# 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:** 2107
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42126 "2020-04-02T19:29:46Z")
They can still practice their religion because they can do it online. They’re not being stopped. What’s causing their insistence on in-person services? Do they want to stick it to the libs and prove that you won’t catch COVID if you’re a fundie? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42127 "2020-04-02T19:35:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think Trump’s plan is to do as little as possible, wait until people stop dying, count up how many people died, put out a number that is higher, claim that was the official estimate all along, and then take credit for keeping the deaths down to their actual number rather than his made up number. There ya go. He has taken the best estimate given by the experts of how many are going to die as a result of his incompetence and malevolence, then branded that number of deaths as being the result of his having acted “almost perfectly.” His base will be dumb enough to fall for that. We shouldn’t. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42128 "2020-04-02T19:38:34Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > They can still practice their religion because **they can do it online.** They’re not being stopped. What’s causing their insistence on in-person services? Do they want to stick it to the libs and prove that you won’t catch COVID if you’re a fundie? What if God still uses AOL? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42129 "2020-04-02T19:49:56Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Yes, and The Law states, very clearly: > > Congress shall make **no law** respecting an establishment of religion, o **r prohibiting the free exercise thereof** ; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; o **r the right of the people peaceably to assemble** , and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. > > Whether or not it is smart to do so, it IS a protected right, and government limiting first amendment rights could end up in the supreme court. And be shot down as blatantly unconstitutional. > > **Nothing in the FA of course, says that churches HAVE to attend services.** And the smart ones are suspending services. But they can’t be forced to. Be kind of weird if there was. That said, SCOTUS _has_ decided cases AGAINST plaintiffs arguing for FA protection of their dumbassery in the past, and quite likely will again before the dissolution of the Union. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42130 "2020-04-02T19:58:46Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Be kind of weird if there was. 🙂 I see people are latching onto the first part Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]; and saying “well you can practice religion at home”. Still, being forced to practice at home can be construed as “prohibiting the free exercise” of. What if you believe you must make a hajj to Mecca? but then ignoring the second part: Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people peaceably to assemble. You start letting the government set limits on first amendment rights and next thing we’ll be living in a dictatorship. Because these “temporary” restrictions have a funny way of becoming permanent. To me “no law” means no law. Quarantine is not listed as a valid reason to trample the constitution. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42131 "2020-04-02T20:05:01Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > They can still practice their religion because they can do it online. They’re not being stopped. What’s causing their insistence on in-person services? Do they want to stick it to the libs and prove that you won’t catch COVID if you’re a fundie? Well, yeah, a pastor here in Sacramento said his right to assemble was being violated. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42132 "2020-04-02T20:50:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 🙂 > > I see people are latching onto the first part > > Congress shall make no law … prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]; > > and saying “well you can practice religion at home”. Still, being forced to practice at home can be construed as “prohibiting the free exercise” of. What if you believe you must make a hajj to Mecca? > > but then ignoring the second part: > > Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people peaceably to assemble. > > You start letting the government set limits on first amendment rights and next thing we’ll be living in a dictatorship. Because these “temporary” restrictions have a funny way of becoming permanent. > > To me “no law” means no law. Quarantine is not listed as a valid reason to trample the constitution. If your hajj to Mecca can be demonstrated to be harmful to the rest of the public, then yeah it should be legal to prohibit it. These are unusual times. Sometimes sacrifices will have to be made. Your right to travel or leave your house should not preclude society’s right to have as few people as possible spreading this deadly and highly contagious germ. Also, the prohibition against gathering in large numbers is not being leveled against just one group. It’s uniform for everyone. Not discrimination, not a law against free practice of religion. It’s for everyone to promote public health. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42133 "2020-04-02T21:07:56Z")
You DO NOT HAVE TO go to Mecca every year either. And to quote Wikipedia > [@](#): > > It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42134 "2020-04-02T21:12:32Z")
This administration is completely incompetent: [Memo: Some in US may not get stimulus checks until August](https://apnews.com/58fd3ecc3c35e191e04a880a849b8d63). > [@](#): > > The document from the House Ways and Means Committee says the IRS will make about 60 million payments to Americans through direct deposit in mid-April, likely the week of April 13. The IRS has direct deposit information for these individuals from their 2018 or 2019 tax returns. > > Then, starting the week of May 4, the IRS will begin issuing paper checks to individuals, the memo says. The paper checks will be issued at a rate of about 5 million per week, which means it could take up to 20 weeks to get all the checks out. That timeline would delay some checks until the week of Aug. 17. Fat lot of good that’s going to do people. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42135 "2020-04-02T21:12:47Z")
As they’re inserting the tube that connects you to the ventilator remember, “The Constitution, is in fact a suicide pact!” CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42136 "2020-04-02T21:16:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > {…}Memo: Some in US may not get stimulus checks until August.Fat lot of good that’s going to do people. Fewer people alive to co-sign their checks in August! CMC fnord! ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42137 "2020-04-02T21:19:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The New York Times has an [article](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/02/us/coronavirus-social-distancing.html) that uses cellphone location data to track in which counties people stayed at home and in which they continued to travel as before. The ones where people continued to travel were mostly in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah, frankly Trump territory. The Northeast, Midwest and far West did a much better job of obeying the stay-at-home order. Utah? Funny enough, the predominant faith in that state has shut down all chapels, conducting services via teleconference, and shut down all their temples. That’s worldwide. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42138 "2020-04-02T21:20:21Z")
[Trump says it ‘doesn’t seem fair’ that 30 million Americans are uninsured and suggests he may expand Medicare or Medicaid](https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-says-he-might-help-millions-of-uninsured-americans-2020-4) > [@Trump](#): > > Trump said he believed he would “get to” addressing the problem and accused “the other group,” presumably Democrats, of ignoring it, though Democrats have long made healthcare a critical policy issue. Sen. Bernie Sanders has aggressively pushed “Medicare for All,” while former Vice President Joe Biden has advocated a public option, also known as “Medicare for all who want it.” > > “I think we’re going to get to it,” Trump said. “I don’t think the other group will get to it. They haven’t even spoken about it.” ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42139 "2020-04-02T21:26:34Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > They can still practice their religion because they can do it online. They’re not being stopped. What’s causing their insistence on in-person services? Do they want to stick it to the libs and prove that you won’t catch COVID if you’re a fundie? Don’t you remember their hero calling the virus a hoax? Dollars to donuts some of them still believe that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42140 "2020-04-02T21:27:47Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 🙂 > Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people peaceably to assemble. “Peaceably” being the key word. A massive church service in the middle of a pandemic is a disturbance of the peace. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42141 "2020-04-02T21:56:42Z")
Markets jumped in reaction to a single Trump tweet which claimed a deal between KSA and Russia. But, what deal? ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42142 "2020-04-02T22:23:56Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Markets jumped in reaction to a single Trump tweet which claimed a deal between KSA and Russia. > > But, what deal? Asylum for the clown in the White House? ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42143 "2020-04-02T22:24:34Z")
well, _yeeaaah_, MAGA, USA#1! The most recent WHO sit-report lists US foxtrump virus deaths at 996 _for the **day** _, pushing the US body count past Iran, China and UK. Thank you, great leader. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42144 "2020-04-02T22:27:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Markets jumped in reaction to a single Trump tweet which claimed a deal between KSA and Russia. > > But, what deal? Something about limiting oil production. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/42145 "2020-04-02T22:29:19Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Something about limiting oil production. Right, and how much, and **for how long**? They’re just going to forget that US shale exists? Okay. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2106) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2108)