Sept. 1 when they tried to combat public panic and rumors that Dorian posed a threat to Alabama. > > “They did that with one thing in mind: public safety,” said Uccellini, who prompted a standing ovation at a meeting of the National Weather Association by asking members of the Birmingham weather staff to stand. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36386 "2019-09-09T23:00:38Z")
The (acting) director of Customs & Border Protection was asked about undocumented Bahamian refugees arriving in the US; and he said that, of course, the US would be accommodating. But since the right hand in the administration never knows what the left hand is doing, our President had to weigh in. And given the choice between acting like a humanitarian and acting like a racist asshole – [of course he chose Door #2](https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/09/politics/donald-trump-bahamas-hurricane-dorian-response/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29). ---
**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, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36387 "2019-09-09T23:09:53Z")
Individual 1 says he is personally responsible for saving Bahamians from the hurricane. [https://www.politicalflare.com/2019/09/trump-just-tweeted-that-he-personally-saved-lives-in-the-bahamas-without-me-thered-be-more-casualties](https://www.politicalflare.com/2019/09/trump-just-tweeted-that-he-personally-saved-lives-in-the-bahamas-without-me-thered-be-more-casualties) ---
**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:** [September 9, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36388 "2019-09-09T23:17:54Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 says he is personally responsible for saving Bahamians from the hurricane. > [Trump Just Tweeted That He Personally Saved Lives in the Bahamas, 'Without Me There'd Be More Casualties!'](https://www.politicalflare.com/2019/09/trump-just-tweeted-that-he-personally-saved-lives-in-the-bahamas-without-me-thered-be-more-casualties) Who knew there were so many Bahamians living in Alabama? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36389 "2019-09-09T23:22:49Z")
Alabahamians? ---
**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 10, 2019, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36390 "2019-09-10T01:08:53Z")
> [@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. So, that spy? > [@](#): > > New tonight: Given NYT has now made details on Russian spy public, I can now report additional info we had withheld. Asset had direct access to Vladimir Putin, including the remarkable ability to take photos of presidential documents, and had served US for more than a decade. 1/ > 2/Asset had risen to the highest levels of Russia’s national security infrastructure. US offered extraction months earlier during Obama administration, but asset refused. Asset’s information was crucial to IC assessment that Putin had directed election interference to favor Trump > Calling it: Trump will want to, if not actually, send this guy to Russia. If he’s in the US, he should be fearful of this. ---
**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 10, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36391 "2019-09-10T01:20:58Z")
The next election will decide if we are a nation that helps other people, the land of the free, or a bunch of God damned rednecks. ---
**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 10, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36392 "2019-09-10T01:35:21Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 says he is personally responsible for saving Bahamians from the hurricane. > [Trump Just Tweeted That He Personally Saved Lives in the Bahamas, 'Without Me There'd Be More Casualties!'](https://www.politicalflare.com/2019/09/trump-just-tweeted-that-he-personally-saved-lives-in-the-bahamas-without-me-thered-be-more-casualties) [Yeah, but he doesn’t like them](https://news.yahoo.com/trump-news-live-president-faces-074235405.html): > [@"\[del](#): > > hitlerwannabe[/del]The Tangerine Twerp"]During an impromptu press conference before boarding his plane to that state, Mr Trump shocked reports by telling them that he is hesitant to allow Bahamians to enter the US after Hurricane Dorian because the island is full of “bad gang members”. If you check the comments on that story, you’ll see mine: > [@](#): > > The island is full of Blacks, Trump. Why don’t you admit that’s what you’re afraid of, you bigot? > [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > > Who knew there were so many Bahamians living in Alabama? > > Alabahamians? Snarf! ---
**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 10, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36393 "2019-09-10T02:21:18Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The next election will decide if we are a nation that helps other people, the land of the free, or a bunch of God damned rednecks. I think you know the answer ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36394 "2019-09-10T02:38:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The next election will decide if we are a nation that helps other people, the land of the free, or a bunch of God damned rednecks. Or, perhaps, [laudable rednecks](https://www.redneckrevolt.org/) _Redneck Revolt was founded in 2016 as an anti-racist, anti-fascist community defense formation. The history of the term redneck is long and complex. … In 1921, the term became synonymous with armed insurrection against the state, as members of the United Mine Workers of America tied red bandanas around their necks during the Battle of Blair Mountain, a two week long armed multi-racial labor uprising in the coalfields of West Virginia._ ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36395 "2019-09-10T04:03:19Z")
Rednecks are held in low esteem by us trailer-trash peckerwoods. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36396 "2019-09-10T04:11:02Z")
