# 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:** 348
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6942 "2017-06-18T12:57:49Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > The Rhode Island Teacher of the Year got to visit the Oval Office and have his picture taken with Trump and Melania. He’s gay, so he wore a rainbow pin and broke out a black lace fan to fan himself with while the picture was taken. > [Teacher Of The Year Gets Oval Office Photo Taken With His Lace Fan & Rainbow Pin.](http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/6/16/1672616/-Teacher-Of-The-Year-Gets-Oval-Office-Photo-Taken-With-His-Lace-Fan-Rainbow-Pin?detail=facebook) I have to give minor props to Trump for going along with that. Please, don’t ever make me do this again. ---
**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 18, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6943 "2017-06-18T17:45:24Z")
So, Trump tweets that he’s under investigation, and his lawyer tells Chris Wallace, “No, he’s not.” > **[Trump lawyer says President is not under investigation, despite tweets](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-attorney-president-not-under-investigation-n773751)** > > An attorney for President Trump was adamant on Sunday that the president is not under investigation, despite the president’s tweets this week referring to one. ---
**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 18, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6944 "2017-06-18T17:51:34Z")
Even though he has allegedly been fired from the Trump administration, and is being investigated for shady dealings, Paul Manafort is still telling prospective clients that he can get them access to Trump, and is still “helping to shape Trump’s foreign policy”. > **[Manafort still doing international work](https://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/15/paul-manafort-fbi-trump-239573)** > > Trump’s former campaign chairman is under FBI investigation, but some say he is touting access to the president to prospective business partners. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6945 "2017-06-18T19:01:08Z")
Yet, it’s been nearly a day since the bodies of 7 sailors were found and the POTUS has yet to tweet about that (condolences to families, etc) in his many waking hours since. Commander-in-Chief? Not unless it makes him money somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6946 "2017-06-18T19:27:05Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Yet, it’s been nearly a day since the bodies of 7 sailors were found and the POTUS has yet to tweet about that (condolences to families, etc) in his many waking hours since. Commander-in-Chief? Not unless it makes him money somehow. He’s too busy tweeting about how Rasmussen polls think he’s more popular than Obama. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6947 "2017-06-18T19:30:19Z")
Trump’s problem isn’t just his potential exposure in the ongoing investigation(s); it’s that working in his White House is becoming toxic. In the meantime, he’s tried to hire people he might consider to be loyalists and it’s not working. He couldn’t get Joe Lieberman to head up the FBI and couldn’t get Sheriff Clarke to run DHS. He still has numerous positions unfilled. I know Republicans ideologically like the idea of a smaller federal payroll but I’m not sure this is what they had in mind. I could see Trump’s problems spilling into the Congress and causing friction among the different conservative factions. The weakened chaotic presidency means that Trump is no longer in a position to lead the agenda, which means that the GOP has to figure a way for them to lead and then just put legislation on his desk to sign. That’s not necessarily going to be easily done when you have the Paul Ryan faction that just wants massive tax cuts on one hand and moderate senators worried about their constituents losing federal assistance on the other. And let’s be clear: if economic conditions deteriorate between now and 2020, it’s all on the GOP – 100%. That’s one reason why I think Trump is seriously considering what many feel is unthinkable and try to shut down the investigation. It’s the shortest distance between two points, which is how his mind works. He’ll deal with the consequences afterward and dare his party to support the “evil” Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6948 "2017-06-18T19:36:48Z")
It also doesn’t help when he says a bill is “Great” in January and “Mean” in June. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6949 "2017-06-18T19:52:16Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Trump’s problem isn’t just his potential exposure in the ongoing investigation(s); it’s that working in his White House is becoming toxic. In the meantime, he’s tried to hire people he might consider to be loyalists and it’s not working. He couldn’t get Joe Lieberman to head up the FBI and couldn’t get Sheriff Clarke to run DHS. He still has numerous positions unfilled. I know Republicans ideologically like the idea of a smaller federal payroll but I’m not sure this is what they had in mind. > > I could see Trump’s problems spilling into the Congress and causing friction among the different conservative factions. The weakened chaotic presidency means that Trump is no longer in a position to lead the agenda, which means that the GOP has to figure a way for them to lead and then just put legislation on his desk to sign. That’s not necessarily going to be easily done when you have the Paul Ryan faction that just wants massive tax cuts on one hand and moderate senators worried about their constituents losing federal assistance on the other. And let’s be clear: if economic conditions deteriorate between now and 2020, it’s all on the GOP – 100%. > > That’s one reason why I think Trump is seriously considering what many feel is unthinkable and try to shut down the investigation. It’s the shortest distance between two points, which is how his mind works. He’ll deal with the consequences afterward and dare his party to support the “evil” Democrats. You know you have problems when Sheriff Many Medals won’t even work for you. ---
