# 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:** 531
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10604 "2017-08-24T01:35:29Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So in the infamous NY Times article of today, Roger Stone thinks that if Trump successfully gets incumbent senators or representatives defeated in the primaries, Ryan and McConnell would “wet their pants” and the party would fall in line behind Trump. > > Notwithstanding whether it’s possible, if it were, and it were actually done, would they? I’m kind of torn. I’m assuming that means defeated by other Republicans. If they end up defeated by Democrats, there might be a line forming aimed at Trump. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10605 "2017-08-24T02:39:57Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I’m assuming that means defeated by other Republicans. If they end up defeated by Democrats, there might be a line forming aimed at Trump. Well, obviously if that happens it’s all the fault of the Republican incumbents who _made_ the Angry Birdbrain lash out at them for failing to support him properly in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![SaneBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SaneBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaneBill)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10606 "2017-08-24T07:53:00Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > You REALLY can’t make this stuff up. Are we being whooshed here ? As I understand coal IS washed with water to reduce its ash content, that is to make it cleaner. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10607 "2017-08-24T08:16:11Z")
> [@SaneBill](#): > > Are we being whooshed here ? As I understand coal IS washed with water to reduce its ash content, that is to make it cleaner. True, but that is not what the reference to “clean coal” as an energy source generally means. “Clean coal” means capturing and sequestering the CO2 emissions from coal **after** the coal is burned; it has nothing to do with how clean you get the coal **before** you burn it. Trump **may** have meant “they’re going to clean it” as a clumsy attempt to describe that kind of emissions capture; it certainly wouldn’t be the most poorly expressed and confusing thing he’s ever said. But it seems more likely that he simply doesn’t really understand what “clean coal” specifically refers to and doesn’t care enough to find out. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10608 "2017-08-24T10:31:53Z")
Trump appearing to believe that clean coal means that the coal is washed after it’s mined reminds me of when he was hammering on the issue of Hillary Clinton’s emails being deleted with BleachBit and he kept talking about very expensive chemicals. I want to believe that someone told him that BleachBit is software (and free, open source software at that) and contains no actual bleach, but either someone told him what it was and he didn’t get it, or he just grasped onto the one word (‘clean’ or ‘bleach’) that he understood and didn’t bother to think any further. I honestly don’t know which possibility is worse. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2017, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10609 "2017-08-24T10:35:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Read in WaPo this morning that people were leaving before he was done. It was rambling, the event was long, hot and people had their water confiscated on their way in. > > Also, from what I gather, he was especially vicious toward the media, more so than usual, accusing them of genuinely hating America. [This](http://thetrumpimpeachment.com/Check-out-the-photos-and-video/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=The+Trump+Impeachment&utm_campaign=bg) blog claims to be from the rally, and shows that he had - maybe - 2000 people there, total. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10610 "2017-08-24T13:04:50Z")
The Phoenix fire department, whose job it is to do this sort of thing, says it was more like 4000. Which is a lot more than 2000, but a long way from a packed house. When it comes to crowd sizes, trust the people whose job it is to evacuate the building and provide emergency services if something happens. They need to know. This is causing a bit of cognitive dissonance in people in that Trump used to pack rallies, and now he doesn’t, and yet his support is staying pretty steady in the high 30s. It makes sense to me, though. Popular support does not necessarily mean people will go to the time and trouble of going to your rallies, when 1. It’s an election rally, really, and there’s no election coming. People can think “Trump is doing well” but be tired of election shit, and 2. It was weidely, and correctly, suspected that there would be unrest, and most people prefer to avoid such things. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10611 "2017-08-24T14:25:02Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > Trump appearing to believe that clean coal means that the coal is washed after it’s mined reminds me of when he was hammering on the issue of Hillary Clinton’s emails being deleted with BleachBit and he kept talking about very expensive chemicals. I want to believe that someone told him that BleachBit is software (and free, open source software at that) and contains no actual bleach, but either someone told him what it was and he didn’t get it, or he just grasped onto the one word (‘clean’ or ‘bleach’) that he understood and didn’t bother to think any further. I honestly don’t know which possibility is worse. Wow! Just, wow. How utterly stupid! ---
