# 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:** 306
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6102 "2017-06-05T21:40:41Z")
Just up and moving like that is a bigger deal than some seem to think. You have to find a job, sell your house, uproot your family from friends and school, etc., and there are expenses, and “city folk” are not all as wealthy as you seem to think. Plus, although Austin is quite liberal, you’d be moving your family into a state with some very conservative laws. ---
**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:** [June 5, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6103 "2017-06-05T22:13:11Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Dumbfuck-In-Chief reacts to CNN, undermines his own press people and SCOTUS case. > [Tweet 1](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/871674214356484096) > > [Tweet 2](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/871675245043888128) > > [Tweet 3](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/871677472202477568) > > [Tweet 4](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/871679061847879682) I wonder if Trump is even remotely aware that the mayor of London is a Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6104 "2017-06-05T22:49:23Z")
Austin is hotter than hell in the summer. I’m not moving anywhere below the 36th parallel north. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6105 "2017-06-06T00:03:48Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > The fact that I will never write a paragraph as simultaneously descriptive and beautifully tragic as that, with the imagery of a dung heap to boot, pains me. I just hope it’s prescient as well. I wish I could write that well. It was a true thing of beauty. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6106 "2017-06-06T00:32:50Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > I’m not sure of this part: “He must know somewhere below the surface he skates on that he has destroyed his image”. He’s always been seen as an egotistical asshole, so he didn’t really have much of a positive image to destroy. There was a time…20, maybe 30 years ago, when that ego was perceived as earned. He was perceived as successful, as intelligent (or at least skilled), and charismatic. Then the bankruptcies started making news. Then The Apprentice happened. Then he discovered Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6107 "2017-06-06T00:45:15Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump staffers were shocked when the speech he gave at NATO was not the one they had worked on prior to his appearance. > [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/05/trump-nato-speech-national-security-team-215227](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/05/trump-nato-speech-national-security-team-215227) this is scary - and I _already_ had a low opinion of the cheeto in chief. ☹ ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6108 "2017-06-06T03:21:32Z")
Now Kellyanne Conway’s husband George is publicly urging Traitor Trump to knock off the tweets. Methinks someone’s not getting laid in the Conway household tonight. (Maybe that was the whole idea.) ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6109 "2017-06-06T03:44:00Z")
Remember back when the Entourage was in Saudi Arabia, and Ivanka was blabbering about how Saudi Arabia was a big country for women’s rights? Yeah. A female driving activist has been arrested. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6110 "2017-06-06T09:20:57Z")
[Trump complains that the Democrats are holding up all his ambassadorial and other nominations](http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-updates-everything-president-trump-attacks-democrats-over-vacancies-1496703842-htmlstory.html). Two problems: 1. Republicans, as the majority party in both Houses, control all the schedules, and the rules only require a simple majority to confirm, so the Democrats can’t hold up bupkus; and 2. He hasn’t made the nominations he’s complaining about them holding up. There are only five ambassadorial appointments in train (including Callista Gingrich, for whom the paperwork is yet to be completed) and he’s way behind his predecessors in putting nominees forward for the 500+ other posts. What is it with Trump and imaginary people? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6111 "2017-06-06T09:33:41Z")
…I’m quietly proud of my fellow Wellingtonians. > [@](#): > > New York Times correspondent Gardiner Harris said he had been in a lot of motorcades but even he was taken back by the negative reaction. > > “I’ve been in motorcades for a couple of years now … I’ve never seen so many people flip the bird at an American motorcade as I saw today,” Harris said. > > Harris wasn’t the only one who noticed - US protection officers travelling by with Tillerson were overheard joking about the “warm” Wellington welcome. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93382262/birdflipping-welcome-for-us-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-new-zealand](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93382262/birdflipping-welcome-for-us-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-new-zealand) We are on the other side of the world: we are a tiny nation, and there really isn’t very much we can do down under. But at the very least we can flip the bird. A small, silent spontaneous protest in solidarity. (Unfortunately there was no video of all this bird flipping, so just imagine a city of people doing [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBG8UtgD0m8).) And even our right-wing government was relatively frosty. > [@](#): > > At a press conference, Bill English said: “New Zealanders have for a long time not liked various presidents of the US and disagreed with their views about our anti-nuke policies for 30 years – but that doesn’t prevent us confirming our shared values and cooperating with them on security and defence.” ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6112 "2017-06-06T13:14:38Z")
