# 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:** 1949
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38965 "2019-11-22T02:51:38Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Perhaps I’m missing something; doesn’t that sign imply Schiff _is_ obeying House rules? Am I overthinking this? Nope. You’re thinking of it correctly. The GOP apparently didn’t understand their self own with this sign. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38966 "2019-11-22T02:56:18Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > [Yes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physician_to_the_President). Ah, thanks. I was sucked in by Twitter hysteria. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38967 "2019-11-22T11:01:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Pretty sure every president has a doctor travelling with him wherever he goes. There is a small irony in the fact that the current President appears to have selected a WH physician on the basis of willingness to “adjust” medical reports rather than overall competence. I mean, we’re not talking Dr. Nick Riviera levels of medical integrity and competence but still, when all those hamberders catch up with him he may regret his choice. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38968 "2019-11-22T14:44:07Z")
[Trump continues his pissing match with the U.S. Navy.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/21/politics/trump-eddie-gallagher-navy-seal/index.html) I think for every soldier who is thinking “Dude’s got our back!” there are 10 (mostly officers) who are royally pissed off that he’s subverting the chain of command and military discipline. Stupid move on Trump’s part (as is par for the course). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38969 "2019-11-22T14:52:50Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > [Trump continues his pissing match with the U.S. Navy.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/21/politics/trump-eddie-gallagher-navy-seal/index.html) > > I think for every soldier who is thinking “Dude’s got our back!” there are 10 (mostly officers) who are royally pissed off that he’s subverting the chain of command and military discipline. Stupid move on Trump’s part (as is par for the course). I can’t even figure out why trump is interfering. He can’t care about Gallagher or the other people he pardoned. Is it solely to piss off the high ranking officers, the Joint Chiefs, what? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38970 "2019-11-22T14:57:36Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I can’t even figure out why trump is interfering. He can’t care about Gallagher or the other people he pardoned. Is it solely to piss off the high ranking officers, the Joint Chiefs, what? I assume it’s to piss off the libs. I haven’t been following this story but what, he posed for a picture with a dead ISIS fighter? Posing with dead ISIS fighters is red meat for his base, so he’ll burn all bridges with the Navy to make them happy. And they’re happy because they say Gallagher’s punishment as nothing more than the liberal “PC Police” run amok. “Oh I can’t pose with dead terrorists now? What’s next, men competing in women’s sports?!” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38971 "2019-11-22T15:05:06Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > [Trump continues his pissing match with the U.S. Navy.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/21/politics/trump-eddie-gallagher-navy-seal/index.html) > > I think for every soldier who is thinking “Dude’s got our back!”… I find it distressing to imagine that many enlisted men and women have a hankering for civilian-murder. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38972 "2019-11-22T15:05:48Z")
Back in the 1960s, Mad magazine ran a fictional “interview” with a paperback publisher, in which he showed off his “tactical paperback buying squad”, who targeted bookstores monitored by the New York Times and bought large numbers of copies of the publishers book, just so that it could get on the Bestseller List. It was a transparently dishonest scheme that Mad put in there simply because it was so transparently and obviously dishonest. Years later, the Church of Scientology did precisely that when L. Ron Hubbard released his novel **Battlefield Earth**. The Church not only bought up lots of copies of the book, they encouraged their members to do it, too. It worked – Battlefield Earth made the bestseller lists, despite being, by most critical accounts, an abysmal book. > **[Battlefield Earth (novel)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlefield_Earth_(novel))** > > Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 is a 1982 science fiction novel written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. He also composed a soundtrack to the book called Space Jazz. > In the year 3000 AD, the Psychlos, an alien race, have ruled Earth for a millennium. The Psychlos discovered a deep space probe (suggested to be Voyager 1) with directions and pictures mounted on it and the precious material, gold, which led them straight to Earth. > Psychlos stand up to 9 feet (2.7 m) tall an... Now the Republicans and the Trump team have adopted the same policy: > [@](#): > > **How To Write A Bestseller: GOP Spends $95,000 Buying Donald Trump Jr. Book** > > “Triggered,” the book published early this month by Donald Trump Jr., rocketed to the top of The New York Times bestseller list. But it turned out it had a special boost: The Republican National Committee spent $95,000 buying up the books, according to a campaign finance listing spotted by The New York Times. > > Records from the Federal Election Commission reveal a $94,800 payment to [BooksAMillion.com](http://BooksAMillion.com) for “donor mementos” just days before Trump Jr.’s book was released on Nov. 5. Trump Jr. then joined an RNC fundraising email offering signed copies of the book to anyone who contributed $50 or more to the GOP. > **[How To Write A Bestseller: GOP Spends $95,000 Buying Book By Donald Trump Jr.](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/95000-gop-bulk-buy-book-donald-trump-jr_n_5dd76735e4b00149f719bf18)** > > Trump Jr. book boost is listed in latest campaign finance documents filed by the Republican National Committee. Gee, boosting sales of a book by your leader’s family member by buying large quantities and encouraging your cult-like followers to buy it, too. The GOP is following in Scientology’s footsteps. