# 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:** 2060
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41185 "2020-03-10T13:01:43Z")
_“Bin Laden Determined To Strike In US”_ 2, Electric Boogaloo: > [@](#): > > [The Trump Administration Is Stalling an Intel Report That Warns the U.S. Isn’t Ready for a Global Pandemic](https://time.com/5799765/intelligence-report-pandemic-dangers/) > > An annual intelligence report that has been postponed without explanation by President Donald Trump’s administration warns that the U.S. remains unprepared for a global pandemic, two senior government officials who have reviewed a draft of the report tell TIME… ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41186 "2020-03-10T13:06:01Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > And yet, his approval rating hasn’t blipped. People are still trying to apply conventional wisdom, or any wisdom at all, to the support for Trump. The GOP voters and, in particular, Trump supporters do not care. If something makes Trump look bad, then it is fake. If it is undeniably not fake, then it is the Democrats fault. How? Why? Doesn’t matter. This is a post-truth world. Believe me, I feel your pain. Do read that whole article and see if things cited that he has mismanaged do seem to be reaching into people’s lives in a way that hasn’t happened heretofore. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41187 "2020-03-10T13:50:16Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Believe me, I feel your pain. Do read that whole article and see if things cited that he has mismanaged do seem to be reaching into people’s lives in a way that hasn’t happened heretofore. 826 pages in this thread alone about what an incompetent fucking buffoon Trump really is. Nobody who has followed or posted here can possibly need any more convincing of his utter failure as a human being, let alone president. But ~63M are not reading this thread and a negligible number would be convinced otherwise if they did. I think most of them will still come out and vote for Trump for reasons that have nothing to do with everything in that article being true. If fact, they will vote for him despite and in spite of it all being true. The only things that stands a real chance of getting Trump out of office is that many more people will come out in November to cast a vote against the orange menace. I’m sorry if that takes the spring out of your step, but after nearly 4 years, it’s time to give up the dream that anything can change the hearts and minds of those in the Trump Cult. Face it; We’re living in a country that contains about 40% deplorables. It should come with a warning label. \*Caution: Contents contains ignorance, bigotry, and may cause the outbreak of fascism. \* ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41188 "2020-03-10T14:02:06Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Face it; We’re living in a country that contains about 40% deplorables. It should come with a warning label. \*Caution: Contents contains ignorance, bigotry, and may cause the outbreak of fascism. \* Additional Warning: Deplorables are distributed unevenly throughout the country, with electoral voting majorities out of proportion to the population of the rest of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41189 "2020-03-10T14:21:13Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Believe me, I feel your pain. Do read that whole article and see if things cited that he has mismanaged do seem to be reaching into people’s lives in a way that hasn’t happened heretofore. That it will have an effect, there is no doubt. But the notion that his hardcore supporters will turn on him is naive in a very 2016 way. His approval ratings (distinct from his re-election chances) were never high to begin with (all things considered, they are abysmal considering the economy to date). They’re not going to change. Also don’t forget, polling has consistently already shown him to be behind in a head-to-head against all the major Democratic nominees (for popular vote, anyway). There is, of course, great uncertainty in what March tells you about November and the electoral college is distinct from the popular vote. Aside from electoral chances, if you do believe his most ardent supporters will choose now to finally lay blame at his feet rather than on “fake news” or the Democrats or anybody else, I have a line of bridges in which you may be interested. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41190 "2020-03-10T14:27:43Z")
Tough room. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41191 "2020-03-10T14:37:09Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Tough room. No one is allowed to have hope. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41192 "2020-03-10T14:55:10Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > And yet, his approval rating hasn’t blipped. People are still trying to apply conventional wisdom, or any wisdom at all, to the support for Trump. The GOP voters and, in particular, Trump supporters do not care. If something makes Trump look bad, then it is fake. If it is undeniably not fake, then it is the Democrats fault. How? Why? Doesn’t matter. This is a post-truth world. This. It’s been this since election day in 2016. It will be this until he is out of office. I still can’t believe anyone thinks any different, although it is amusing to see “Maybe THIS will be his undoing!” every week 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41193 "2020-03-10T15:10:38Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > This. It’s been this since election day in 2016. It will be this until he is out of office. > > I still can’t believe anyone thinks any different, although it is amusing to see “Maybe THIS will be his undoing!” every week 🙂 I agree with this, and also with ThelmaLou. There will be no undoing, until he’s finally undone – and I believe that will be Election Day 2020. His approval rating will stay in the low 40’s forever, because those 40% get their news from a source who tells them he walks on water. But in November, those 40% may not be sufficiently motivated to get out and vote, whereas the other 60% are righteously outraged and will turn out in record numbers, and will all vote for the Democrat this time. It may be close in a few swing states, but Trump’s reign of terror will end this year. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41194 "2020-03-10T15:31:06Z")
As I noted long ago, even as Russian tanks had free rein on the streets of Berlin, Hitler still had millions of supporters who believed in their guy. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41195 "2020-03-10T15:32:28Z")
