# 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:** 1879
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37565 "2019-10-09T05:14:17Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Thirded Ditto ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37566 "2019-10-09T15:28:59Z")
[Video from 1998](https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4819793/lindsey-graham-121898-nixon-impeachment) (00:52): > [@Lindsay Graham](#): > > Article 3 of impeachment against Richard Nixon - the article was based on the idea that Richard Nixon, as president, failed to comply with subpoenas of Congress. Congress was going through its oversight function to provide oversight of the president. When asked for information, Richard Nixon chose not to comply and the Congress back in that time said, "You are taking impeachment away from us. You’re becoming the judge and jury. It is not your job to tell us what we need. It is your job to comply with things we need to provide oversight over you. The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day he was subject to impeachment, because to took the power from Congress - over the impeachment process - away from Congress, and he became the judge and jury. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37567 "2019-10-09T15:48:50Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Video from 1998](https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4819793/lindsey-graham-121898-nixon-impeachment) (00:52): The Republicans honestly think that rules should be different, depending on what party you’re talking about. This is not an act for them. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37568 "2019-10-09T15:56:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Video from 1998](https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4819793/lindsey-graham-121898-nixon-impeachment) (00:52): Trump loves his TV commercials and YouTube advertising. The DNC should make use of this clip, and make it ubiquitous. I’ll donate. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37569 "2019-10-09T16:26:07Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I wondered about this too. Trump said something to the effect that he’d have to be crazy to do anything underhanded on a phone call because there are people listening in. Well, yeah, there were people listening on the Zelensky call. But could he call someone without anyone knowing or listening? I read an article recently saying something about trump carrying two i-phones around. Ultimately any call is routed through either the WH switchboard ; or a private phone company’s switchboard. In the latter case there may or may not be a process in place to record the call itself (by I would surmise the NSA does listen in anyway) but there will always be a log of who called whom when for how long. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37570 "2019-10-09T16:31:27Z")
Turkey is attacking in Syria now. It kind of feels like trump is trying to take the whole world down now (instead of just certain people or areas) because he’s being treated so unfairly :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37571 "2019-10-09T16:33:19Z")
It still boggles my mind that this rich, powerful guy continues to get away with describing himself as the underdog being unfairly put upon. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37572 "2019-10-09T16:34:13Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Ultimately any call is routed through either the WH switchboard ; or a private phone company’s switchboard. In the latter case there may or may not be a process in place to record the call itself (by I would surmise the NSA does listen in anyway) but there will always be a log of who called whom when for how long. Burner Cell Phone. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37573 "2019-10-09T16:43:05Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Trump loves his TV commercials and YouTube advertising. The DNC should make use of this clip, and make it ubiquitous. I’ll donate. If you would like to forward the link and the quote to them, and make the suggestion, maybe they’ll use your idea. That would be GREAT to watch! ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37574 "2019-10-09T16:43:21Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > It still boggles my mind that this rich, powerful guy continues to get away with describing himself as the underdog being unfairly put upon. That’s pretty much the US right wing as a whole though. You know, how minorities getting any sort of right is oppressing cis white males, how there’s a WAR on Christmas and Christians even though 70+% of the country identifies as some flavour of Christian and Christian pageantry takes place all the way up to Congress, how saying that Black lives also matter a little bit is RACISM and so on. While right wing ideas and actions and even talking points and metaphors tend to be the same all around the world, AFAIK only the American is so fucking \*whiny \*about it all the time. I mean geez, even when the GOP held the WH, Congress, Senate AND put their guy on the SC (not to mention having a stranglehold on state politics) they kept QQing that they couldn’t do anything because of the bad lefties saying mean things. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37575 "2019-10-09T16:45:58Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Burner Cell Phone. Even then they’ll know the call came from Russia, and it’s easy to put 2 and 2 together - although I suppose it could be a toss-up between Putin, some corrupt oligarch, or some Trump operative tasked with dealing with corrupt oligarchs :p. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37576 "2019-10-09T16:52:44Z")
