# 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:** 541
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10804 "2017-09-01T19:13:16Z")
Eric tweeted a complaint that CNN would not cover his father’s offer to donate $1 million to Harvey cleanup. Three hours after CNN reported it. [https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-son-attacks-cnn-not-110254879.html](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-son-attacks-cnn-not-110254879.html) Of course, don’t hold your breath that Trump will actually follow through. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10805 "2017-09-01T19:24:40Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Eric tweeted a complaint that CNN would not cover his father’s offer to donate $1 million to Harvey cleanup. Three hours after CNN reported it. > [Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-son-attacks-cnn-not-110254879.html) > > Of course, don’t hold your breath that Trump will actually follow through. Yeah…remember that “fundraiser” he held during the campaign, where he didn’t actually cut a check until the media put a gun to his head? Back to Happy’s point…I think we’re just experiencing outrage fatigue. This week we’ve had the “our boy” memo, and Trump using Harvey as a ball cap marketing opportunity, and now he’s ranting about Comey again. But it’s all business-as-usual. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10806 "2017-09-01T19:37:04Z")
John McCain wrote an editorial in the WaPo calling for compromise and bipartisanship. Among the great quotes is this: “We must respect [The President’s] authority and constitutional responsibilities. We must, where we can, cooperate with him. But we are not his subordinates. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the American people. We must be diligent in discharging our responsibility to serve as a check on his power. And we should value our identity as members of Congress more than our partisan affiliation.” > **[Opinion | John McCain: It’s time Congress returns to regular order](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-its-time-congress-returns-to-regular-order/2017/08/31/f62a3e0c-8cfb-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html)** > > Our shared values define us more than our differences. Lawmakers should heed that lesson. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10807 "2017-09-01T19:48:10Z")
Mike Pence “helps” with [the cleanup.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4840672/Pence-heads-rubble-strewn-Texas-town.html) The ground, branches and ground are bone dry. The branches are piled several feet away from the boarded up trailer and don’t appear to need removing. Abbott’s wheelchair isn’t sinking into the “mud”. There are no water marks on the trailer. Everyone in the photo are clean. The security perimeter around the VP would interfere with real operations. 5th picture down. Look at all those people who are doing nothing. The “broken” branch Pence is putting on the pile has stumps where branches were sawn off. Other branches still in the pile near the house also look sawn off. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10808 "2017-09-01T19:56:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > John McCain wrote an editorial in the WaPo calling for compromise and bipartisanship. Among the great quotes is this: > > “We must respect [The President’s] authority and constitutional responsibilities. We must, where we can, cooperate with him. But we are not his subordinates. We don’t answer to him. We answer to the American people. We must be diligent in discharging our responsibility to serve as a check on his power. And we should value our identity as members of Congress more than our partisan affiliation.” > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-its-time-congress-returns-to-regular-order/2017/08/31/f62a3e0c-8cfb-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/john-mccain-its-time-congress-returns-to-regular-order/2017/08/31/f62a3e0c-8cfb-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html) Don’t forget this quote immediately before: > [@](#): > > We can fight like hell for our ideas to prevail. But we have to respect each other or at least respect the fact that we need each other. > > That has never been truer than today, when Congress must govern with a president who has no experience of public office, is often poorly informed and can be impulsive in his speech and conduct. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10809 "2017-09-01T20:02:33Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Eric tweeted a complaint that CNN would not cover his father’s offer to donate $1 million to Harvey cleanup. Three hours after CNN reported it. > [Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-son-attacks-cnn-not-110254879.html) > > Of course, don’t hold your breath that Trump will actually follow through. FEMA and the SBA [doled out](https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2015/10/21/fema-aid-reaches-169-billion-new-yorks-hurricane-sandy-recovery) close to $17 billion in aid after Hurricane Sandy in New York State alone. Kudos to Trump for chipping in $1M (assuming he does it), but it’s not exactly a lot of money considering a disaster of this scale. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10810 "2017-09-01T20:04:00Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Mike Pence “helps” with [the cleanup.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4840672/Pence-heads-rubble-strewn-Texas-town.html) Wait. Are you saying that politicians visiting a disaster area for a couple of hours might not actually be doing real cleanup work, but instead are just going through the motions for the benefit of photographers? No! ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10811 "2017-09-01T20:07:06Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > FEMA and the SBA [doled out](https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2015/10/21/fema-aid-reaches-169-billion-new-yorks-hurricane-sandy-recovery) close to $17 billion in aid after Hurricane Sandy in New York State alone. Kudos to Trump for chipping in $1M (assuming he does it), but it’s not exactly a lot of money considering a disaster of this scale. ASSUMING he does it. He is well known for making statements and promises and signing contracts … and then NOT paying. I feel pretty confident in predicting he will not donate shit. I predict he’s instead looking for ways to line his own pockets off this, somehow. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10812 "2017-09-01T20:13:28Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Wait. Are you saying that politicians visiting a disaster area for a couple of hours might not actually be doing real cleanup work, but instead are just going through the motions for the benefit of photographers? No! The Daily Mail is pretending it’s real and I’m sure our resident sTrumpets (and all the sTrumpets in the country) will believe it’s true. Hell, _Pence_ is pretending it’s true. And so is Abbott. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10813 "2017-09-01T20:22:51Z")
