# The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070>\
**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:** 795

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**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:** [January 24, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15885 "2018-01-24T21:08:16Z")

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> [@jasg](#):
>
> I don’t think we have to [wait](https://www.axios.com/pence-blames-dems-for-shutdown-in-speech-to-1516547471-5c6c4254-efde-4c95-ac45-d277caa49c7b.html)…

My 89-year-old, middle of the road Democratic mother is livid over that scene of Pence politicking before the troops overseas.

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**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:** [January 24, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15886 "2018-01-24T21:09:38Z")

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> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> These recent political attacks against the FBI don’t phase me, for I am eagerly awaiting 2020 when there is a Democratic president, house and senate, and the immediate purge of agents who have ever voted for a Republican in the past will begin. That’s just how it works now.

Ah. The old “both sides do it” lie.

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**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:** [January 24, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15887 "2018-01-24T21:11:19Z")

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The guy who made death threats to CNN _ **twenty-two times** _ got out on bail before the end of his arrest date. Any guesses on what color his skin is?

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**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15888 "2018-01-24T22:05:46Z")

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You miss my point entirely.

I’m saying that seems to be what Trump wants to do. I’m using humor - irony, even - to point out how ridiculous that would be under any normal circumstances, like with a Democratic president. Or really, any other sane person in office.

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**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15889 "2018-01-24T22:08:55Z")

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> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> You miss my point entirely.
> 
> I’m saying that seems to be what Trump wants to do. I’m using humor - irony, even - to point out how ridiculous that would be under any normal circumstances, like with a Democratic president. Or really, any other sane person in office.

I really miss the days when “any other sane person in office” didn’t mean “democrat”.

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**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:** [January 25, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15890 "2018-01-25T00:11:10Z")

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> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#):
>
> My 89-year-old, middle of the road Democratic mother is livid over that scene of Pence politicking before the troops overseas.

everyone should be, _especially_ republicans - nobody can take the party seriously with those two at the top.

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15891 "2018-01-25T00:12:28Z")

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> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> These recent political attacks against the FBI don’t phase me, for I am eagerly awaiting 2020 when there is a Democratic president, house and senate, and the immediate purge of agents who have ever voted for a Republican in the past will begin. That’s just how it works now.

When you see Democrats actually doing it, let us know, willya? :rolleyes:

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**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:** [January 25, 2018, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15892 "2018-01-25T01:23:05Z")

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> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> You miss my point entirely.
> 
> I’m saying that seems to be what Trump wants to do. I’m using humor - irony, even - to point out how ridiculous that would be under any normal circumstances, like with a Democratic president. Or really, any other sane person in office.

I got it, **Jack**. New folks don’t necessarily recognize sanity right off the bat… It’s a symptom of the times.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15893 "2018-01-25T02:28:23Z")

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> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> You miss my point entirely.
> 
> I’m saying that seems to be what Trump wants to do. I’m using humor - irony, even - to point out how ridiculous that would be under any normal circumstances, like with a Democratic president. Or really, any other sane person in office.

> [@begbert2](#):
>
> I really miss the days when “any other sane person in office” didn’t mean “democrat”.

I miss the days when you could say something absurd and it would be recognized as absurd and not something ~30% of the American population would cheerfully endorse.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15894 "2018-01-25T03:02:48Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> I miss the days when you could say something absurd and it would be recognized as absurd and not something ~30% of the American population would cheerfully endorse.

^^^ That.

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**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15895 "2018-01-25T03:08:08Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> I miss the days when you could say something absurd and it would be recognized as absurd and not something ~30% of the American population would cheerfully endorse.

That was back before the tragically absurd became the way things really are.

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**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:** [January 25, 2018, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15896 "2018-01-25T04:10:37Z")

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Replacing Tom “ **travelin’ maaaaaann** ” Price is Right, Alex Azar is the new head of HHS. While he’s had experience as HHS general counsel and deputy secretary, it _was_ under Bush, and is making (what I bet will turn out to be spurious as fuck) claims that [his priorities are to help curb high prescription drug costs, make health insurance more affordable and available, focus Medicare payments on quality, and confront the growing opioid addiction epidemic.](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-confirms-alex-azar-as-new-hhs-secretary/)  
:rolleyes: TIMES TRILLIONS YOU FUCKING FUCK-STICK.