**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:** [August 24, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10612 "2017-08-24T15:23:47Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > Wow! Just, wow. How utterly stupid! Don’t forget that this is the guy who thought Frederick Douglass was still alive, was surprised (and thought “many people” would also be surprised) to learn that Lincoln was a Republican, and didn’t know that France was a historic ally of the USA (um… Statue of Liberty anyone?). ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10613 "2017-08-24T15:41:40Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Don’t forget that this is the guy who thought Frederick Douglass was still alive, was surprised (and thought “many people” would also be surprised) to learn that Lincoln was a Republican, and didn’t know that France was a historic ally of the USA (um… Statue of Liberty anyone?). You’re so right! How can his continual stream of stupidity keep surprising me? Now I just feel silly… 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 24, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10614 "2017-08-24T16:00:55Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > You’re so right! How can his continual stream of stupidity keep surprising me? Now I just feel silly… 🙂 No, no–it’s understandable. How can the President of the United States have less ordinary common knowledge than the average 10-year old? ---
**Author:** ![Crybaby\_Boobie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crybaby_boobie/32/545_2.png) [@Crybaby\_Boobie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crybaby_Boobie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10615 "2017-08-24T16:07:25Z")
This article will explain how for you, TL: [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/24/trump-family-history-confederate-statues-215525](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/24/trump-family-history-confederate-statues-215525) A person who has no interest in history of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10616 "2017-08-24T19:48:36Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The “substances of questionable provenance” issue would have been taken care of by making each entrant take a good swig from their bottle. What if it’s vodka or some other high proof liquor? Flammable, but safe to drink. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10617 "2017-08-24T20:01:51Z")
I intentionally say things which are wrong to my kids all the time. It’s how I check to see if they’re paying attention. ---
**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 24, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10618 "2017-08-24T20:15:18Z")
> [@PatriotX](#): > > I intentionally say things which are wrong to my kids all the time. > > It’s how I check to see if they’re paying attention. What’s that got to do with Trump being an ignorant ass? ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10619 "2017-08-24T20:33:32Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > What’s that got to do with Trump being an ignorant ass? See, Trump’s just practicing good parenting skills by lying to us so often. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10620 "2017-08-24T20:45:42Z")
And now that other asshole Roger Stone is threatening a Civil War. “Try to impeach him. Just try it,” Stone said. “You will have a spasm of violence, an insurrection in this country like you have never seen before. Both sides are heavily armed, my friend.” … “This isn’t 1974. The people will not stand for impeachment. A politician who votes for it would be endangering their own life. There will be violence on both sides. I’ll make this clear I’m not advocating violence, but I’m predicting it.” Fuck you Roger Stone. Fuck you and all those who keep saying this shit. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10621 "2017-08-24T20:57:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > …T **his is causing a bit of cognitive dissonance in people in that Trump used to pack rallies, and now he doesn’t, and yet his support is staying pretty steady in the high 30s.** It makes sense to me, though. Popular support does not necessarily mean people will go to the time and trouble of going to your rallies, when > > 1. It’s an election rally, really, and there’s no election coming. People can think “Trump is doing well” but be tired of election shit, and > 2. It was weidely, and correctly, suspected that there would be unrest, and most people prefer to avoid such things. One might surmise that out of that ~38% of supporters, many are people for whom their Trump vote represents a sunk cost, rather than an enthusiastic allegiance. > [@TonySinclair](#): > > What if it’s vodka or some other high proof liquor? Flammable, but safe to drink. Well, I did say they’d be asked to take ‘a good swig’ before being allowed to enter with the bottle. And only a hardened alcoholic could take a good swig of vodka, and show no reaction other than what a normal person would show after drinking water. I guess there could be hardened alcoholics who’d come in with the intention of setting their water bottle on fire and throwing it. But would they be well-organized enough to do it, given that others in the crowd would inevitably see what they were preparing to do? Tough to say. (_Can_ a Molotov cocktail be made from a disposable-plastic water bottle filled with vodka? I’m kind of skeptical that it could work.) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10622 "2017-08-24T21:05:12Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > \(_Can_ a Molotov cocktail be made from a disposable-plastic water bottle filled with vodka? I’m kind of skeptical that it could work.) I wonder if it had a squirt top it could be used like a flame thrower. I’ve been to concerts where if you by a bottle of water, they take the top off and won’t give it to you. Not as dangerous of a ‘missile’. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10623 "2017-08-24T21:15:19Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I wonder if it had a squirt top it could be used like a flame thrower. > > I’ve been to concerts where if you by a bottle of water, they take the top off and won’t give it to you. Not as dangerous of a ‘missile’. The concessions at Milwaukee’s Festival Park (Summerfest, etc.) do this with soda and water bottles. It’s _ever_ so fun to suddenly remember you can’t just screw the cap back on that 20-oz soda to finish it later. :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=530) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=532)