# 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:** 1850
**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 25, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36985 "2019-09-25T18:23:39Z")
This is supposedly not a transcript, but an executive summary. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s what I’m seeing other people saying. ---
**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 25, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36986 "2019-09-25T18:24:43Z")
The President of Ukraine is at the White House today. Just a coincidence, I’m sure. ---
**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 25, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36987 "2019-09-25T18:24:54Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Just in case anyone was still wondering if Fox News is actually the Republican Party News: > > They are simply repeating the White House talking points verbatim, as if they came up with it themselves, without saying that they were fed this information directly. The was an early episode of _The West Wing_ entitled “_Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc_”, which is to say: why would you assume that Fox News is getting their talking points from the WH rather than that the WH is cribbing their talking points from Fox News? ---
**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 25, 2019, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36988 "2019-09-25T18:26:57Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > The White House accidentally [sent their talking points](https://twitter.com/grantstern/status/1176897793144872961) in dealing with this issue to the Democrats. And then asked the Democrats to send the email back. Who knew email was so complicated? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36989 "2019-09-25T18:38:21Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The President of Ukraine is at the White House today. Just a coincidence, I’m sure. Wait, what? WHAT!!?? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36990 "2019-09-25T18:39:27Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > The was an early episode of _The West Wing_ entitled “_Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc_”, which is to say: why would you assume that Fox News is getting their talking points from the WH rather than that the WH is cribbing their talking points from Fox News? Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36991 "2019-09-25T18:47:39Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Why the request for the Ukrainians to work with Rudy Giuliani? As far as I know, he has no official role in the government? I think he’s just an attorney working for Trump (as opposed to someone like the White House Counsel, which works for the President). Giuliani is the new fixer. Trump used to say, “my guy Michael Cohen will call you.” Now it’s Giuliani. John Dean tweeted today that Giuliani is not Trump’s lawyer. He’s not being paid. He’s Trump’s co-conspirator. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36992 "2019-09-25T18:55:08Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The President of Ukraine is at the White House today. Just a coincidence, I’m sure. Can’t find any news confirming this. I know the President of Ukraine is a former comic. I didn’t realize he was also a fucking circus clown. How is this advantageous to him? Is he really going to help Trump “manage” the fallout? ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36993 "2019-09-25T19:00:08Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > Giuliani is the new fixer. Trump used to say, “my guy Michael Cohen will call you.” Now it’s Giuliani. > > John Dean tweeted today that Giuliani is not Trump’s lawyer. He’s not being paid. He’s Trump’s co-conspirator. To be fair, Giuliani knows that DJT stiffs his lawyers and contractors so he could have taken the case on a pro bono basis. ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36994 "2019-09-25T19:01:00Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Can’t find any news confirming this. > > I know the President of Ukraine is a former comic. I didn’t realize he was also a fucking circus clown. How is this advantageous to him? Is he really going to help Trump “manage” the fallout? They had their press conference live on ABC. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36995 "2019-09-25T19:03:28Z")
Acting DNI threatened to quit if White House blocked his testimony. > **[Acting director of national intelligence threatened to resign if he couldn’t...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/acting-director-of-national-intelligence-threatened-to-resign-if-he-couldnt-speak-freely-before-congress/2019/09/25/b1deb71e-dfbf-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true)** > > Joseph Maguire feared the White House might attempt to force him to stonewall when he provides testimony on Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36996 "2019-09-25T19:09:21Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Who knew email was so complicated? Maybe if he had a server in his house … ---
**Author:** ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36997 "2019-09-25T19:12:23Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I know the President of Ukraine is a former comic. I didn’t realize he was also a fucking circus clown. How is this advantageous to him? Is he really going to help Trump “manage” the fallout? He wasn’t at the White House - there’s a big multinational event at the United Nations in New York this week that he was coincidentally at. He did his best during the (prescheduled) press availability but there were a couple of times he clearly wanted to crawl out of his own skin and run stage left. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36998 "2019-09-25T19:17:19Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > They had their press conference live on ABC. It would appear that they met in New York at the UN and not at an official White House visit. From PBS: > [@](#): > > Trump repeated that there was “no pressure” on Zelensky but added that the Ukrainian leader should do “whatever he can do in terms of corruption.” Trump added, **without evidence** , that the money Hunter Biden made while a board member of a Ukrainian company constitutes corruption. The U.S. president also added,\*\* again with no evidence\*\*, that he believes Hillary Clinton’s emails that were deleted from her server could be in Ukraine. He also defended his decision to involve his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani in the requests he made to Ukraine. **Guiliani does not have an official job at the White House.** My bolding ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/36999 "2019-09-25T19:17:32Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > Giuliani is the new fixer… Which makes CFSG the developer. Who is the stop-bath? damn, I am fucking _old_ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37000 "2019-09-25T19:17:43Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Why the request for the Ukrainians to work with Rudy Giuliani? As far as I know, he has no official role in the government? I think he’s just an attorney working for Trump (as opposed to someone like the White House Counsel, which works for the President). > > Giuliani is the new fixer. Trump used to say, “my guy Michael Cohen will call you.” Now it’s Giuliani. > > John Dean tweeted today that Giuliani is not Trump’s lawyer. He’s not being paid. He’s Trump’s co-conspirator. That’s the thing. The claim is that the president was acting completely aboveboard, so why the involvement of someone outside the government? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37001 "2019-09-25T19:27:09Z")
Schiff on Trump’s phone call with the Ukraine: > [@](#): > > Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that “those notes reflect is a classic mafia-like shakedown of a foreign leader.” > > “This is how a mafia boss talks,” he added. ”‘What have you done for us? We’ve done so much for you, but there isn’t much reciprocity.’” > **[Trump Pressured Ukraine To Probe Biden While Discussing Military Aid](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-releases-ukraine-call-summary_n_5d88f15ee4b0d269465251ea)** > > "Do us a favor, though," the president said, according to a call summary released by the White House. ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37002 "2019-09-25T19:27:23Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Which makes CFSG the developer. Who is the stop-bath? > > damn, I am fucking _old_ Near as I can tell no one has been able to perform that function ---
**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 25, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37003 "2019-09-25T19:35:39Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > It would appear that they met in New York at the UN and not at an official White House visit. > From PBS: > > > [@](#): > > > > … The U.S. president also added, **again with no evidence** , that he believes Hillary Clinton’s emails that were deleted from her server could be in Ukraine. … > > My bolding Umm. You got a link for that insanity? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37004 "2019-09-25T19:57:31Z")
What sucks is that despite all this speculation and evidence-gathering, it’s a moot point, because Republican Senate Majority. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1849) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1851)