# 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:** 2095
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41886 "2020-03-27T14:37:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > All those numbers… who knew there were so many numbers?? Make them go away! Can Trump invent so many numbers even he can’t understand them all? ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41887 "2020-03-27T14:45:59Z")
I’m surprised he’s willing to even look at numbers, considering they’re Arabic. ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41888 "2020-03-27T14:51:51Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m surprised he’s willing to even look at numbers, considering they’re Arabic. This is why he hires “short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.” 😉 [source for quote](https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12270880/donald-trump-racist-racism-history) ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41889 "2020-03-27T14:55:01Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Can Trump invent so many numbers even he can’t understand them all? Maybe someone should introduce him to the concept of “imaginary numbers,” which, let’s face it, sounds like a hop, skip, and a jump from FAKE NUMBERS! 😛 > [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m surprised he’s willing to even look at numbers, considering they’re Arabic. He probably doesn’t know this but someone should tell him immediately. ---
**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 27, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41890 "2020-03-27T14:58:35Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > It continues to amaze me how people can’t grok the concept of exponential growth. Like we’ve gone from 100 cases to 1000 cases in a few days and people have just normalized to that new number, “Well 1000 cases isn’t too bad.” They just seem to be incapable of continuing that line in their heads up to 100,000 and see the inevitable future of people dying in hallways. Maybe they need a simple example. [Pennies on a chessboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_and_chessboard_problem). [Video illustrating exponential growth.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uka5owZdFDI) ---
**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 27, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41891 "2020-03-27T15:21:16Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > [As Trump signals readiness to break with experts, his online base assails Fauci](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/as-trump-signals-readiness-to-break-with-experts-his-online-base-assails-fauci/2020/03/26/3802de14-6df6-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.html) > > Who knew? Fauci, who has led NIAID since the '80s, is a “Deep State” plant whose goal is not to combat this outbreak but to bring down Trump by advocating preventive measures that will crash the economy. > > This really will be a case of Trump supporters cutting off their nose to spite their face. > > Edit: I just saw this video from The Young Turks: > > [Dr. Fauci Conspiracy Theories Spread By Right-wingers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mBH1s-yhBw) Of course [we know who Individual-ONE will replace](https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1243348665651154944) Fauci with. The perfect “doctor” to deal with a hoax pandemic: Dr. Oz. I mean, how could a con man not adore a scam artist? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41892 "2020-03-27T15:24:10Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > [After Considering $1 Billion Price Tag for Ventilators, White House Has Second Thoughts](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/us/politics/coronavirus-ventilators-trump.html). > > $1 Billion is too much money for 80,000 ventilators for some to stomach. We are edging closer to being able to calculate the exact value that Republicans put on human lives. > > Too be fair, this might be one of the ‘death panels’ that they told us were coming. Someone please check my math, but 80K ventilators at a total cost of $1 billion works out to $12,500 per unit. If the Internet is to be believed, new respiratory ventilators cost somewhere between $25-50K depending on features. Chevy Ventilators = bargain! Of course, they will show up far too late to ameliorate the present crisis. Oh, well, if this thing resurges next autumn, as some are predicting… ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41893 "2020-03-27T15:37:32Z")
A couple more examples of the Trump Administration’s incompetence and corruption leading to a worsening of the pandemic. [WaPo is reporting](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/coronavirus-government-mask-stockpile/2020/03/26/89d729c8-6f5b-11ea-96a0-df4c5d9284af_story.html) that there are 1.5 million of the coveted N95 masks (they’re expired, but the CDC says they can be used for the outbreak) in a warehouse in Indiana. Rather than send those masks to the health care professionals who are badly in need of them in LA or NY or even to FEMA, the Trump administration has decided to give them to … the Department of Transportation. And, [USA today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2020/03/27/coronavirus-test-officials-botched-rollout-derailed-containment/5080781002/) is reporting that the fuckups about testing for Covid 19 early in the crises are having catastrophic effects. “From its biggest cities to its smallest towns, America’s chance to contain the coronavirus crisis came and went in the seven weeks since U.S. health officials botched the testing rollout and then misled scientists in state laboratories about this critical early failure. Federal regulators failed to recognize the spiraling disaster and were slow to relax the rules that prevented labs and major hospitals from advancing a backup.” ---
