# 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:** 389
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7764 "2017-07-06T20:14:07Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > I call bullshit on this. Tillerson doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s doing, so he’s [dismantling decades of diplomatic infrastructure](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/29/how-rex-tillerson-destroying-state-department-215319). I suppose it’s possible that he’s just a well meaning jackass, but I find it hard to believe that he could fuck up this badly if he wasn’t trying. > > Ah well, I guess we don’t need the State Department anymore. Diplomacy is clearly not a priority for this administration, and the Big Orange Asshole is doing his best to get us kicked out of the grownups’ table, so it’s not like the international community will be counting on us anyway. > > It’s going to take decades to recover from all this winning. I think Tillerson knows exactly what he is doing. He wants that giant oil deal with Russia, the one that is currently blocked by sanctions. Remember, he authored and brokered it when he was “Mister Big Oil”. He stood, and probably still stands to make a stupid amount of money if it ever got through. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7765 "2017-07-06T20:14:39Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > But I thought he knew all the words, and he had the very best words. :eek: Problem is putting those very best words in the proper order. Or at least an order that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7766 "2017-07-06T20:17:02Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > sure, ironic. > > but what I really think is **AS IF he could write a book** ; he couldn’t read a book. He hires ghost writers to do it for him. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7767 "2017-07-06T20:17:37Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > But I thought he knew all the words, and he had the very best words. :eek: He’s not used to speaking in front of audiences that don’t consist solely of sycophants. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7768 "2017-07-06T20:27:36Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I think Tillerson knows exactly what he is doing. He wants that giant oil deal with Russia, the one that is currently blocked by sanctions. Remember, he authored and brokered it when he was “Mister Big Oil”. He stood, and probably still stands to make a stupid amount of money if it ever got through. But before he was confirmed I was assured on this very site that he would easily divest himself so that no connections were left. This is wrong?! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7769 "2017-07-06T20:33:09Z")
Tillerson got a massive payout from the ExxonMobil board when he resigned to become SoS, $27 million IIRC. I thought even at the time that it was less a lump sum pension than a retainer for future services. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7770 "2017-07-06T21:30:17Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > I call bullshit on this. Tillerson doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s doing, so he’s [dismantling decades of diplomatic infrastructure](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/06/29/how-rex-tillerson-destroying-state-department-215319). I suppose it’s possible that he’s just a well meaning jackass, but I find it hard to believe that he could fuck up this badly if he wasn’t trying. > … > [@SteveG1](#): > > I think Tillerson knows exactly what he is doing. He wants that giant oil deal with Russia, the one that is currently blocked by sanctions. Remember, he authored and brokered it when he was “Mister Big Oil”. He stood, and probably still stands to make a stupid amount of money if it ever got through. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Tillerson got a massive payout from the ExxonMobil board when he resigned to become SoS, $27 million IIRC. I thought even at the time that it was less a lump sum pension than a retainer for future services. Yes to all this. Tillerson’s personal interests and Putin’s interests coincide, which is why Tillerson is Secretary of State. Confirmation: Trump certainly didn’t appoint Tillerson because he wanted to for his _own_ reasons—after all, Tillerson clearly fails the ‘flatter Trump’ test: > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump held a super weird Cabinet meeting Monday afternoon. In it, he sat silently as each member of his Cabinet lavished praise on him. Seriously. > I wrote about the whole thing here. But … I went through the transcript and ranked the Cabinet members by just how obsequious their encomiums to Trump actually were. > > 1. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson > “Thank you for the honor to serve the country. It’s a great privilege you’ve given me.” [http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/trump-cabinet-ranked/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/politics/trump-cabinet-ranked/index.html) As compared with: > [@](#): > > 1. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price > “Mr. President, what an incredible honor it is to lead the Department of Health and Human Services at this pivotal time under your leadership. I can’t thank you enough for the privileges you’ve given me and the leadership that you’ve shown. It seems like there’s an international flair to the messages that are being delivered. …” > > 2. Vice President Mike Pence > “It is just the greatest privilege of my life is to serve as the – as vice president to the President who’s keeping his word to the American people and assembling a team that’s bringing real change, real prosperity, real strength back to our nation.” (same source) …Tillerson is clearly not there to please Trump. He’s there to please Putin. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7771 "2017-07-06T21:36:49Z")
