# 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:** 210
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4181 "2017-05-10T20:36:36Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Not just Reagan–the allegory has been in political use since at least Kennedy–but yes, Trump is trying to invoke a Reagan-esque popular appeal by borrowing the langauge just as he did with “Make American Great Again!” Ironically, the phrase is borrowed from Jesus’ “Sermon On The Mount”, and specifically the parable of “Salt and Light” which was about humility and compassion, two qualities that Trump and everyone he surrounds himself monumentally lack. The speech is retold in John 8, including the famously misquoted, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first,” which is another knucklebiter given how many among the Trump coterie are clearly not “without sin” in either the Biblical or legal sense. > > The depth of Trump’s lies and errant misquotations vastly exceed the depth of his character. > > Stranger [John Winthrop](http://www.ushistory.org/us/3c.asp) (future governor of Mass Bay Colony) wanted to make the Colony the “city upon the hill.” ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4182 "2017-05-10T20:43:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > How is Betsy DeVos even…anything? Other than her family giving money to the Republican party, she has a complete lack of even superficial qualifications for her role. Her brother is Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, and [he allegedly plays a role in the Russia CT.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html?utm_term=.3a8082d4f7e8) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4183 "2017-05-10T20:49:39Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > All of Trump’s campaign statements just vanished from [his website](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/), but you can still buy all of his shitty merchandise. Does it matter? Not ONE damn thing he ever said in his life was truth anyway. Besides, it’s the internet. I am sure lots of people already had his bullshit downloaded and archived for easy re-uploading. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4184 "2017-05-10T20:50:44Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > How is Betsy DeVos even…anything? Other than her family giving money to the Republican party, she has a complete lack of even superficial qualifications for her role. No education experience, no administrative experience, no significant financial experience with large loan-offering institutions, for fuck’s sake she’s never even had to take out a loan for herself. I guess we’re lucky that she hasn’t mandated that students start selling Amway products to fund their education and forcing them to endure Neurocore treatments as part of realigning their moral compasses. At least putting Scott Pruitt in charge of the EPA or Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy made some kind of sense in terms of fulfilling an agenda, or Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation in order to suck up to Mitch McConnell. The DeVos appointment is just pure cronyism for its own sake, and putting an apocalyptic evangelist in a Cabinet level position to boot. > > Stranger I thought it probably was a side deal with her brother: [Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/blackwater-founder-held-secret-seychelles-meeting-to-establish-trump-putin-back-channel/2017/04/03/95908a08-1648-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html?utm_term=.6223d218e416) > [@](#): > > The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladimir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump, according to U.S., European and Arab officials. “And, by the way, my sister wants to be Secretary of Education.” > [@raventhief](#): > > [John Winthrop](http://www.ushistory.org/us/3c.asp) (future governor of Mass Bay Colony) wanted to make the Colony the “city upon the hill.” As a personal aside, my ~11th great-grandfather was personally recruited by Winthrop to come to Massachusetts from England in 1630. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4185 "2017-05-10T20:51:37Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > They’re trying to borrow the (alleged) glory of the Reagan administration. That was one of his big campaign slogans, America as the biblical shining city on a hill. … and that was also when the “religious right” and dominionists started to increase their influence over government, both a the federal and the state levels. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4186 "2017-05-10T20:55:27Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Sarah Hucakbee, in her press conference today, claimed the Democrats are being hypocrites for being upset about the Comey firing. Yeah, it has nothing today with the timing and the optics, it’s all about making the other side in the political process into the bad guys. Meanwhile Spicer is hiding. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4187 "2017-05-10T20:57:13Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > Weird, wild stuff! That’s just insane. Get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4188 "2017-05-10T21:05:54Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Reporter arrested for repeatedly trying to get HHS Secretary Tom Price to answer questions about Trumpcare. > [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/business/media/reporter-arrested-tom-price.html?\_r=0](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/business/media/reporter-arrested-tom-price.html?_r=0) Cabinet members get Secret Service Protection? ---
**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:** [May 10, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4189 "2017-05-10T21:07:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Stay classy, Trump. > > The version I heard was Comey was speaking to FBI recruits/trainees with the TV on behind him, when the news was announced. This deliberate humiliation of Comey may prove to have been an expensive indulgence of Trump’s arrogance: people in the FBI _who know stuff_ may be feeling it as an insult to the FBI itself. Look for leaks in the coming days. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4190 "2017-05-10T21:20:52Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Which one was that? The current US president rode in on DIC. What’s DIC? That term hasn’t come up in any of my sessions so far. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4191 "2017-05-10T21:23:05Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Meanwhile Spicer is hiding. It’s the smart move, and from a guy that hasn’t been known for making many intelligent decisions. But we miss our little Mr. Spicy, Debate Team Captain of the most losingest school in the division. How are we going to know the difference between a fence and a fence-like bollard “wall” without him? #LetHimMisspeak Stranger ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4192 "2017-05-10T21:45:30Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > This deliberate humiliation of Comey may prove to have been an expensive indulgence of Trump’s arrogance: people in the FBI _who know stuff_ may be feeling it as an insult to the FBI itself. > > Look for leaks in the coming days. I don’t think there’ll be leaks. I would like to think (and I hope) that the FBI is better than compromising national security. That said - he’s repeatedly insulted the intelligence services. Firing Comey is just the latest in a long line of stuff including his treatment of them pre-inauguration and that speech in front of the wall at the CIA. Over the long term, that could translate in to less enthusiasm for some of his ideas and his agenda. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4193 "2017-05-10T21:49:53Z")
I think there is a good chance for a torrent of leaks. Plenty of stuff to talk about without compromising security. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4194 "2017-05-10T21:55:41Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > What’s DIC? That term hasn’t come up in any of my sessions so far. Well, dickishness, of course. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4195 "2017-05-10T21:59:18Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I don’t think there’ll be leaks. There just _has_ to be some sort of joke in there about Muscovite courtesans. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4196 "2017-05-10T22:04:34Z")
So how are the disillusion youth over a F_X News spinning the Comey thingy? (Here’s hoping someone else is watching F_X so I don’t have to). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4197 "2017-05-10T22:36:51Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > So how are the disillusion youth over a F_X News spinning the Comey thingy? (Here’s hoping someone else is watching F_X so I don’t have to). This was on at the gym to when I changed clothes for my run. They were talking about how hypocritical the dems are for voicing their disapproval of his firing. When I came back by 35 minutes later, they were still on that. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4198 "2017-05-10T22:39:47Z")
> [@BigAppleBucky](#): > > **Words and phrases 45 and his administration are clueless about** > > Recuse > Conflict of Interest > Due Diligence > Blind Trust > Affordable Health Care > Truth Under investigation ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4199 "2017-05-10T22:50:54Z")
Medium rare ---
**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:** [May 10, 2017, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/4200 "2017-05-10T22:59:11Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Cabinet members get Secret Service Protection? Only Betsy DeVos because she claims she’s getting death threats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=209) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=211)