# 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:** 459
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9164 "2017-08-02T02:52:42Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Is there any way to read into the hires that Mueller has made and NOT see it as having a ton of shit on Trump? I know. I read them like tea leaves. Happily, it doesn’t bode well for him. At all. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9165 "2017-08-02T03:18:31Z")
> [@digs](#): > > So “Golf” (Golf Magazine) just publicly outed trump as a cheater? > > That might be the last straw with my Tightie Rightie relatives, who are upright (and uptight) golfers. Now now…I’m sure his scorecards are as honest as his tax returns… ---
**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:** [August 2, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9166 "2017-08-02T03:47:04Z")
Only six Senators have ever voted against a President’s nominee for FBI Director. Five of them did so today. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden. The previous no was Rand Paul against James Comey. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9167 "2017-08-02T03:52:04Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Only six Senators have ever voted against a President’s nominee for FBI Director. Five of them did so today. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden. > > **The previous no was Rand Paul against James Comey.** He was jealous the FBI got to use drones for surveillance. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9168 "2017-08-02T04:14:27Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Only six Senators have ever voted against a President’s nominee for FBI Director. Five of them did so today. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden. > > The previous no was Rand Paul against James Comey. I’m proud both mine from Oregon voted no. After Wray’s confirmation hearing, I learned about this: [Wray’s Work for Chris Christie, Even After Bridgegate was Over](http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/new-jersey/2017/06/19/trump-fbi-nominee-christopher-wray-still-works-as-christies-bridgegate-attorney/407346001/) Worse, my understanding is that the taxpayers of New Jersey never knew they were paying for this representation, because the bills weren’t submitted until the trial was over. I don’t trust him. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9169 "2017-08-02T04:17:38Z")
Og help me, I don’t know if this has been posted (I’ve been away from the computer most of today), and this thread moves pretty fast these days, but this interview with the Wall St. Journal? Holy shit. [Full transcript](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/01/trump-wall-street-journal-interview-full-transcript-241214). I’ll just pull this paragraph out to look at up close: > [@Pathetic Loser](#): > > So I deal with foreign countries, and despite what you may read, I have unbelievable relationships with all of the foreign leaders. They like me. I like them. You know, it’s amazing. So I’ll call, like, major — major countries, and I’ll be dealing with the prime minister or the president. And I’ll say, how are you doing? Oh, don’t know, don’t know, not well, Mr. President, not well. I said, well, what’s the problem? Oh, GDP 9 percent, not well. And I’m saying to myself, here we are at like 1 percent, dying, and they’re at 9 percent and they’re unhappy. So, you know, and these are like countries, you know, fairly large, like 300 million people. You know, a lot of people say — they say, well, but the United States is large. And then you call places like Malaysia, Indonesia, and you say, you know, how many people do you have? And it’s pretty amazing how many people they have. So China’s going to be at 7 [percent] or 8 percent, and they have a billion-five, right? So we should do really well. The amount of bullshit from this man is staggering. Many politicians bullshit, but are able to disguise it and look/sound reasonably intelligent. This guy just sounds like a wannabe goombah from from the streets trying to impress the mooks down at Joe’s Pizzeria. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9170 "2017-08-02T04:29:37Z")
[We were too incompetent to collude.](http://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/the_associated_press-kushner_says_trump_campaign_was_too_dysfunctional-ap) > [@](#): > > \*\*President Donald Trump’s son-in-law told a group of congressional interns that the Trump campaign couldn’t have colluded with Russia because the team was too dysfunctional and disorganized to coordinate with a foreign government. > \*\* > The remarks on Monday by Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president, came in response to a question about Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign worked with Moscow. > > [ForeignPolicy.com](http://ForeignPolicy.com) first reported Kushner’s remarks, which were intended to be off the record. “They thought we colluded, but we couldn’t even collude with our local offices,” Kushner said, according to the website. :facepalm: ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9171 "2017-08-02T04:39:47Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [We were too incompetent to collude.](http://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/the_associated_press-kushner_says_trump_campaign_was_too_dysfunctional-ap) > :facepalm: See post #9129. It is literally impossible to keep up with the shit that this administration is putting out. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9172 "2017-08-02T05:20:53Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > See post #9129. > It is literally impossible to keep up with the shit that this administration is putting out. Thanks. I was busy around that time and missed it during the catch-up. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9173 "2017-08-02T06:09:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Trump, as reported in [the wiki article on Bill the Cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_the_Cat): And I distinctly remember that it was Bill Gates. I assert that the Wikipedia article is either wrong, or it’s been messed with. > [@Skywatcher](#): > > Yep. Bill the Gates with as in Outland. Other way around, I think? Did Bill get used for his body twice? Because I’m positive it happened with Bill Gates. Or maybe I’m thinking of some kind of Fly-esque genetic fusion with Gates? Now that I see Trump has inhabited Bill’s body, I’m starting to think maybe I’m mixing up two separate storylines. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9174 "2017-08-02T07:35:43Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [We were too incompetent to collude.](http://start.att.net/news/read/category/news/article/the_associated_press-kushner_says_trump_campaign_was_too_dysfunctional-ap) > :facepalm: They did it, they actually fucking did it! The “we’re too dumb to be criminals” defense! ---
**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:** [August 2, 2017, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9175 "2017-08-02T07:46:49Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Full transcript](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/01/trump-wall-street-journal-interview-full-transcript-241214). > I’ll just pull this paragraph out to look at up close: > > > [@"Pathetic](#): > > > > So I deal with foreign countries, and despite what you may read, I have unbelievable relationships with all of the foreign leaders. They like me. I like them. You know, it’s amazing. So I’ll call, like, major — major countries, and I’ll be dealing with the prime minister or the president. And I’ll say, how are you doing? Oh, don’t know, don’t know, not well, Mr. President, not well. I said, well, what’s the problem? Oh, GDP 9 percent, not well. And I’m saying to myself, here we are at like 1 percent, dying, and they’re at 9 percent and they’re unhappy. So, you know, and these are like countries, you know, fairly large, like 300 million people. You know, a lot of people say — they say, well, but the United States is large. And then you call places like Malaysia, Indonesia, and you say, you know, how many people do you have? And it’s pretty amazing how many people they have. So China’s going to be at 7 [percent] or 8 percent, and they have a billion-five, right? So we should do really well. hmm, does that continue like > [@](#): > > Sir Tristram, violer d’amores, fr’over the short sea, had passencore rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer’s rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County’s gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick: not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all’s fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa’s malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface. and kind of progress in a circle? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9176 "2017-08-02T10:39:47Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > And I distinctly remember that it was Bill Gates. I assert that the Wikipedia article is either wrong, or it’s been messed with. [Your memory sucks](http://www.gocomics.com/bloomcounty/1989/01/31). ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9177 "2017-08-02T12:00:40Z")
\*The National Review \*, showing the keen insight for which it is renowned, has finally figured out why the Trump admin is a mess. It’s a powerful bit of analysis. > [@](#): > > One of the reasons why the Trump administration has faced such obstacles in advancing its legislative priorities is that the administrative techniques that may have worked for Donald Trump in private business have proven less effective in the White House. In private business, Trump had a reputation for encouraging competition among his staff, according to the belief that conflict leads to creativity. As a tabloid prince and reality-TV star, Trump mastered the art of sucking up the media oxygen — which he used to devastating effect in the GOP primary. > > However, for a president, dominating the headlines is less important than crafting a useful media narrative. President Trump has achieved maximum saturation in cable news (a huge percentage of which consists of panelists “analyzing” the latest contretemps), but the media feeding frenzy has often paralyzed the administration. And Reservoir Dogs–style showdowns between administration factions have created the public impression of a White House consumed by chaos. > > \ > > The United States government is a vast and powerful institution, but within that institution, the president is far weaker than the head of a private company is relative to that company. The owner of a private company can do whatever he wants to that company within the bounds of the law; the president is much more limited. Without the cooperation of Congress (which often means the bipartisan cooperation of Congress), the president cannot move a legislative agenda. > > \ > > But in reality, American politics is a team sport, and the executive branch is a team within a team. The parts of an administration must be working together if that administration is to have any hope of working with its constitutional partners in the legislature to enact a domestic agenda. You know, I never thought of it like \*that \* before! Maybe, and I know this is kind of crazy, running the United States is not that much like running a private company. > **[Why Trump Is Floundering | National Review](https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/08/donald-trump-management-style/)** > > Trump’s boisterous, chaotic management style may have worked in business and entertainment, but it is not the right approach for governing the country. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9178 "2017-08-02T12:11:17Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Og help me, I don’t know if this has been posted (I’ve been away from the computer most of today), and this thread moves pretty fast these days, but this interview with the Wall St. Journal? Holy shit. > > [Full transcript](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/01/trump-wall-street-journal-interview-full-transcript-241214). > > I’ll just pull this paragraph out to look at up close: > > The amount of bullshit from this man is staggering. Many politicians bullshit, but are able to disguise it and look/sound reasonably intelligent. This guy just sounds like a wannabe goombah from from the streets trying to impress the mooks down at Joe’s Pizzeria. My favorite part of that interview is “Number One, they should go after the leakers in intelligence. I don’t mean the White House stuff where they’re fighting over who loves me most,OK. It’s just stupid people doing that.” So, Trump sees all the palace intrigue as people fighting over who loves him most?.. And did he just call everyone in his entourage stupid? Maybe the WJS missed a comma and he said, it’s just stupid, people doing that? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9179 "2017-08-02T12:32:11Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Og help me, I don’t know if this has been posted (I’ve been away from the computer most of today), and this thread moves pretty fast these days, but this interview with the Wall St. Journal? Holy shit. > > [Full transcript](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/01/trump-wall-street-journal-interview-full-transcript-241214). “Okay, people, the theme is ‘lack of objectivity in journalism’. What have you got?” “What if we have Trump being interviewed by the _Wall Street Journal_?” “I like it. Go.” “Mark Berman does the interview himself. Softball questions…” “Of course.” “Trump does his usual word salad thing. Berman trying desperately to get him on track.” “More and more preposterous.” “What if… Ivanka pops in, and Berman says something like ’ “It was nice to see you out in Southampton a couple weeks ago’?” “Too on-the-nose. We’re writing satire here, not slapstick!” ---
**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:** [August 2, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9180 "2017-08-02T12:55:23Z")
I read last week that Trump intended to sign the new Russian sanctions bill, which was sent to the White House on Friday. I can’t seem to find any further reporting on that. Does anyone here know what the holdup is? Is the moron-in-chief going to let it die in his in-box? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9181 "2017-08-02T13:14:23Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I read last week that Trump intended to sign the new Russian sanctions bill, which was sent to the White House on Friday. I can’t seem to find any further reporting on that. Does anyone here know what the holdup is? Is the moron-in-chief going to let it die in his in-box? Apparently there is a [“review process”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-says-trump-has-yet-to-sign-russia-sanctions-bill/2017/08/01/9ac24f2e-76ed-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_story.html?utm_term=.b800e61ee919) that this is going under right now. No word on why Trump’s pen was “ready” to sign any health care bill without such review. Or for that matter, why a man who seems to love signing ceremonies is so loathe to celebrate this rare show of bipartisanship. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9182 "2017-08-02T13:15:33Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > So either the head of the Boy Scouts is a two-faced shithead who would say anything to save face and Trump just threw him under the bus, or Trump is lying through his jowls. Any bets on which? Side bet, do you think Trump gives a shit either way? More likely, the Boy Scouts simply and politely thanks Trump for the speech, and when pressed for how great it was, told him it was nice or interesting or even unusual. That is what polite people do. They don’t say, “Holy crap! You’re a friggin’ nutcase!” ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2017, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/9183 "2017-08-02T13:20:14Z")
What puzzles me about Trump is how he keeps saying “we/they only talked about adoptions,” as if it’s no big deal to have undisclosed discussions about international sanctions. Is it just possible that the Russians kept saying “I’m sure there’s something you can do to help those American families wanting to adopt Russian children… _wink_ _wink_” and Trump & his team never even got the hint? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=458) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=460)