For feces and laughter I figured I’d check into previous HHS secretaries to see if any of them had any Pig Pharma backgrounds - I went back ten HHS heads (Louis Wade Sullivan, '89-93) - nope, none of 'em, so would it be fair to say Azar is a bit of a scumbag outlier here?

As president of Ely-Lilly USA, I’m pretty sure, under his watch, that the opioid crisis that he now speciously spews he’ll conquer was part of his legacy. (not quite as vile as Oxycontinmongers Purdue, p-haps)  
Apologies for the Seger earworm.😛

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15897 "2018-01-25T04:43:48Z")

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> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#):
>
> Replacing Tom “ **travelin’ maaaaaann** ” Price is Right, Alex Azar is the new head of HHS. While he’s had experience as HHS general counsel and deputy secretary, it _was_ under Bush, and is making (what I bet will turn out to be spurious as fuck) claims that [his priorities are to help curb high prescription drug costs, make health insurance more affordable and available, focus Medicare payments on quality, and confront the growing opioid addiction epidemic.](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-confirms-alex-azar-as-new-hhs-secretary/)  
> :rolleyes: TIMES TRILLIONS YOU FUCKING FUCK-STICK.

I mean, I would be surprised if he does them, but those aren’t bad priorities for an HHS secretary to have. And he has experience in the actual department, which puts him ahead of a lot of the other Trump cabinet picks.

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**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:** [January 25, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15898 "2018-01-25T05:13:49Z")

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> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> I mean, I would be surprised if he does them, but those aren’t bad priorities for an HHS secretary to have. And he has experience in the actual department, which puts him ahead of a lot of the other Trump cabinet picks.

Sure, those are perfectly fine HHS secretary priorities, (and I already acknowledged his experience), but I’m not still not convinced he’ll be any more effective than Price, especially given the high bar of President Bumpaddle’s cabinet appointments, and so I’ll certainly agree with you that I would also be surprised if Azar even _starts_ to meet any of his stated directives.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15899 "2018-01-25T05:40:22Z")

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> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#):
>
> Sure, those are perfectly fine HHS secretary priorities, (and I already acknowledged his experience), but I’m not still not convinced he’ll be any more effective than Price, especially given the high bar of President Bumpaddle’s cabinet appointments, and so I’ll certainly agree with you that I would also be surprised if Azar even _starts_ to meet any of his stated directives.

Maybe, but given Trump’s cabinet picks so far, an HHS Secretary who just wants to screw over poor sick people while putting a positive face on it seems refreshingly normal. So I’m optimistic.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15900 "2018-01-25T06:16:25Z")

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Melania is backing out of accompanying Chump to Davos. Word is she’s royally pissed off about Stormy Daniels. In fact, she’s not made any appearances since the story broke on January 12 except to make an MLK Day tweet (which Chump didn’t do) and to release a photo of her and a Marine on Inauguration Day on the anniversary thereof with no mention of Chump. And speaking of anniversaries, their 13th just passed, and it was suspiciously quiet.

First divorce in the White House?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 25, 2018, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15901 "2018-01-25T06:17:43Z")

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> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> Maybe, but given Trump’s cabinet picks so far, an HHS Secretary who just wants to screw over poor sick people while putting a positive face on it seems refreshingly normal. So I’m optimistic.

Yeah I’m dancing the Lucky Charms too.

Looks like Kansas Gov. Sam “Let’s Just Absolutely Fuck Kansas Over” Brownback will most likely be donning an interesting new title as…wait for it…[Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.](http://www.kctv5.com/story/37323313/brownback-could-be-approved-this-week-for-position-in-trump-administration) (fuck I wish I was one of those:mad:)

Huh.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15902 "2018-01-25T06:28:06Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> I miss the days when you could say something absurd and it would be recognized as absurd and not something ~30% of the American population would cheerfully endorse.

Tide Pods look delicious! 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [January 25, 2018, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15903 "2018-01-25T06:28:38Z")

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Oh good. Trump can send him to a country that has some so he can learn what it looks like. (Hint: it involves not barring Muslims from entering the country.)

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**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2018, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/15904 "2018-01-25T06:35:09Z")

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^^^\<Nelson laugh\>^^^

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