# 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:** 2010
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40185 "2020-01-26T00:57:01Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > [Which of the nine kinds of crazy is this?](https://apnews.com/968bb9a73fde1ce0c083df55fafe72c1)😕 Clearly the piece of shit was implying that the reporter misidentified Ukraine. Just another lie from the administration of lies. Something to be proud of, eh Republicans? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40186 "2020-01-26T01:03:12Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Clearly the piece of shit was implying that the reporter misidentified Ukraine. Just another lie from the administration of lies. Something to be proud of, eh Republicans? He’s clearly implying that, and just as clearly going for an “I never said that, ha ha snowflakes!” bit of trollery. It’s pathetic, and the only thing that makes me mad about it is that a soldier of 4chan like him holds any real-world power. Bargain-basement trolling is what you’re supposed to do if you’re an unemployed loser with no prospects. If you’ve got a position of power, you’re supposed to up your game. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40187 "2020-01-26T01:23:53Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Clearly the piece of shit was implying that the reporter misidentified Ukraine. Just another lie from the administration of lies. Something to be proud of, eh Republicans? You can really hear the “That’s women for you, always misreading maps instead of making me a sandwich” in his fauxtrage. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40188 "2020-01-26T01:39:50Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > He’s clearly implying that, and just as clearly going for an “I never said that, ha ha snowflakes!” bit of trollery. It’s pathetic, and the only thing that makes me mad about it is that a soldier of 4chan like him holds any real-world power. Bargain-basement trolling is what you’re supposed to do if you’re an unemployed loser with no prospects. If you’ve got a position of power, you’re supposed to up your game. Well, in Pompeo’s defense, he’s one of the shoddier bullies in the Trump Administration. So this is probably the best he can do. On the bright side he, no doubt, pleased the Audience-of-One by employing his native cheap thuggery to publicly insult an intelligent woman. Trump loves that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40189 "2020-01-26T02:10:46Z")
The National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States. . . . . About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn’t even locate the U.S. on a map. [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/geography-survey-illiteracy/](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/geography-survey-illiteracy/) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40190 "2020-01-26T02:13:24Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States. > . . . . > > About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn’t even locate the U.S. on a map. > > [Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/geography-survey-illiteracy/) When you consider that about 10% of the population has an IQ of 80 or below, this may not be so shocking. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40191 "2020-01-26T02:20:11Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > The National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey polled more than 3,000 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the United States. > . . . . > > About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn’t even locate the U.S. on a map. > > [Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/geography-survey-illiteracy/) Holy crap, I was overly optimistic in my last post. According to your link, less than 15% of the American students could locate Israel or Iraq, which were in the headlines at the time (2002). A third of them thought that the population of the US was between one and two billion. And god save us, 29% could not find the Pacific Ocean. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40192 "2020-01-26T02:24:41Z")
You want disheartening? Show the so-called president of the united states the same map Pompeo has on demand. Have him indentify…anything. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40193 "2020-01-26T05:29:15Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > You want disheartening? Show the so-called president of the united states the same map Pompeo has on demand. Have him indentify…anything. with or without his sharpie? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40194 "2020-01-26T07:47:48Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Holy crap, I was overly optimistic in my last post. > > According to your link, less than 15% of the American students could locate Israel or Iraq, which were in the headlines at the time (2002). A third of them thought that the population of the US was between one and two billion. > > And god save us, 29% could not find the Pacific Ocean. In fairness, people from small countries do have an advantage in understanding geography: they’re exposed to multiple languages; and even short trips cross borders. I once saw a survey where the percent of Americans who believe in the literal truth of Genesis, and the percent who believe in UFOs with aliens summed to more than 100%, implying that some Americans believe in both the Genesis story AND in Flying Saucers. How do they reconcile this? Do they think the aliens descend from Nephilim who left Earth during the Great Flood? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40195 "2020-01-26T13:21:32Z")
[“In an extraordinary statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized a veteran NPR reporter, Mary Louise Kelly, and said the news media was “unhinged.”](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/25/us/politics/pompeo-mary-louise-kelly.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage) Uh, there _is_ someone “unhinged” here. Once again, a Republican projecting like Mercator doing vodka shots at a frat party. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40196 "2020-01-26T13:58:30Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > When you consider that about 10% of the population has an IQ of 80 or below, this may not be so shocking. And that nearly half of the people over 18 voted for Trump. I guessing they can’t find their ass with both hands. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40197 "2020-01-26T17:44:01Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > And god save us, 29% could not find the Pacific Ocean. What (literally) on Earth were they pointing to instead? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40198 "2020-01-26T17:47:11Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Clearly the piece of shit was implying that the reporter misidentified Ukraine. Just another lie from the administration of lies. Something to be proud of, eh Republicans? It just doesn’t matter. Their shit for brains fascist racist traitor followers will never abandon them. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40199 "2020-01-26T18:36:38Z")