Pence is there to masturbate and hope Trump dies. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7772 "2017-07-06T22:29:35Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Pence is there to masturbate and hope Trump dies. Hilarious! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Melcalc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melcalc/32/468_2.png) [@Melcalc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melcalc)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7773 "2017-07-06T23:57:31Z")
> **[Watch Poland's First Lady Pass By Trump's First Attempt at a Handshake](https://time.com/4847276/donald-trump-agata-kornhauser-duda-handshake/)** > > Another Trump handshake moment attracts scrutiny. Another day, another awkward handshake. The look on Trump’s face looks more than a little vexed. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7774 "2017-07-06T23:58:57Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Pence is there to masturbate and hope Trump dies. He probably thinks it’s a sin and calls it onanism. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7775 "2017-07-07T00:49:43Z")
If Pence became president and had to meet with Angela Merkel, would he have to bring his wife along? Even if they were discussing sensitive information? ---
**Author:** ![Anxious\_Squirrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anxious_squirrel/32/1083_2.png) [@Anxious\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anxious_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7776 "2017-07-07T01:10:47Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > If Pence became president and had to meet with Angela Merkel, would he have to bring his wife along? Even if they were discussing sensitive information? Probably. In the evangelical fundie society, that’s what pastors do whenever they meet with a woman, their wife goes along with them. Although, sometimes, it’s okay, to be alone with one if you leave the door open. Is it usual for presidents to meet alone with people? Don’t they always have a bunch of lackeys standing behind them? Pence should just hire his wife as his chief unpaid coffee-getter, with top level national security clearance. Like Trump did with Evanka. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7777 "2017-07-07T02:49:55Z")
Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, speaking of coal production: “Here’s a little economics lesson, that supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow that.” > **[Perry’s Coal Economics Leaves Economists Puzzled](https://www.lpm.org/news/2017-07-07/perrys-coal-economics-leaves-economists-puzzled)** > > Perry’s visit to Longview Power and a nearby coal mine was intended to highlight energy infrastructure needs and what Perry calls “clean coal” technology. Er, does that mean that if I start making buggy whips that people will start driving buggies again? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7778 "2017-07-07T03:33:34Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, speaking of coal production: “Here’s a little economics lesson, that supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow that.” I wonder if the warranty on those glasses has expired. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7779 "2017-07-07T03:39:51Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, speaking of coal production: “Here’s a little economics lesson, that supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow that.” > > [https://wfpl.org/perrys-coal-economics-leaves-economists-puzzled/](https://wfpl.org/perrys-coal-economics-leaves-economists-puzzled/) > > Er, does that mean that if I start making buggy whips that people will start driving buggies again? I’m almost positive they teach those Aggies better’n that, even the Animal Science majors. Texas A&M should reclaim that sheepskin they issued to Mr. Perry. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7780 "2017-07-07T03:41:20Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > I wonder if the warranty on those glasses has expired. They never worked in the first place – everybody could still recognize him as Stupidman. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7781 "2017-07-07T05:05:31Z")
I have no idea if this is true or not, but I really hope it is. > **[Trump is meeting key world leaders at the G20 summit. He forgot to book a hotel.](https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/6/15929498/trump-hotel-g20)** > > Trump made his name building luxury hotels, and now he doesn’t have a room in Hamburg. ---
**Author:** ![Itself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7782 "2017-07-07T05:40:07Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rick Perry, Secretary of Energy, speaking of coal production: “Here’s a little economics lesson, that supply and demand. You put the supply out there and the demand will follow that.” > > [https://wfpl.org/perrys-coal-economics-leaves-economists-puzzled/](https://wfpl.org/perrys-coal-economics-leaves-economists-puzzled/) > > Er, does that mean that if I start making buggy whips that people will start driving buggies again? It deserves mentioning that Perry’s two predecessors under Obama were Stephen Chu, a Nobel laureate who ran the Berkeley Lab; and Ernest Moniz, a long-serving MIT physics professor who ran that department for several years. I’m sure Perry did an excellent job competing against Vanilla Ice on “Dancing with the Stars,” but it would be awesome if we had someone smart and competent handling our energy policy and nuclear weapons. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/7783 "2017-07-07T11:08:43Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > I have no idea if this is true or not, but I really hope it is. > > [Trump is meeting key world leaders at the G20 summit. He forgot to book a hotel. - Vox](https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/6/15929498/trump-hotel-g20) The sheer incompetence of this administration, from top to bottom, is breathtaking. One thing I thought Trump might be able to do is delegate responsibilities. Even that is too much work for the silver-spoon prez. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=388) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=390)