**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 27, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41894 "2020-03-27T15:44:58Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I hope this doesn’t backfire. Calling trump names and pointing out his incompetence backfired bigtime on Hillary. She didn’t have the advantage of somebody’s Nana cooling next to them while they listened as she critiqued. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41895 "2020-03-27T15:50:41Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > A couple more examples of the Trump Administration’s incompetence and corruption leading to a worsening of the pandemic. An opinion piece summary of slumlord Jared Kushner’s role in this: [Don’t Worry, America, Jared Kushner Is Going to Save You From COVID-19](https://www.thedailybeast.com/dont-worry-america-jared-kushner-is-going-to-save-you-from-covid-19?ref=scroll) > [@](#): > > Wednesday, during the latest installment of his daily briefings that have become must-see TV, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he spoke with Jared Kushner. You know Kushner—the president’s son-in-law. The president’s son-in-law is a member of the president’s COVID-19 taskforce, but he is not a doctor or an elected official. In fact, Jared has no experience handling pandemics, or any medical background whatsoever. Jared Kushner doesn’t know about science or medicine but Cuomo must appeal to him for help from the federal government. > > And that’s not the only place the president’s son-in-law has popped up the last few days. One of the biggest questions we’ve all been puzzling over is, why won’t the president invoke the wartime Defense Production Act to force companies to make ventilators? > > He “signed two executive orders citing provisions of the Defense Production Act” but then refused to use those provisions. Later it was revealed that Trump refused to use the wartime law “reportedly after corporations successfully lobbied his top adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.” Meanwhile, Cuomo holds continual pressers that have the same refrain again and again: “We need the federal help, and we need the federal help now.” ---
**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:** [March 27, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41896 "2020-03-27T15:57:23Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > It continues to amaze me how people can’t grok the concept of exponential growth. Like we’ve gone from 100 cases to 1000 cases in a few days and people have just normalized to that new number, “Well 1000 cases isn’t too bad.” They just seem to be incapable of continuing that line in their heads up to 100,000 and see the inevitable future of people dying in hallways. Ditto this ^^^ People in this country know just enough about statistics and data to be dangerous. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2020, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41897 "2020-03-27T16:01:44Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Someone please check my math, but 80K ventilators at a total cost of $1 billion works out to $12,500 per unit. If the Internet is to be believed, new respiratory ventilators cost somewhere between $25-50K depending on features. Chevy Ventilators = bargain! > > Of course, they will show up far too late to ameliorate the present crisis. Oh, well, if this thing resurges next autumn, as some are predicting… [This page](https://hcpresources.medtronic.com/blog/high-acuity-ventilator-cost-guide) on Medtronic’s website says they cost $25,000-50,000. So yes, a billion dollars to retool a factory and produce ventilators isn’t going to get you 80,000 of them. ---
**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 27, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41898 "2020-03-27T16:06:16Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > She didn’t have the advantage of somebody’s Nana cooling next to them while they listened as she critiqued. Hmmm… there is that… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41899 "2020-03-27T16:06:24Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > [This page](https://hcpresources.medtronic.com/blog/high-acuity-ventilator-cost-guide) on Medtronic’s website says they cost $25,000-50,000. So yes, a billion dollars to retool a factory and produce ventilators isn’t going to get you 80,000 of them. Is that production cost or sale cost? ---
**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:** [March 27, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41900 "2020-03-27T16:16:50Z")
I assume that’s sales cost. But how much of the billion is needed for fixed costs? And if, hypothetically, the US government does manage to produce and distribute 80,000 ventilators at cost, that’s going to decimate the commercial ventilator business for the next decade. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41901 "2020-03-27T17:00:13Z")
The NY Times (god bless them) just launched the results of their effort to track CV cases at the county level. Their article (paywalled) says (bolding mine): > [@NY Times](#): > > As the coronavirus has spread across the United States, killing hundreds of people and sickening tens of thousands more, \*\*comprehensive data on the extent of the outbreak has been difficult to come by. > No single agency has provided the public with an accurate, up-to-date record of coronavirus cases, tracked to the county level. \*\* To fill the gap, The New York Times has launched a round-the-clock effort to tally every known coronavirus cases in the United States. Kudos to the Times, and a giant Fuck You to the Trump CV Response Team. This is _your_ job, assholes. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41902 "2020-03-27T17:40:23Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > The NY Times (god bless them) just launched the results of their effort to track CV cases at the county level. Their article (paywalled) says (bolding mine): > > Kudos to the Times, and a giant Fuck You to the Trump CV Response Team. This is _your_ job, assholes. But that would reduce FREEDOM!! Everyone should do their own tracking independently! Obviously that’s way more efficient! /S ---
**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 27, 2020, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41903 "2020-03-27T17:49:39Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Kudos to the Times, and a giant Fuck You to the Trump CV Response Team. This is _your_ job, assholes. No, that’s what their job is supposed to be. I’m sure we all know what job they’re actually doing. 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 27, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41904 "2020-03-27T18:00:14Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > But that would reduce FREEDOM!! Everyone should do their own tracking independently! Obviously that’s way more efficient! /S In fact, it’s practically communism to have the government track disease cases. Everyone knows that the free market will do a better job of this. Unless it’s the horrible New York Times, which is run by Godless Librerals. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41905 "2020-03-27T18:14:55Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > that’s going to decimate the commercial ventilator business for the next decade. To me that is entirely the wrong thing to be thinking about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2094) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2096)