I said this over a year ago. If someone’s still supporting Trump now, they’re going to be supporting him come November and will vote for him no matter what the economy is doing or which of his cronies is being thrown into prison. Hug, then, revile them, call them demon spawn, it doesn’t matter. The Democrats need to go after the 1/3 of eligible voters who didn’t vote at all in 2016 and convince _them_ their vote _does_ matter or we’re facing a four year renewal on [this](https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/to?iso=20210120T12&p0=263&msg=No+more+Trump&font=cursive). ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41196 "2020-03-10T16:02:35Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > But in November, those 40% may not be sufficiently motivated to get out and vote, whereas the other 60% are righteously outraged and will turn out in record numbers, and will all vote for the Democrat this time. It may be close in a few swing states, but Trump’s reign of terror will end this year. I give this 50/50 odds of happening 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41197 "2020-03-10T16:03:37Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > 826 pages in this thread alone about what an incompetent fucking buffoon Trump really is. Nobody who has followed or posted here can possibly need any more convincing of his utter failure as a human being, let alone president. > > But ~63M are not reading this thread and a negligible number would be convinced otherwise if they did. I think most of them will still come out and vote for Trump for reasons that have nothing to do with everything in that article being true. If fact, they will vote for him despite and in spite of it all being true. > > The only things that stands a real chance of getting Trump out of office is that many more people will come out in November to cast a vote against the orange menace. > > I’m sorry if that takes the spring out of your step, but after nearly 4 years, it’s time to give up the dream that anything can change the hearts and minds of those in the Trump Cult. Face it; We’re living in a country that contains about 40% deplorables. It should come with a warning label. \*Caution: Contents contains ignorance, bigotry, and may cause the outbreak of fascism. \* You may be right, but its too early to tell for sure. The point of the article is that unlike the more abstract fiascos of Russian meddling, dismal foreign policy, science suppression, and all purpose unpresidentialness, this is going to eventually hurt individual Americans in ways that they cannot ignore. Other than media reports there is no way for the average American to distinguish a world in which the president abused his power for political gain, versus one where he had a perfect phone call. When confronted with a world in which their mother is left to drown in her won mucus because there aren’t enough ventilators, their shale gas jobs are going away as the price of oil is less than the price of production, and no one is visiting their bed and breakfast because they are too scared to travel, it not so easy to simply dismiss it as fake news. His approval ratings are unchanged because the pandemic hasn’t actually hit. There have only been a few dozen deaths so far, and although the stock market has taken a bit of a tumble ([fake news buy on the dips, folks](https://www.ft.com/content/399783e2-57e9-11ea-a528-dd0f971febbc)), for the most part people are going about their daily lives. Its not going to be until the shit really hits the fan and those few deaths turn into, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands, that we will see how well his supporters can ignore a reality that they are experiencing first hand. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41198 "2020-03-10T16:11:15Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I agree with this, and also with ThelmaLou. There will be no undoing, until he’s finally undone – and I believe that will be Election Day 2020. His approval rating will stay in the low 40’s forever, because those 40% get their news from a source who tells them he walks on water. > But in November, those 40% may not be sufficiently motivated to get out and vote, whereas the other 60% are righteously outraged and will turn out in record numbers, and will all vote for the Democrat this time. It may be close in a few swing states, but Trump’s reign of terror will end this year. To balance my previous optimistic post, here’s a cloud to darken your day. There is also the possibility that one side is concerned about gathering in large groups at crowed urban polling stations and so stays home, while the other side is convinced that the corona virus is just a bad cold, and no reason not to head to the polls. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41199 "2020-03-10T16:12:39Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Its not going to be until the shit really hits the fan and those few deaths turn into, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands, that we will see how well his supporters can ignore a reality that they are experiencing first hand. I hope you are correct, but there are already extant conspiracy theories making this a Chinese bioweapon, a bioweapon funded by the Democrats (!), and “not all that serious”. People can and will get sick and die but blame can always be deflected to somebody else. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41200 "2020-03-10T16:18:45Z")
By the time November rolls around, it will all be over, or…it will all be over. ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41201 "2020-03-10T16:23:18Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > As I noted long ago, even as Russian tanks had free rein on the streets of Berlin, Hitler still had millions of supporters who believed in their guy. But Russian tanks in Berlin was a _good_ thing. Long Cold War leads to a long cold conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41202 "2020-03-10T16:29:17Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > _“Bin Laden Determined To Strike In US”_ 2, Electric Boogaloo: Next week is National Sunshine Week, which according to the broadcast email we got here in my agency, is: > [@](#): > > an annual observance intended to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Buahahahaha!!! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41203 "2020-03-10T16:38:27Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Its not going to be until the shit really hits the fan and those few deaths turn into, hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands, that we will see how well his supporters can ignore a reality that they are experiencing first hand. Sure. "It’s Obama’s fault! It’s Obamacare! Democrats did this! Only I can stop this by being re-elected. Don’t let the fake news win! Yokel - “Well, garsh! I better vote Trump again or else things will only get worse with those socialist Democrats! President said!” :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [March 10, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41204 "2020-03-10T17:15:34Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > By the time November rolls around, it will all be over, or…it will all be over. Perfectly put. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2059) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2061)