# 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:** 2159
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43167 "2020-05-06T14:30:38Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Is there any doubt that Russia will once again help Trump? Any at all? Russia is dealing with its own COVID-19 outbreak, and frankly, I expect it to be worse there than here, percentage wise, because their healthcare system has been abysmal for decades. Perhaps their troll and bot farms will lose too many personnel to be able to have the same effect this time around. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43168 "2020-05-06T15:40:55Z")
Listening to the new yesterday, I was still annoyed at how they are seriously understating the extent of the pandemic in the US. I’m not trying to be alarmist, but I’d like to see some proportion. To say that the US has more cases than any other country is true, but grotesquely short of the reality. To paraphrase John Allen Paulos in _Innumeracy_, this is like a sign at the Lincoln Tunnel that reads “New York City – Population more than 7” - The United States has more than 1/3 of all the world’s reported cases, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus site at [COVID-19 Map - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html) - The United States has comfortably (uncomfortably?) more than FIVE TIMES the number of reported cases as the next-highest country, Spain. - In fact, the US has more cases than the NEXT SIX HIGHEST COUNTRIES COMBINED Most significantly, the number of cases I the US is still increasing, while those in other countries are decreasing. If you compare plots of new reported cases, those countries “opening up” have clearly not merely “flattened the Curve”, but are well past the peak and seeing very significant declines. The US has barely declined at all. On this page – [New COVID-19 Cases Worldwide - Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center](https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/new-cases) – You can see how the chosen countries have pretty much succeeded in stopping the pandemic, except for Brazil (which is still increasing) and the UK (which resembles the US more than any other listed country). This is manifestly NOT a time to be “opening up the country”. Other places got their rates down in a few months (not Three Years, as Trump is saying. Even Italy, the “poster child” for bad infestation, is way down), and the US should be able to with proper measures. Trying to re-open the economy now is a call for disaster. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43169 "2020-05-06T16:32:32Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Russia is dealing with its own COVID-19 outbreak, and frankly, I expect it to be worse there than here, percentage wise, because their healthcare system has been abysmal for decades. Perhaps their troll and bot farms will lose too many personnel to be able to have the same effect this time around. \*\*This just in: \*\*Doper **Morgyn** has just mysteriously [fallen from a window](https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/04/europe/russia-medical-workers-windows-intl/index.html). When asked if he had witnessed the event, a completely innocent bystander said “Da. I saw. Was fault of moose and squirrel.” ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43170 "2020-05-06T16:53:10Z")
> [@Donald "Jenius" Trump](#): > > We had a lot of people that refused to allow the country to be successful. They wasted a lot of time on Russia, Russia, Russia. That turned out to be a total hoax. Then they did Ukraine, Ukraine, and that was a total hoax. Then they impeached the president of the United States for absolutely no reason. Yes, and such a lengthy impeachment trial; what with all those witnesses that were allowed to testify, and documents presented. But I guess as an innocent man, you had nothing to hide. And then even testifying…I really respect your honesty and integrity. Or am I thinking of the mirror universe again? ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43171 "2020-05-06T16:54:07Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Just in case you’ve been wondering why the damn dirty lying sack of dung in the White House has not bee doing his job, [here is his latest excuse](https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/trump-blames-coronavirus-medical-shortages-005247234.html): > > What are all those things he says have kept him from doig his job? > > Odd that he did not mention all the golfing, inspector general firing, grafting, constitution breaking, and murderer-pardoning he managed to squeeze into his oh so busy schedule. So he’s still blaming the events of 2019 for his complete fuckups in 2020? This will probably work quite well with his base, who don’t even have a basic concept of uni-directional time flow. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43172 "2020-05-06T18:59:59Z")
Explaining why, though some of you may die, it’s a sacrifice he is willing to make: > [@Cadet Bone Spurs](#): > > I’m viewing our great citizens of this country to a certain extent, and to a large extent, as warriors. They’re warriors. ---
**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 6, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43173 "2020-05-06T19:01:55Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > The Lincoln Memorial would be appropriate for the Trump/Pence ceremony of _seppuku_. Acting President Pelosi should take the oath in a private setting. _We’re sorry, Mr. President, the Stuntmen’s Union called a strike. You guys are going to have to do this yourselves. **Let’s see if we can get this in one take, people. Roll cameras. Action.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43174 "2020-05-06T19:02:13Z")
If I was a warrior, I’d kill…oh never mind. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43175 "2020-05-06T19:22:08Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Russia is dealing with its own COVID-19 outbreak, and frankly, I expect it to be worse there than here, percentage wise, because their healthcare system has been abysmal for decades. Perhaps their troll and bot farms will lose too many personnel to be able to have the same effect this time around. Unlike Donald Trump, the Russians can multitask. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43176 "2020-05-06T19:34:57Z")