> [@JKilez](#): > > Wait. Are you saying that politicians visiting a disaster area for a couple of hours might not actually be doing real cleanup work, but instead are just going through the motions for the benefit of photographers? No! And that red suit with the furry collar in your dad’s bottom drawer is… _wait for it_… SANTA CLAUS! > [@SteveG1](#): > > ASSUMING he does it. > > He is well known for making statements and promises and signing contracts … and then NOT paying. > > I feel pretty confident in predicting he will not donate shit. I predict he’s instead looking for ways to line his own pockets off this, somehow. You are 100% correct. Of course, he won’t follow through. Geez Louise, I don’t understand this undying hope people have that he will finally NOT be who he is, a narcissistic opportunist, media whore, and a liar. He has shown us over and over every day exactly who he is. That’s it. Abandon hope. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10814 "2017-09-01T20:47:38Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > I’ll say this much for John Kelly: Since coming on board, the sheer intensity of the clusterfuck has dulled considerably. It’s been more than 24 hours since anyone’s posted in this thread for pete’s sake. > > Although with Congress returning soon, it’s only a matter of time before the shine is off the turd. It’s only because I could not log in yesterday to point out the Screaming Yam’s call to an Iowa senator promising to support ethanol. Why the sudden enthusiasm over ethanol? I’m sure it’s \*nothing at all related \*[to Senator Grassley’s position on the Senate Judiciary committee](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-grassley-ethanol-20170830-story.html), ya’know, the people who a interviewing Don Jr. today ---
**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:** [September 1, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10815 "2017-09-01T20:59:36Z")
Trump will donate $1 million of Russian money and then use that as a pretext to reset relations with Russia. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10816 "2017-09-01T21:21:42Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Mike Pence “helps” with [the cleanup.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4840672/Pence-heads-rubble-strewn-Texas-town.html) > > The ground, branches and ground are bone dry. > The branches are piled several feet away from the boarded up trailer and don’t appear to need removing. > Abbott’s wheelchair isn’t sinking into the “mud”. > There are no water marks on the trailer. > Everyone in the photo are clean. > The security perimeter around the VP would interfere with real operations. > 5th picture down. Look at all those people who are doing nothing. > The “broken” branch Pence is putting on the pile has stumps where branches were sawn off. > Other branches still in the pile near the house also look sawn off. While it’s certainly a staged photo op (I’m pretty sure they’re just moving a sawed up downed tree), it’s fair to note that those photos are from Rockport, where the damage was from the Category 4 eyewall more than from flooding. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10817 "2017-09-01T21:24:27Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > ASSUMING he does it. > > He is well known for making statements and promises and signing contracts … and then NOT paying. > > I feel pretty confident in predicting he will not donate shit. I predict he’s instead looking for ways to line his own pockets off this, somehow. Huckabee Sanders already walked it back and refused to say whether it was Trump or the Trump Organization that would make the donations. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10818 "2017-09-01T23:19:48Z")
[![](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170901/e8239ffc40bb230ed80cfe0f5382c69b.jpg) ](https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170901/e8239ffc40bb230ed80cfe0f5382c69b.jpg) ---
**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:** [September 2, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10819 "2017-09-02T00:12:40Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump tweeted this morning, “General John Kelly is doing a great job as Chief of Staff. I could not be happier or more impressed”. Kelly will be out on his ass soon. From your fingers to God’s ears. [Forceful Chief of Staff grates on Trump and the feeling is mutual](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/politics/john-kelly-trump.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur) > [@](#): > > President Trump was in an especially ornery mood after staff members gently suggested he refrain from injecting politics into day-to-day issues of governing after last month’s raucous rally in Arizona, and he responded by lashing out at the most senior aide in his presence. > > It happened to be his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly. > > Mr. Kelly, the former Marine general brought in five weeks ago as the successor to Reince Priebus, reacted calmly, but he later told other White House staff members that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country. In the future, he said, he would not abide such treatment… > > “It is inevitable that a guy who will not be contained and does not want to be handled or managed was going to rebel against the latest manager who wanted to control him,” said Roger Stone…“Ultimately Donald Trump is his own man, and he’s going to resist all the control and regimented systems Kelly is trying to impose”… > > The question now is how long Mr. Kelly will stay, with estimates ranging from a month to a year at the most… > > But how long Mr. Kelly and the president, two men with such divergent approaches to the common goal of Mr. Trump’s success, will be able to coexist is unclear…But one associate who spoke to Mr. Kelly last month said the former commander had remarked that his current assignment was by far the hardest job he had ever had. ---
**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:** [September 2, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10820 "2017-09-02T00:26:48Z")
Has there ever been one documented instance when Trump opened his mouth and a lie DIDN’T come out? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10821 "2017-09-02T00:56:29Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump tweeted this morning, “General John Kelly is doing a great job as Chief of Staff. I could not be happier or more impressed”. Kelly will be out on his ass soon. [On that note.](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/us/politics/john-kelly-trump.html) \*"WASHINGTON — President Trump was in an especially ornery mood after staff members gently suggested he refrain from injecting politics into day-to-day issues of governing after last month’s raucous rally in Arizona, and he responded by lashing out at the most senior aide in his presence. It happened to be his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly. Mr. Kelly, the former Marine general brought in five weeks ago as the successor to Reince Priebus, reacted calmly, but he later told other White House staff members that he had never been spoken to like that during 35 years of serving his country. In the future, he said, he would not abide such treatment, according to three people familiar with the exchange."\* ---
**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:** [September 2, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10822 "2017-09-02T00:59:55Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Has there ever been one documented instance when Trump opened his mouth and a lie DIDN’T come out? Just today, he mentioned “My wife, Melania”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/10823 "2017-09-02T04:33:55Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Just today, he mentioned “My wife, Melania”. > 😃 Given that, I must assume that they are not actually legally married. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=540) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=542)