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38973 "2019-11-22T15:06:39Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I assume it’s to piss off the libs. I haven’t been following this story but what, he posed for a picture with a dead ISIS fighter? Posing with dead ISIS fighters is red meat for his base, so he’ll burn all bridges with the Navy to make them happy. And they’re happy because they say Gallagher’s punishment as nothing more than the liberal “PC Police” run amok. “Oh I can’t pose with dead terrorists now? What’s next, men competing in women’s sports?!” Nailed it. It has the dual benefits of “triggering the libs” and also eliciting squeals of joy from his racist base only love one thing more than to see a dead brown person, and that’s a dead brown person with a white person posing next to him like a “brave” trophy hunter. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38974 "2019-11-22T15:12:26Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I can’t even figure out why trump is interfering. He can’t care about Gallagher or the other people he pardoned. Is it solely to piss off the high ranking officers, the Joint Chiefs, what? I believe it’s two things. #1: > [@steronz](#): > > … Posing with dead ISIS fighters is red meat for his base, so he’ll burn all bridges with the Navy to make them happy. … And #2 (excuse the espression): > [@](#): > > …reflects his tendency to accept the advice of people outside his administration. The president mostly left defense officials out of his discussions about the issue until a few weeks ago and told his top advisers that his supporters would back the move, according to five officials familiar with the situation. > > Instead, the officials said, Trump discussed the issue with other people in his orbit, including Pete Hegseth, a **Fox News personality** who highlighted the cases on his show and described the service members as heroes facing malicious prosecution. [WaPo](https://a.msn.com/r/2/BBX8uZj?m=en-us&referrerID=InAppShare) My bold. :smack: He WILL NOT be told what to do. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38975 "2019-11-22T15:15:19Z")
A little research shows that the issue of Mad was #125 March 1969 “Mad’s Book Publisher of the Year”, script by Stan Hart, art by Jack Rickard. Reproduced in Mad Special #8 ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38976 "2019-11-22T15:16:54Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > [Trump continues his pissing match with the U.S. Navy.](https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/21/politics/trump-eddie-gallagher-navy-seal/index.html) > > I think for every soldier who is thinking “Dude’s got our back!” there are 10 (mostly officers) who are royally pissed off that he’s subverting the chain of command and military discipline. Stupid move on Trump’s part (as is par for the course). Isn’t part of his base members of the military? How does this interference play with them? It’s a cliche, but what would they have said if Obama had done the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38977 "2019-11-22T15:29:03Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Isn’t part of his base members of the military? How does this interference play with them? It’s a cliche, but what would they have said if Obama had done the same thing? Navy leadership is all deep state, they’ll say. Grunts want to be able to pose with corpses in the future, because Murica. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38978 "2019-11-22T16:02:20Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Navy leadership is all deep state, they’ll say. Grunts want to be able to pose with corpses in the future, because Murica. Was reading some reporters Twitter feed, and this is exactly what they were saying. It’s disgusting. The human race is officially a failed experiment. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38979 "2019-11-22T16:15:16Z")
The race is doing fine, it’s your country that’s failing. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38980 "2019-11-22T16:24:28Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I can’t even figure out why trump is interfering. He can’t care about Gallagher or the other people he pardoned. Is it solely to piss off the high ranking officers, the Joint Chiefs, what? It’s a clarion call to the nation’s assholes: “I got your backs. This is our time. We’re coming out, guns blazing.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38981 "2019-11-22T16:28:51Z")
The pardon is based on Trump’s opinion of Muslims, just like his pardoning of Arpaio was based on his opinion of Mexicans. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38982 "2019-11-22T17:03:12Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > The race is doing fine, it’s your country that’s failing. I’m not so sure about former, but you are 100% right on the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38983 "2019-11-22T17:32:58Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I’m not so sure about former, but you are 100% right on the latter. Yea, as bad as America may be, we are not the worst actors by far. We don’t have child soldiers, rape of civilians as an official Army policy, create a “social media” index number that you have to exceed before you are allowed to participate in society, and the Army isn’t burning American public schools, or destroying anything that is “tainted” by modern science, such as eyeglasses, and we don’t have public beheadings for the crime of being rich. ---
**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:** [November 22, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/38984 "2019-11-22T17:35:03Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Yea, as bad as America may be, we are not the worst actors by far. We don’t have child soldiers, rape of civilians as an official Army policy, create a “social media” index number that you have to exceed before you are allowed to participate in society, and the Army isn’t burning American public schools, or destroying anything that is “tainted” by modern science, such as eyeglasses, and we don’t have **public beheadings for the crime of being rich**. I could get behind that last one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1948) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=1950)