# 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:** 2067
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41325 "2020-03-12T17:48:51Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > It is really sad but predictable how bad things can get by having a leader so incompetent. All those people who looked the other way in order to make money will have a lot to answer for in the future. All the Republicans who knew better but did nothing. All the deplorables who wouldn’t own up to their name. All the shills. All the greedy. All the lazy. They won’t answer for anything. Their supporters will continue to blame everyone else for it, because otherwise those supporters would have to admit that they were wrong and the libtards were right all along. > [@Mikkel](#): > > The Danish government has today declared USA orange zone How apropos. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41326 "2020-03-12T17:50:17Z")
Deleted duplicate ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41327 "2020-03-12T17:54:30Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > They won’t answer for anything. Their supporters will continue to blame everyone else for it, because otherwise those supporters would have to admit that they were wrong and the libtards were right all along. > > How apropos. I originally read this as “the Dutch” and was like “but if anyone were oranger than us, it would be the Dutch!” ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41328 "2020-03-12T17:55:31Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Hey! What about the fungus among us? This is a virus; there’ll be no _Girl With All The Gifts_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41329 "2020-03-12T18:21:16Z")
> [@flip-68](#): > > Re: why would you ask that. That was the feedline from the article that sage rat stole his text from. It was a knowing nod to sage that he chose to ignore. It’s unclear what you’re referencing. ---
**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 12, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41330 "2020-03-12T18:34:08Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Der Bungle came in contact with a Brazilian dignitary on Saturday; the dignitary has since tested positive.](https://www.thedailybeast.com/fabio-wajngarten-brazilian-official-who-met-trump-at-mar-a-lago-reportedly-tests-positive-for-coronavirus) > > How’s that “hoax” thing workin’ out for ya? On the one hand, I’ll like to see him live long enough to be tried, convicted and hauled away in handcuffs. On the other, a nationally televised incoherent, drooling, shits himself, stroke would be fitting as well. But respiratory failure due to corona virus, while very instant karma, seems too good for him. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41331 "2020-03-12T18:59:05Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Again, this lacks context. The guy who left wasn’t just a “person who filled the pandemic preparation position”, he was Rear Admiral Timothy Ziemer, the senior director of global health and biodefense on the National Security Council who oversaw global health security issues. In addition, Tom Bossert, a homeland security adviser who recommended strong defenses against disease and biological warfare, was reportedly pushed out by Bolton in 2018 (he certainly left, under whatever circumstances). The teams operating under Ziemer were restructured elsewhere and never replaced, leading to a [bipartisan report on global health security](https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/publication/191122_EndingTheCycle_GHSC_WEB_FULL_11.22.pdf?utm_campaign=wp_the_health_202&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_health202) last year recommending that the NSC leadership on the issue be restored. > > So while one side has misrepresented what happened under the Trump administration with regard to pandemic identification and management, that doesn’t mean that the other side should either. I wasn’t writing for context, I was itemizing things that were flat out wrong. Say for example that Jim points at a green Granny Smith apple that is 3.5" diameter across the widest part. Rebecca says, “Jim, you stop pointing at that there orange! Oranges don’t like that!” I say, “Rebecca, a) that’s an apple not an orange and b) neither of those cares about being pointed at.” Now is it reasonable to follow my statement up by going, “Gee gosh, Sage, you’re missing the context! It’s not just some apple. It’s a Granny Smith apple that’s 3.5” diameter across the widest part! Pshaw!" I mean, yeah, that does add more context I suppose, but it’s not relevant context for the discussion. So say that Ziemer is a Rear Admiral. Yes that’s true. Does a human being turn into a “team” instead of still being an individual when they are promoted to being a Rear Admiral? Not that I’m aware of. You can make him into a five star general or the God Emperor of Planet Earth and he’s still not a team. Saying that a team was fired is counterfactual. It’s not lacking in context, it’s just flat out incorrect. Maybe the role was very important and integral to national security for just such a situation as this. Maybe it was a waste of space. I don’t know and the answer to that question would provide meaningful and valuable context to the matter. More importantly, that I can tell, no one that knows the answer to that question has been asked about it and had their response posted. The closest we can come to an answer, with the information available today, is by looking at who axed it and whether that person is an idiot. John Bolton axed it and, while some hate him as a war hawk, there’s no good reason to think that he would axe the position out of stupidity. Conceivably, it was an entirely useless role and, if it had been a team rather than a team, it would have been a useless team. Also conceivably, Bolton made a mistake and that was a dumb move on his part. We don’t know and it would be false, with the information available, to slam or praise him. And it’s false to take that the role was filled by a Rear Admiral that somehow thus it was integral to something. It just as well might have been a plush, cushy job for a former hero who needed a retirement income for all we know. The context tells us nothing relevant and is more likely to mislead than to aid, because the title sounds good. Likewise, I could create a position on the NSC called, “Leader in