Trust you guys to miss the major news event of the day. In the future, this day will be marked as a milestone in the shoe of History. Boldly did The Leader, Darth Shit-for-Brains, go forth and declare his undying loyalty to the Republican Party. In a testament sealed in Sharpie! he has declared himself. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J9DKFDwoYpM/hqdefault.jpg "Trump signs pledge to back GOP") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DKFDwoYpM) ---
**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 10, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36397 "2019-09-10T06:30:51Z")
> [@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. Diamonds. You know he doesn’t have a heart, his hands are too tiny for clubs, and…well, you know he feels about those others. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36398 "2019-09-10T12:11:27Z")
I’m surprised the MAGAbots aren’t marching in the streets protesting the unfair treatment of Dear Leader regarding the Sharpie incident, carrying signs that read “BLACK LINES MATTER”. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36399 "2019-09-10T12:41:16Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m surprised the MAGAbots aren’t marching in the streets protesting the unfair treatment of Dear Leader regarding the Sharpie incident, carrying signs that read “BLACK LINES MATTER”. Stealing that. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36400 "2019-09-10T16:24:15Z")
CNN just reported that Trump boots John Bolton. Fired by Trump. On edit: From the NY Times: > **[Trump Ousts John Bolton as National Security Adviser (Published 2019)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/us/politics/john-bolton-national-security-adviser-trump.html)** > > President Trump had complained privately in recent months that Mr. Bolton was too hawkish, a tension made worse in recent weeks over Iran and North Korea. > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — President Trump fired John R. Bolton, his third national security adviser, on Tuesday amid fundamental disagreements over how to handle major foreign policy challenges like Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan. > > Mr. Trump announced the decision on Twitter. “I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House. I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning. I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.” ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36401 "2019-09-10T16:30:27Z")
Three National Security Advisers in 2.5 years, one of whom is in jail. Perfectly normal. Not the least bit sorry to see Bolton go, but god knows what bottom-feeding kiss-ass he’ll find to fill the spot. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36402 "2019-09-10T16:32:49Z")
Honestly I can’t be mad about that one, the further Bolton is from the levers of power the better. He’s one of the few people who absolutely will not be a stabilizing influence in the Trump white house. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36403 "2019-09-10T16:35:32Z")
Now if only there was something we could do to to get him to fire Stephen Miller… ---
**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:** [September 10, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36404 "2019-09-10T16:51:04Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I was pretty sure that this would be Bolton when I clicked the headline: > > [Trump Advisor warns China over Hong Kong Crackdown](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457484-top-trump-adviser-warns-china-over-hong-kong-crackdown) > > I wouldn’t say that we’re up to a 50% chance yet, but I would say that we’re probably moving towards Bolton getting the boot. Trump don’t care about Venezuela - he’s happy to let Bolton do whatever he wants, even if it means being the World Police - but he does care about China and the trade war, and Bolton isn’t the sort to give a damn what Trump tells him to do. > > 1. China tells Trump “no deal” if he or any of his people say anything about Hong Kong > 2. Trump tells Bolton to stop > 3. Bolton ignores him > 4. Bolton fired > > Actually, maybe it is better than 50% chance. Trump already backed down on Taiwan, back during the election. And thar we go. Pushed the last little bit over by the Taliban. Prepare for a potential 180 on Venezuela. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1819) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1821)