# 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:** 353
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7043 "2017-06-21T00:35:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > How about if each reporter is accompanied by a court stenographer with a small table, chair, and that machine that they use to take down every freakin’ word in court! :rolleyes: > > I can’t believe Sean hasn’t bailed. [Dave Chappelle](http://www.cc.com/video-clips/go8cre/chappelle-s-show-home-stenographer) beat you to it. ---
**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 21, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7044 "2017-06-21T01:56:13Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Trump literally had his cabinet go around the room and venerate Trump. Mocking him as Dear Leader is appropriate. His whole “only I can fix it, I know better than anyone, I’m the best at everything” persona totally fits. The Messiah bullshit was all GOP projection. I know no Democrats that worshipped Obama like Fox News claimed. Trump, however, does ask for loyalty oaths, does demand veneration, does make outlandish personal claims. > > Both sides are not equal, and furthering that idea is a big part of why Trump was elected in the first place. “Yeah, he lies, but so do they…” Ugh. +1 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7045 "2017-06-21T02:32:48Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Sessions [lawyers up](http://www.thedailybeast.com/sessions-hires-attorney-as-russia-probe-expands?via=desktop&source=copyurl). Oh hell, they are ALL lawyering up. The fascinating thing is that Trump is lawyering up on NEW YORK laywers instead of WASHINGTON lawyers. Which could be a very very bad 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 21, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7046 "2017-06-21T03:19:20Z")
The new head of the Education Department’s office that deals with student loans is the CEO of a company that makes student loans for profit. > **[Betsy DeVos Picked A Student Loan CEO To Run The Student Loan System](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mollyhensleyclancy/betsy-devos-picked-a-student-loan-ceo-to-manage-your)** > > A. Wayne Johnson runs a company that originates and refinances private student loans, but that wasn't mentioned when the Education Department announced his new gig. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7047 "2017-06-21T03:23:46Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Oh hell, they are ALL lawyering up. The fascinating thing is that Trump is lawyering up on NEW YORK laywers instead of WASHINGTON lawyers. Which could be a very very bad idea. Trump’s _attorney_ [lawyered up](http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/donald-trump-s-lawyer-lawyers-up-969736259751). Of course, that may just because Trump’s attorney needs someone to teach him the law. ---
**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 21, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7048 "2017-06-21T03:30:39Z")
He should just ask Trump to teach him the law. I’m sure Trump knows at least as much about the law as he does about foreign policy and how to defeat ISIS, which, as we all know, is more than his generals. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7049 "2017-06-21T11:45:04Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Oh hell, they are ALL lawyering up. The fascinating thing is that Trump is lawyering up on NEW YORK laywers instead of WASHINGTON lawyers. Which could be a very very bad idea. New York lawyers are the hot new fashion trend in DC this summer. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7050 "2017-06-21T13:08:57Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Probably because Spicer felt he would be embarrassed as all Hell if he had to answer questions about [This Cretin](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/06/19/trumps-energy-secretary-just-denied-that-man-made-carbon-dioxide-is-the-main-driver-for-climate-change/?utm_term=.112e319665fd). Is he still wearing those silly glasses? Give it up, Rick – everybody can still recognize you as Stupidman. ---
**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 21, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7051 "2017-06-21T13:27:59Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Trump’s _attorney_ [lawyered up](http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/donald-trump-s-lawyer-lawyers-up-969736259751). > > Of course, that may just because Trump’s attorney needs someone to teach him the law. Nah, it’s the new parlor game in legal circles, _Six Degrees of Lawyers_. Basically, a lawyer determines how many lawyers between them and Trump. So, if Lawyer A is hired by Lawyer B who was hired by Lawyer C, who was hired by a major player in the Trump administration, then that’s 5 degrees, 1 degree was added because it wasn’t a direct lawyer connection to bdo. What I don’t understand about this game is this: is a lower number a win or a loss? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7052 "2017-06-21T13:46:52Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Nah, it’s the new parlor game in legal circles, _Six Degrees of Lawyers_. Basically, a lawyer determines how many lawyers between them and Trump. So, if Lawyer A is hired by Lawyer B who was hired by Lawyer C, who was hired by a major player in the Trump administration, then that’s 5 degrees, 1 degree was added because it wasn’t a direct lawyer connection to bdo. What I don’t understand about this game is this: is a lower number a win or a loss? In law, the lower the number on the degree, the more severe the crime. You win if you have the most degrees of separation, you lose if you only have 1. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7053 "2017-06-21T14:30:02Z")
Big stupid-headed poo-poo\* Karen “screw those livable wages” Handel beat out Jon Ossof (by 3.8 percentage points!) to win Georgia’s [special election](http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/georgia-house-results-ossoff-handel/index.html). :mad: \*[SIZE=“1”]ok I’ll come clean here - in full 100% disclosure, I blatantly plagiarized that brilliant insult from a thread from 2003 from one **tracer** (didn’t really look much into its posting history for quality check).[/SIZE] ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7054 "2017-06-21T14:41:01Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > Big stupid-headed poo-poo\* Karen “screw those livable wages” Handel beat out Jon Ossof (by 3.8 percentage points!) to win Georgia’s [special election](http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/20/politics/georgia-house-results-ossoff-handel/index.html). > :mad: > \*[SIZE=“1”]ok I’ll come clean here - in full 100% disclosure, I blatantly plagiarized that brilliant insult from a thread from 2003 from one **tracer** (didn’t really look much into its posting history for quality check).[/SIZE] \ Of course she did. The Democrats are too busy running their mouths to get their shit together. \ ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7055 "2017-06-21T14:50:15Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > New York lawyers are the hot new fashion trend in DC this summer. They should really look into hiring some Philadelphia lawyers. That’s what I would do if I were ever as fucked as they are. > **[Philadelphia lawyer](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_lawyer)** > > “Philadelphia lawyer” is a term to describe a lawyer who knows the most detailed and minute points of law or is an exceptionally competent lawyer. Its first known usage dates back to 1788. > Philadelphia-based Colonial American lawyer Andrew Hamilton, a lawyer best known for his legal victory on behalf of printer and newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger, is believed to have inspired the "Philadelphia lawyer" term. This 1735 decision helped to establish that truth is a defense to an accusation o... ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7056 "2017-06-21T15:09:31Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Oh hell, they are ALL lawyering up. The fascinating thing is that Trump is lawyering up on NEW YORK laywers instead of WASHINGTON lawyers. Which could be a very very bad idea. Could it be due to the investigations happening In New York? They are still looking into his mob connections (Sater?) and the “mysterious” flow of Russian (Putin) money into Trump’s holdings. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7057 "2017-06-21T15:10:38Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > He should just ask Trump to teach him the law. I’m sure Trump knows at least as much about the law as he does about foreign policy and how to defeat ISIS, which, as we all know, is more than his generals. He knows all the best laws. Dontcha know. ---
**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 21, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7058 "2017-06-21T15:24:15Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > In law, the lower the number on the degree, the more severe the crime. > > You win if you have the most degrees of separation, you lose if you only have 1. Especially if the lower degree means you’re closer to Trump. ---
**Author:** ![SaneBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SaneBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaneBill)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7059 "2017-06-21T16:37:55Z")
They are all doing this criss-cross lawyering-up to create a tangled web where everybody is connected. So whenever someone is getting into court there’s always this conflict of interest that makes a delay necessary. And before you know all charges meet the statute of limitations. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7060 "2017-06-21T16:44:17Z")
Would they all be lawyering up if the leaks were all about fake news and lies? ---
**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 21, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7061 "2017-06-21T16:49:34Z")
I think that the number of folks who are hiring lawyers is strong evidence in favor of the theory that [Flynn is singing like a canary](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/sheldon-whitehouse-flynn-cooperating-special-counsel-russia-investigation). ---
**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:** [June 21, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7062 "2017-06-21T16:53:55Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I think that the number of folks who are hiring lawyers is strong evidence in favor of the theory that [Flynn is singing like a canary](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/sheldon-whitehouse-flynn-cooperating-special-counsel-russia-investigation). This theory sounds quite plausible to me. When Pence lawyered up, it was quite interesting… There was no other apparent explanation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=352) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=354)