**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 18, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6950 "2017-06-18T19:56:58Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Trump’s problem isn’t just his potential exposure in the ongoing investigation(s); it’s that working in his White House is becoming toxic. … Washington Post today. [“Trump is becoming radioactive”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/help-wanted-why-republicans-wont-work-for-the-trump-administration/2017/06/17/61e3d33e-506a-11e7-b064-828ba60fbb98_story.html) > [@](#): > > The array of legal and political threats hanging over the Trump presidency has compounded the White House’s struggles to fill out the top ranks of the government. > > Trump’s firing of FBI Director James B. Comey last month and the escalating probe into Russian interference in the presidential election have made hiring even more difficult, say former federal officials, party activists, lobbyists and candidates who Trump officials have tried to recruit. > … > > Another person in line for a senior legal post who pulled out after Comey’s firing said, “I decided, ‘What am I doing this for?’ ” > > He described a disorganized paperwork process that threatened to leave him unprepared for Senate confirmation, and said he was disgusted that Rosenstein was “hung out to dry” as the president claimed at first that the deputy attorney general orchestrated Comey’s firing. > > “You sit on the tarmac for quite some time, you see smoke coming out of the engine and you say, ‘I’m going back to the gate,’ ” he said. > … ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6951 "2017-06-18T20:33:25Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > It also doesn’t help when he says a bill is “Great” in January and “Mean” in June. The GOP Representatives who voted for that bill were putting themselves in a vulnerable position to begin with (since the bill was manifestly bad/incomplete/politically toxic)–but they were doing what their party leader asked of them. Now they are being punished even further–Trump gave the Democratic challengers of all those who voted for the bill a free ad: _“Rep. \_\_\_\_\_ voted ‘yea’ on this awful health-care bill that even the GOP President said was Mean!”_ One wonders to what extent those GOP congress people will feel motivated to protect and support Trump, after he shafted them that way. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6952 "2017-06-18T20:36:53Z")
I don’t understand it, what possible reason does anyone have to believe Donald has their back? The guy is a habitual backstabber. I wouldn’t trust a pet hamster to him. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6953 "2017-06-18T20:47:45Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > So, Trump tweets that he’s under investigation, and his lawyer tells Chris Wallace, “No, he’s not.” > [Trump Attorney: The President Is Not Under Investigation](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-attorney-president-not-under-investigation-n773751) It looks as though the lawyer hit most of the Sunday shows with that attempt at doublethink. Trump’s Friday tweet was: > [@](#): > > I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt. The lawyer, Jay Sekulow, has been trying to float the idea that Trump only typed “I am being investigated” because of the Limitations Of 140 Characters. How, precisely, the 140-character limit forced Trump to type “I am being investigated” remains unexplained, despite Sekulow’s best efforts. Apparently it’s something to do with Trump wanting to refer to claims made (that he’s being investigated) but being helpless to make more than one Tweet. So of course Trump had to type “I am being investigated” instead of “the lying media says I am being investigated”—I mean, no one can make more than one tweet, right? So you can see how Trump was forced to type “I am being investigated.” Sekulow’s _Meet the Press_ version: > [@](#): > > “The tweet from the president was in response to the five anonymous sources purportedly leaking information to the Washington Post,” he said… [Trump Attorney: The President Is Not Under Investigation](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-attorney-president-not-under-investigation-n773751) On the shows I saw, Sekulow then transitioned to the dubious argument that since James Comey told Trump a few months ago that Trump wasn’t _then_ under investigation, that’s proof that Trump will _never_ be under investigation. All righty! Case closed! ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6954 "2017-06-18T20:51:51Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I don’t understand it, what possible reason does anyone have to believe Donald has their back? The guy is a habitual backstabber. > > I wouldn’t trust a pet hamster to him. These are truly some of the great mysteries of the 21st century: how could any voter have seriously thought that Trump would bestir himself to help anyone but himself? How could GOP congress people possibly believe that Trump is a genuine Republican who would help their party or their party’s image? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6955 "2017-06-18T20:52:56Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I don’t understand it, what possible reason does anyone have to believe Donald has their back? The guy is a habitual backstabber. “He’s not backstabbing. He’s draining the swamp just like he said he’d do.” “Hey, that’s right, he’s fulfilling his campaign promises!” “His tweets are the only source of truth and we don’t trust fake news!” “At least he’s not that horrible Muslim gun-confiscating president we had before!” ---
