# 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:** 2096
**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, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41906 "2020-03-27T18:43:52Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > To me that is entirely the wrong thing to be thinking about. Don’t worry. The Trump administration’s solution will probably entail making all those lazy laid-off people who will receive stimulus checks to come into clinics and hospitals and use much cheaper fireplace billows to manually ventilate patients. Win, win for Trump and guys like Lindsey Graham [who are complaining about how those checks will incentivize people into not trying to work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8u3EYbv_wU). Those unemployed people will have to earn their checks now, and billows must be orders of magnitude less costly than real ventilators. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41907 "2020-03-27T18:50:27Z")
So being stuck “working” from home recently, I’ve been spending far too much time on the web. On a whim I typed this query into Google: “what has that stupid sob done now.” [Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk00eiChTwfFGAnzpQkp_i9lwMIdhPw%3A1585334702705&source=hp&ei=rkl-XtnAJ-X19AOY2YYY&q=what+has+that+stupid+sob+done+now&oq=what+has+that+stupid+sob+done+now&gs_l=psy-ab.3...1859.15451..16438...1.0..0.117.3015.22j11......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131j0j35i39j0i3j0i13j0i22i30j0i333j33i160j33i299.uy8bDfimoNA&ved=0ahUKEwjZz7T-p7voAhXlOn0KHZisAQMQ4dUDCAg&uact=5) The results were enlightening. ---
**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, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41908 "2020-03-27T18:50:51Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > > [@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. It’s a consideration if it means the existing players in the industry get out of the ventilator business. Where will we be when these 80,000 ventilators reach end of life? Who will be there to supply new ones? Perhaps, if 80,000 ventilators are built under this project, perhaps they should be stored in the Strategic Ventilator Reserve when the COVID-19 emergency ends. That, at least, avoids flooding the market. ---
**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, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41909 "2020-03-27T19:01:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Perhaps, if 80,000 ventilators are built under this project, perhaps they should be stored in the Strategic Ventilator Reserve when the COVID-19 emergency ends. Overseen, of course, by Top Men. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41910 "2020-03-27T19:24:47Z")
Individual 1 first claims that we don’t need that many respirators, then demands that GM open a closed plant to start making new respirators. Thing is, GM doesn’t own that plant any more, and Individual 1 knows it because he talked about it a year ago (also, he tweeted his demand to a nonexistent Twitter account) [https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year](https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year) ---
**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 27, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41911 "2020-03-27T19:49:40Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > So being stuck “working” from home recently, I’ve been spending far too much time on the web. > > On a whim I typed this query into Google: “what has that stupid sob done now.” Try typing in “how bad are we fucked”. > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 first claims that we don’t need that many respirators, then demands that GM open a closed plant to start making new respirators. Thing is, GM doesn’t own that plant any more, and Individual 1 knows it because he talked about it a year ago (also, he tweeted his demand to a nonexistent Twitter account) > [https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year](https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year) He can’t even remember what he said ten minutes ago. You expect him to be consistent (or even honest) over the course of a year? ---
**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 27, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41912 "2020-03-27T20:00:01Z")
He’s making lots of demands lately. “Americans HAVE to get back to work!” “GM and Ford MUST make ventilators!” Who the fuck does he think he is? ---
**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, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41913 "2020-03-27T20:16:01Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Who the fuck does he think he is? Emperor. I figured that was pretty clear. I wanted to add a smilie at the end of that but nothing works… ---
**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, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41914 "2020-03-27T20:16:07Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 first claims that we don’t need that many respirators, then demands that GM open a closed plant to start making new respirators. Thing is, GM doesn’t own that plant any more, and Individual 1 knows it because he talked about it a year ago (also, he tweeted his demand to a nonexistent Twitter account) > [https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year](https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year) But a year is **so long** ago! Who can remember back that far? In fairness, if it had happened yesterday, trump wouldn’t remember that either. ---
**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, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41915 "2020-03-27T20:39:31Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > But a year is **so long** ago! Who can remember back that far? In fairness, if it had happened yesterday, trump wouldn’t remember that either. He can’t remember as far back as the beginning of a two word sentence. ---
**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 27, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41916 "2020-03-27T20:39:47Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > “GM and Ford MUST make ventilators!” Let’s be fair here. They are willing to do this should he give the legal order. But the chickenshit only wants to bluster and have other people solve his problems for him without doing even the minimum amount of work involved in signing a document. ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41917 "2020-03-27T20:42:08Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > So being stuck “working” from home recently, I’ve been spending far too much time on the web. > > On a whim I typed this query into Google: “what has that stupid sob done now.” > > [Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk00eiChTwfFGAnzpQkp_i9lwMIdhPw%3A1585334702705&source=hp&ei=rkl-XtnAJ-X19AOY2YYY&q=what+has+that+stupid+sob+done+now&oq=what+has+that+stupid+sob+done+now&gs_l=psy-ab.3...1859.15451..16438...1.0..0.117.3015.22j11......