Is that the same thing as a Social Justice Warrior? ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43177 "2020-05-06T20:02:48Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Most significantly, the number of cases I the US is still increasing, while those in other countries are decreasing. If you compare plots of new reported cases, those countries “opening up” have clearly not merely “flattened the Curve”, but are well past the peak and seeing very significant declines. The US has barely declined at all. Actually, it is worse than this, as pointed out by Rachel Maddow and Andrew Cuomo: The only reason the U.S. is declining at all is because of the fairly steep declines in the New York City metro region. If you subtract that out and look at the rest of the U.S., cases are still on an upward trend. ---
**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 6, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43178 "2020-05-06T20:05:19Z")
The Supreme Court is staying at home doing hearings on cases being brought before them. The case being heard this morning is the Individual 1 administration’s decision to allow companies to not provide birth control. Ruth Badfer Ginsburg is hearing the case from her hospital bed. > **[Ruth Bader Ginsburg destroys Trump solicitor general in live hearing from her...](https://www.alternet.org/2020/05/ruth-bader-ginsburg-destroys-trump-solicitor-general-in-live-hearing-from-her-hospital-bed)** > > Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg blasted the Trump administration for a rule that allows additional businesses to opt-out of providing no-cost birth control for women.Ginsburg made the remarks during a telephone hearing that was... ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43179 "2020-05-06T20:06:27Z")
See [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/us/coronavirus-deaths-cases-united-states.html) for the graph that separates out the NYC metro area and the rest of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43180 "2020-05-06T21:35:18Z")
And [see here](https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-caseloads-states-b24899a3-286e-4ea9-bd71-0e88ed645e68.html) for a map showing a 7-day averaging of new cases. Minnesota, Nebraska, and Puerto Rico (I feel for PR, they must feel as if they’ve been thoroughly cursed!) are showing an explosion of cases. Twelve states are showing a downturn, with Wyoming and, weirdly, Arkansas showing the greatest downturn. Fifteen states are “holding steady”, and the rest are showing increasing numbers of cases. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43181 "2020-05-06T21:41:52Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think the back-up is going to be to somehow interfere with the vote, either by pushing (where possible) states to postpone elections. The general election cannot be postponed. Period. No matter how great a grifter Chump is. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43182 "2020-05-06T21:47:31Z")
> [@jshore](#): > > If you subtract that out and look at the rest of the U.S., cases are still on an upward trend. It’s [worse than that](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/05/06/opinion/coronavirus-deaths-statistics.html), even. In Texas if you subtract out the Houston area, the new daily case numbers never flattened or decreased at all. They’ve been increasing the entire time. Even the little bit of slowdown left over is likely due to Dallas rather than a statewide thing. People are talking about the “next” wave. We’re not even past the first wave, except in NYC and maybe a few other places. We’re still in the middle of the first, just as states are relaxing restrictions. ---
**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 7, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43183 "2020-05-07T00:08:56Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Just in case you’ve been wondering why the damn dirty lying sack of dung in the White House has not bee doing his job, [here is his latest excuse](https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/trump-blames-coronavirus-medical-shortages-005247234.html): > > What are all those things he says have kept him from doig his job? > > Odd that he did not mention all the golfing, inspector general firing, grafting, constitution breaking, and murderer-pardoning he managed to squeeze into his oh so busy schedule. > [@Mijin](#): > > Yes, and such a lengthy impeachment trial; … Not only was it _not_ lengthy and _not_ inclusive of testimony by Himself, but the whole thing was finally and completely over on February 5.\* So what’s Donny’s excuse for failing to act after that? \*[WATCH: The final day of Trump’s impeachment trial — Feb. 5 | PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-the-final-day-of-trumps-impeachment-trial-feb-5) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43184 "2020-05-07T00:15:08Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So what’s Donny’s excuse for failing to act after that? He has been “emotionally” scarred. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43185 "2020-05-07T00:23:46Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > He has been “emotionally” scarred. And emotionally scared. ---
**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 7, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/43186 "2020-05-07T01:42:57Z")
So, the damn dirty lying sack of dung says the reason he’s fighting with the press at his briefings is because he wants to make the briefings exciting. Good God Almighty! Why is this clown still president? Read [this trainwreck of blather from the damn dirty lying sack of dung](https://www.poynter.org/newsletters/2020/president-trump-says-white-house-reporters-are-no-donna-reed-but-he-still-likes-battling-the-media/). Here’s the pertinent part, showing how clueless the orange orifice is. > [@](#): > > But Trump also said he believes “people” like to watch him mixing it up with the press, and admitted that he likes it, too. > > “Yeah, I do, I’m OK with it,” Trump said. “I’d rather have a normal, you know, normal — a more normal situation, but I do. And they like it. Some people don’t like it. I have a feeling everybody likes it because, you know, it’s more exciting than sitting there falling asleep.” _Cry, the Beloved Country._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2158) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=2160)