The point is, the Fox News audience is going to hear “Patriot Pompeo calls out dumb lib media broad after she mistakes Ukraine for Bangladesh,” and that’s the story they’re all going to stick to. Meanwhile, back at the golf course, the short-fingered vulgarian is threatening NPR, calling it a “Democrat party (sic) propaganda machine.” > **[Trump Suggests NPR Shouldn’t Exist After Heated Mike Pompeo Interview](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-npr-mike-pompeo-interview_n_5e2db132c5b6779e9c34fc02)** > > The president went on the attack after the secretary of state's foul-mouthed tirade was reported by the nonprofit media organization. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40200 "2020-01-26T18:38:28Z")
Oops…turns out it’s just a re-tweet. Trumpo didn’t formulate the phrase himself. Sorry. ---
**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:** [January 26, 2020, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40201 "2020-01-26T20:22:25Z")
[why do they still let him shitpost](https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1221436736594681856)? **Why does NPR still exist? We have thousands of radio stations in the U.S. Plus Satellite radio. Podcasts. Why are we paying for this big-government, Democrat Party propaganda operation.** ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40202 "2020-01-27T00:09:13Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Meanwhile, back at the golf course, the short-fingered vulgarian is threatening NPR, calling it a “Democrat party (sic) propaganda machine.” > [Trump Suggests NPR Shouldn’t Exist After Heated Mike Pompeo Interview | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-npr-mike-pompeo-interview_n_5e2db132c5b6779e9c34fc02) > [@eschereal](#): > > [why do they still let him shitpost](https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1221436736594681856)? > **Why does NPR still exist? We have thousands of radio stations in the U.S. Plus Satellite radio. Podcasts. Why are we paying for this big-government, Democrat Party propaganda operation.** If anyone thinks they’re not going to go full-authoritarian after November 3—whether or not Trump legitimately gets enough votes to win—they’re living in a dream world. (And, no, I haven’t given asahi my login info.) Bill Maher (despite his unconsciousness of his lack of popularity on this board) made a good point about different standards for Democratic and Republican vote totals: > [@](#): > > … “So my question to all Democratic candidates is, what’s the plan?” Maher said. “If you win and the next day he claims he’s voiding the election because of irregularities he’s hearing about, what do you do? What do you do when the crowd that was in Virginia this week 22,000 strong marches on Washington? This is a scary moment. And when I’ve asked Democrats, what do we do if he doesn’t go? Their answer is always some variation of we have to win big.” > > He then played a series of clips that concluded with MSNBC contributor Zerlina Maxwell saying “We would need a landslide.” > > “Okay first of all, no! No!” Maher exclaimed. **“We don’t have to win via landslide. Jesus. F** \*\*\*\* Democrats. I am so sick of Democrats volunteering to play by two different sets of rules. \*\*That’s the new paradigm? Republicans can win by one vote but we’re not legitimate unless it’s a landslide.” … > **[Bill Maher Asks Terrifying Question About Trump Refusing to Leave Office:...](https://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-maher-asks-terrifying-question-about-trump-refusing-to-leave-office-democrats-whats-the-plan/)** > > Bill Maher asked an almost unimaginable question about the prospect of President Donald Trump refusing to leave office if he's defeated in November: "What's the plan?" My emphasis in the quote. The link contains the seven-minute closing monologue from Friday’s show (January 24). ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40203 "2020-01-27T00:15:20Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > In fairness, people from small countries do have an advantage in understanding geography: they’re exposed to multiple languages; and even short trips cross borders. > > I once saw a survey where the percent of Americans who believe in the literal truth of Genesis, and the percent who believe in UFOs with aliens summed to more than 100%, implying that some Americans believe in both the Genesis story AND in Flying Saucers. How do they reconcile this? Do they think the aliens descend from Nephilim who left Earth during the Great Flood? [UFOs in the Bible](https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Ufos/) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/40204 "2020-01-27T00:30:27Z")
It’s kind of pointless to attack Trump voters by showing how stupid, or crass, or otherwise obnoxious he is, because most Trump voters did not vote for him because of his positive qualities - they voted for him tribally. Eight years of being called deplorable, mocked for ‘clinging to their god and guns’ and other culture clashes have convinced large swaths of Trump voters that it’s ‘us or them’. Hillary not even bothering to campaign in some of those states made that worse. i’m anti-Trump, and I have tried to convince conservatives that he’s bad news. What you inevitably find is that they already know about his failings, and don’t care so long as he is the leader of the tribe. Democrats do the same damned thing, which is why feminists were either silent or supportive of Clinton while he was in power, despite the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against him. As one prominent feminist at the time said, “I’ll give him a blowjob myself if he keeps working for women’s rights.” So long as Trump keeps acting like the best friend the blue collar working class and fundamentalists ever had, and keeps telling them that they are the true heroes and backbone of America, they are going to keep voting for him, Just as residents of the big blue cities keep voting in corrupt assholes who declare themselves to be the champions of the poor while lining the pockets of themselves and their cronies. And it doesn’t help that the current front-runner for the Democrats is an old lunatic Marxist/socialist who never met an oppressive left-wing regime he wouldn’t carry water for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2009) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2011)