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131j0j35i39j0i3j0i13j0i22i30j0i333j33i160j33i299.uy8bDfimoNA&ved=0ahUKEwjZz7T-p7voAhXlOn0KHZisAQMQ4dUDCAg&uact=5) > > The results were enlightening. My favorite is [Donald Trump"s Non- Benign Boobery](https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2020/03/donald-trumps-non-benign-boobery/) ---
**Author:** ![slumtrimpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@slumtrimpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slumtrimpet)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41918 "2020-03-27T20:45:11Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Individual 1 first claims that we don’t need that many respirators, then demands that GM open a closed plant to start making new respirators. Thing is, GM doesn’t own that plant any more, and Individual 1 knows it because he talked about it a year ago (also, he tweeted his demand to a nonexistent Twitter account) > [https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year](https://politicaltribune.org/trump-sends-all-caps-demand-for-ventilators-to-wrong-gm-twitter-account-forgets-company-sold-factory-last-year) ‘Leadership theater’ Works just like ‘Security theater’ ---
**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, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41919 "2020-03-27T20:48:52Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Let’s be fair here. They are willing to do this should he give the legal order. But the chickenshit only wants to bluster and have other people solve his problems for him without doing even the minimum amount of work involved in signing a document. When I saw this tweet, my first thought was: Isn’t that what the Defense Production Act is for? He could either invoke the DPA and make it happen, or he can go on Twitter and bang his tiny fists in impotent rage. He chose the easy way, obviously, unsurprisingly. ---
**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 27, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41920 "2020-03-27T20:57:09Z")
Well, I have to eat my words now. GM has been ordered to make ventilators under the act. Trump did a 180 once he figured out nobody was listening to him on that particular bit of bullshit he was spouting. ---
**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, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41921 "2020-03-27T21:06:47Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Overseen, of course, by Top Men. The Best Men. Very smart men, believe me. In terms of medical. ---
**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 27, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41922 "2020-03-27T21:22:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Dipstick turns down NY request for ventilators because he just doesn’t believe they need that many. So it’s the word of health experts vs Donald’s gut as to who gets to live. Be honest, Oranganus, it’s because you’re pissed that Cuomo looks like the leader that you can never be. Of course New York no longer needs ventilators. The Orange One moved to Florida. To Hell with those “losers” who stayed behind. > [@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. I thought the death panels were a Democratic Party plan? > [@dasmoocher](#): > > [Here’s another clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIgq3NNPvXw) from the progressive David Packman show (~4:00 mins long) where he shows Trump, besides being amazed there are infra-red thermometers, talking about how the US will soon be producing a lot of complex and sophisticated machines that are known as ventilators. Then Mike Pence at the podium says that ventilators are not complicated and companies are surging forward to produce them. > > So, > > Trump: ventilators are complex, sophisticated, computerized machines. > > Pence, immediately later: ventilators are simple and easy to make. > > Why, it’s like their message is confused. I bet the Orange One thinks a P-38 can opener is a complicated machine. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > I’m surprised he’s willing to even look at numbers, considering they’re Arabic. [No doubt](https://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/56-percent-of-americans-dont-think-we-should-teach-arabic-numerals-in-school/). > [@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. I thought the NYT had “unpaywalled” all of their articles relating to the corona virus. > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > He’s making lots of demands lately. “Americans HAVE to get back to work!” “GM and Ford MUST make ventilators!” > > Who the fuck does he think he is? He thinks he’s Pharaoh. Didn’t you see _The Ten Commandments_? “So shall it be written; so shall it be done!” > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Well, I have to eat my words now. GM has been ordered to make ventilators under the act. > > Trump did a 180 once he figured out nobody was listening to him on that particular bit of bullshit he was spouting. Let’s see. My father was an engineer and both of my older brothers are engineers. Going by trumpian logic, that means I’m immensely qualified to make comments on engineering issues, right? Ventilators and automobiles are completely different things. It might not even be possible to retool their factories without emptying the places and building all new machines from the ground up. Isn’t there anyone in that jackass’s orbit who will tell him, “You’ve already proven you’re a complete fuckup. You don’t need to hammer that point home on a daily basis while people are fucking dying because of you”? ---
**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 27, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41923 "2020-03-27T21:36:58Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Ventilators and automobiles are completely different things. It might not even be possible to retool their factories without emptying the places and building all new machines from the ground up. GM has already announced they are or will soon be ready to start producing up to 10000 ventilators a month, with first shipment (of less than 10000) in a month. But they’re not talking about re-opening a defunct plant like Trump said. They figured out the important bits themselves and let their engineers take the lead, partnering with Ventec (who actually are experts in respiratory devices), and getting approvals from the FDA. He’s just talking out his ass, as usual. They’re also going to start mass producing surgical masks. The real problem is he balked at the $1 Billion cost. GM claims they’ll do it at cost (and that $1 billion figure for 80000 ventilators seems legitimate given the market price for so many is higher than that), so it was Trump being Trump again. Considering he just signed a $2 Trillion bill, the numeracy is low with that one. The cherry on top is he once again spouted lies about how fast GM claimed they could produce them and tried to blame them again for, I dunno, not giving them away for free or magically producing 100000 on the spot. ---
**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 28, 2020, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41924 "2020-03-28T01:48:14Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Well, I have to eat my words now. GM has been ordered to make ventilators under the act. Is there a term for when the government tells businesses what they should produce? ---
**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:** [March 28, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/41925 "2020-03-28T02:12:42Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Is there a term for when the government tells businesses what they should produce? “Emergency due to lethal pandemic”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2095) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2097)