I have close family members who say trump is “picked on.” That’s the term they use. For real. When I point out that he’s arguably the most powerful person in the world and that republicans held a majority for the first two years of his term (thus his claims that liberals were somehow stopping him are bogus) and etc, you can see their eyes glaze over as they disregard this information. It does not fit in the Fox-fed world view so must be jettisoned when encountered. I have at least a couple of coworkers who share my political views so that’s refreshing, but there is one who says it doesn’t matter who the president is, it’s all the same. Oy. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37577 "2019-10-09T17:26:40Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I have close family members who say trump is “picked on.” That’s the term they use. For real. When I point out that he’s arguably the most powerful person in the world and that republicans held a majority for the first two years of his term (thus his claims that liberals were somehow stopping him are bogus) and etc, you can see their eyes glaze over as they disregard this information. It does not fit in the Fox-fed world view so must be jettisoned when encountered. You would have just as much luck if you went back in time to November 17, 1978 and tried to convince members of the Peoples Temple not to listen to Jim Jones. It’s a cult. And cults can be exceedingly dangerous for members and for bystanders, when the leader goes off the rails. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37578 "2019-10-09T19:22:19Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > I have close family members who say trump is “picked on.” That’s the term they use. For real. When I point out that he’s arguably the most powerful person in the world and that republicans held a majority for the first two years of his term (thus his claims that liberals were somehow stopping him are bogus) and etc, you can see their eyes glaze over as they disregard this information. It does not fit in the Fox-fed world view so must be jettisoned when encountered. Your kinfolk aren’t the ones who may get Trump re-elected. They’ll be there with him until the better end unless he comes out as transgendered. > [@Skypist](#): > > I have at least a couple of coworkers who share my political views so that’s refreshing, but there is one who says it doesn’t matter who the president is, it’s all the same. Oy. It’s this guy/gal – this is the one who will get Trump a second term. The cynical, low-information, “both sides do it,” “I gotta choose between a turd and a shit sandwich, huh huh” voter. He could change the course of history, but feels powerless and medicates himself by just ignoring civic responsibility altogether. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37579 "2019-10-09T22:39:02Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > You would have just as much luck if you went back in time to November 17, 1978 and tried to convince members of the Peoples Temple not to listen to Jim Jones. > > It’s a cult. And cults can be exceedingly dangerous for members and for bystanders, when the leader goes off the rails. There were actually some persuadables in that cult. And we have seen Republican support for impeachment go up from 9% to 14%, which is five points but over 50%. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37580 "2019-10-09T22:58:26Z")
[New banner](https://twitter.com/PaulLidicul/status/1181987508202041344) on the Trump Tower Las Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37581 "2019-10-09T23:04:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > [New banner](https://twitter.com/PaulLidicul/status/1181987508202041344) on the Trump Tower Las Vegas. But it’s not actually there. I was wondering how this would be accomplished if real. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37582 "2019-10-09T23:16:46Z")
The fact that people are putting out fakes like this is a good sign. Hell, even Fox News is publishing polls that show more support for impeachment than not. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37583 "2019-10-09T23:44:31Z")
Hmmmm. Fox news is[putting out more things](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-phone-call-erdogan-turkey-syria) that don’t seem favorable to The Chosen One: Said a “senior military source” > [@](#): > > President Trump “went off script” during his call on Sunday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, before he announced that the U.S. would withdraw all troops from northeast Syria ahead of a Turkish military operation in the region, a well-placed senior U.S. military source told Fox News on Wednesday. > > During the phone call, Trump had talking points, according to the source: “Tell Erdogan to stay north of the border." > > “He went off script," the source said. The term “off script” sounds so much better than “Went fucking nuts and betrayed one of our only allies in the region” ---
**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:** [October 9, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/37584 "2019-10-09T23:45:54Z")
Further: > [@](#): > > Trump “doesn’t buy the argument that ISIS unchecked will follow us home,” the source said they were told from members of the president’s national security team. > > If the ISIS fighters escape, they’ll “go back to Europe,” Trump said Wednesday. > > What is likely to follow will look like “ethnic cleansing” by the Turks, according to the senior military source. > > “I don’t know how many people will die. A lot of people will die,” the source said, adding they were “sick about it." So Trump does not give a shit about ISIS, as long as they head over to Europe and kill people there. Thanks for the help, Trump. Europe really has your back now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1878) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1880)