It appears that the over $100 billion dollar arms deal that Trump announced while he was in Saudi Arabia was [fake news](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/breaking-trumps-saudi-arms-deal-actually-fake). Sad! ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6113 "2017-06-06T13:16:31Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I found an article on Literary Hub that you may find worth reading. It is called [The Loneliness of Donald Trump](http://lithub.com/rebecca-solnit-the-loneliness-of-donald-trump/), by Rebecca Solnit. I think my favorite part may be the last paragraph, quoted below. Great writing; every idiom is apt. [I called it from the beginning, though.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19783644&postcount=51) Trump becoming President because of his narcissism and then becoming destroyed by it because of his narcissism, reads exactly like a parable. But it’s what we’re seeing. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6114 "2017-06-06T14:22:03Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …I’m quietly proud of my fellow Wellingtonians. > > [Stuff](http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93382262/birdflipping-welcome-for-us-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-new-zealand) > > We are on the other side of the world: we are a tiny nation, and there really isn’t very much we can do down under. But at the very least we can flip the bird. A small, silent spontaneous protest in solidarity. > > (Unfortunately there was no video of all this bird flipping, so just imagine a city of people doing [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBG8UtgD0m8).) > > And even our right-wing government was relatively frosty. “The Bird Heard 'Round the World” 🙂 ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6115 "2017-06-06T15:24:42Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > It appears that the over $100 billion dollar arms deal that Trump announced while he was in Saudi Arabia was [fake news](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/breaking-trumps-saudi-arms-deal-actually-fake). Sad! I think that’s an important story; do we have corroboration from anyone else on the writer’s assertions? ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6116 "2017-06-06T15:35:19Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I think that’s an important story; do we have corroboration from anyone else on the writer’s assertions? Do we have any corroboration that any of this supported $110B arms deal actually involves any new contracts or sales? Because I’ve seen fuck all about any details other than the media glibly reiterating the official stance without questioning what the ‘deal’ actually was. Trump’s best deal is and will remain getting the media to pay attention to him and unquestionably accept his claims regardless of the dearth of evidence or substance. He is a literal clown. Stranger ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6117 "2017-06-06T15:40:18Z")
Trump probably didn’t understand the nature of these agreements. After all, he has the attention span of a bug and is also very, very, very, very stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6118 "2017-06-06T15:44:17Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I think that’s an important story; do we have corroboration from anyone else on the writer’s assertions? I haven’t found any yet. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6119 "2017-06-06T15:51:50Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Do we have any corroboration that any of this supported $110B arms deal actually involves any new contracts or sales? Because I’ve seen fuck all about any details other than the media glibly reiterating the official stance without questioning what the ‘deal’ actually was. > > Trump’s best deal is and will remain getting the media to pay attention to him and unquestionably accept his claims regardless of the dearth of evidence or substance. He is a literal clown. > > Stranger > [@Crotalus](#): > > I haven’t found any yet. **Stranger** , I’m totally down with your stance on Trump. And someone working the story from the other direction wouldn’t hurt; that is true. Thanks, **Crotalus**. I think this is potentially a big story because it potentially involves catching a US President lying to his own country about something and doing it on the world stage in a very public manner. If the allegations that there is no deal are true, Mr. Trump may have compromised his own ability to further engage the American public. People will put up with a lot, but not with “being played”. No one likes to feel like they’ve been lied to and used by another, not even if the other is President. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6120 "2017-06-06T15:58:10Z")
Really? Like Trump hasn’t been lying his sizable ass off from the get-go? His supporters don’t give a shit that he’s lying, only that those lies will deliver the lib’rul tears they desperately need to jerk off with. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6121 "2017-06-06T15:58:49Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > **Stranger** , I’m totally down with your stance on Trump. And someone working the story from the other direction wouldn’t hurt; that is true. > > Thanks, **Crotalus**. > > I think this is potentially a big story because it potentially involves catching a US President lying to his own country about something and doing it on the world stage in a very public manner. If the allegations that there is no deal are true, Mr. Trump may have compromised his own ability to further engage the American public. > > People will put up with a lot, but not with “being played”. No one likes to feel like they’ve been lied to and used by another, not even if the other is President. Unfortunately, the majority of Trump’s supporters would not see news of his bullshit deal because of the “news” sources they religiously follow, and they wouldn’t believe the story even if they encountered it by accident. Fake news! What does a real arms deal look like, anyway? Does the US government sell the stuff to the Saudis, or do the various defense contractors sign individual sales agreements? Are there bids, contracts, purchase orders? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=305) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=307)