Chief of Curing Cancer for All Humanity, Gratis”, whose job description is to load new paper into the copy machine, for which he will be paid $400k a year, and get a company car. Should that role stay or go? Trump is certainly to blame for going on a purge of the National Security Council. But that is in the year 2020, not 2018. And in 2020, the role was already gone. Saying that Trump didn’t refill it is nonsensical. It would have been Bolton’s successor who would have restored the position, if he felt it was necessary. Yes, Trump is to blame for hiring Bolton and, thereby, at least somewhat to blame. But likewise, he could be thanked for the removal if, for example, it was an empty role for a friend of someone, taking bonus money unearned. We simply don’t know. ---
**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 12, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41332 "2020-03-12T19:10:35Z")
JesusFuckinChrist, remember two years ago when we were all concerned with what John Bolton knew and whether he would testify in front of congress? Good times. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41333 "2020-03-12T19:29:00Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I was just thinking on the way into work today, that of all possible crises a president could face (with possibly the exception of a race war), the is probably the one that is most tailor made to highlight Trump’s incompetence. > > \*\*Properly dealing with this crisis would require a president who is willing to listen to experts, tell hard truths to the public, taking actions that will result in short term hardship in the hopes of alleviating pain down the road. \*\* Its also one in which the solution will require assistance at all levels of society. The standard Republican policy of screw the poor in favor of the middle class and the rich isn’t going to work, as the disease can spread from the poor to the rich. This is succinct and accurate. May I quote you elsewhere? ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41334 "2020-03-12T19:29:48Z")
“JesusFuckinChrist, remember two [del]years[/del]months ago when we were all concerned with what John Bolton knew and whether he would testify in front of congress? Good times.” FTFY ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41335 "2020-03-12T19:37:09Z")
[Trump’s travel ban sidesteps his own European resorts](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/12/trump-coronavirus-travel-europe-resorts-126808) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump’s new European travel restrictions have a convenient side effect: They exempt nations where three Trump-owned golf resorts are located. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41336 "2020-03-12T19:45:07Z")
I wonder what my Trump supporting family’s excuse for supporting him will be now. Previously it was some version of “Yeah, but my 401K”. The markets have now wiped out over 80% of the gains under Trump making him vastly inferior to their 401ks than Obama. Yet something will still color their view against Obama, I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41337 "2020-03-12T19:47:31Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > “JesusFuckinChrist, remember two [del]years[/del]months ago when we were all concerned with what John Bolton knew and whether he would testify in front of congress? Good times.” > > FTFY Well there was an impeachment hearing, you know, with Adam Schiff leading a team of House Managers to act in a prosecutorial role in the Senate, against the President. The rules for that are in the Constitution and the Senate’s personal rulebook! Context man, yeesh! ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41338 "2020-03-12T19:51:31Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > I wonder what my Trump supporting family’s excuse for supporting him will be now. Previously it was some version of “Yeah, but my 401K”. The markets have now wiped out over 80% of the gains under Trump making him vastly inferior to their 401ks than Obama. > > Yet something will still color their view against Obama, I’m sure. The repubs response to this on my FB is Basically: “Imagine being so stupid you think Trump started the Corona virus.” Talk about gaslighting. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41339 "2020-03-12T19:56:03Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > The repubs response to this on my FB is Basically: “Imagine being so stupid you think Trump started the Corona virus.” > > Talk about gaslighting. I wish I could take credit for everything good and not get blame for anything bad. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41340 "2020-03-12T19:58:02Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > The standard Republican policy of screw the poor in favor of the middle class and the rich isn’t going to work, as the disease can spread from the poor to the rich. 😕 Hell, they’ve been screwing the middle class even _harder_ than they have the poor. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41341 "2020-03-12T20:03:28Z")
> [@fiveyearlurker](#): > > i wonder what my trump supporting family’s excuse for supporting him will be now. Previously it was some version of “yeah, but my 401k”. The markets have now wiped out over 80% of the gains under trump making him vastly inferior to their 401ks than obama. > > Yet something will still color their view against obama, i’m sure. iswydt ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41342 "2020-03-12T20:04:34Z")
nvm ---
**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 12, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41343 "2020-03-12T20:12:05Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > This is succinct and accurate. May I quote you elsewhere? Sure, thanks for the compliment :o ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41344 "2020-03-12T20:14:21Z")
Just checked my stocks and it looks like the Dow is on the verge of dropping 10% today. It’s been at ↓9.99% for a little while now. More than 2300 points today. A pandemic that’s killing old people and destroying his nest-egg may be just the nudge my old man needs to get off the Trump train. Heck, he told me yesterday they were thinking about cancelling their church services. \*That \*never happened under Obama! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2066) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2068)