**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 18, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6956 "2017-06-18T20:53:11Z")
Better than Crooked Hitlery! Or so I’m told. Can’t see it myself. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6957 "2017-06-18T20:55:22Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > On the shows I saw, Sekulow then transitioned to the dubious argument that since James Comey told Trump a few months ago that Trump wasn’t _then_ under investigation, that’s proof that Trump will _never_ be under investigation. > > All righty! Case closed! Or, double-dubious: he wasn’t then under investigation for collusion with Russia; but he’s now under investigation for obstruction of justice. Because Trump is, indeed, a moron. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2017, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6958 "2017-06-18T20:58:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yep. His EO’s have no substance other than to overturn something that others took time to thoughtfully examine and research. > > But it makes him feel like he’s ‘presidentin’. This fits nicely with all the “walk into Mordor” talk of a few pages back. Trump’s legislative agenda (and I use the term loosely) is much how Tolkien described how the orcs and trolls came into being. Melkor/Trump cannot create; they can only mock and destroy. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6959 "2017-06-18T21:34:07Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > I don’t understand it, what possible reason does anyone have to believe Donald has their back? The guy is a habitual backstabber. > > I wouldn’t trust a pet hamster to him. Not sure if you’re referring to the GOP in Congress but they probably never believed he had their backs; they just believed he could be useful to them. The presidency is getting closer and closer to a point of self-inflicted unrecoverable dysfunction. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6960 "2017-06-18T21:35:24Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > It looks as though the lawyer hit most of the Sunday shows with that attempt at doublethink. > > Trump’s Friday tweet was: > > The lawyer, Jay Sekulow, has been trying to float the idea that Trump only typed “I am being investigated” because of the Limitations Of 140 Characters. How, precisely, the 140-character limit forced Trump to type “I am being investigated” remains unexplained, despite Sekulow’s best efforts. > > Apparently it’s something to do with Trump wanting to refer to claims made (that he’s being investigated) but being helpless to make more than one Tweet. So of course Trump had to type “I am being investigated” instead of “the lying media says I am being investigated”—I mean, no one can make more than one tweet, right? So you can see how Trump was forced to type “I am being investigated.” > > Sekulow’s _Meet the Press_ version: > > [Trump Attorney: The President Is Not Under Investigation](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-attorney-president-not-under-investigation-n773751) > > On the shows I saw, Sekulow then transitioned to the dubious argument that since James Comey told Trump a few months ago that Trump wasn’t _then_ under investigation, that’s proof that Trump will _never_ be under investigation. > > All righty! Case closed! Trump must be an attorney’s nightmare. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/6961 "2017-06-18T22:13:55Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Trump must be an attorney’s nightmare. Yeah. There was a lot of talk there for a while that Trump wouldn’t be able to find representation, due both to his being a nightmare (refusing to follow any advice and being quite loose-lipped), and to his reputation for refusing to pay his bills. Sekulow hosts a daily radio talk show AND a weekly television talk show. One might speculate that he expects to be paid in fame/better name recognition–a genuine asset for a media career. Also, he seems to be closely associated with several right-wing entities such as the Christian Broadcasting Network, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Fox News, and the American Center for Law & Justice. Thus, being associated with someone with Trump’s sketchy ethical reputation won’t be a problem. > **[Jay Sekulow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Sekulow)** > > Jay Alan Sekulow (/ˈsɛkjəˌloʊ/; born June 10, 1956) is an American lawyer, radio, television talk show host and politically conservative media personality. He has been chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) since 1991. As a member of President Donald Trump's legal team, he served as lead outside counsel for Trump's first impeachment trial in the United States Senate. > Sekulow built a legal and media business over a thirty-year period by representing conservative, religious,... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=347) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=349)