# 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:** 836
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16705 "2018-02-12T18:25:04Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > The seller is being paid for the risk of abetting money laundering. The American seller is even more at risk of running afoul of the laws and being imprisoned than the Russian gangster, who merely has to stay in Russia to avoid capture. This doesn’t explain anything. Why inform the seller of a piece of real estate that your intention is to launder money, and then pay them in order to go through with the deal anyway but keep quiet about it? Why not just buy it for a fair market price from someone who has no clue what’s going on and has no particular reason to ask any questions? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16706 "2018-02-12T18:32:02Z")
The assumption here is that the seller is fully aware of the source of the money and is willing to take the huge cash bonus precisely because cash purchases of real estate are excluded from certain reporting requirements. If Trump had never gone into politics, he could have kept doing this forever to fund his personal failures. But he’s too stupid and narcissistic to figure anyone could do anything about it if he’s President. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16707 "2018-02-12T18:43:42Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The assumption here is that the seller is fully aware of the source of the money and is willing to take the huge cash bonus precisely because cash purchases of real estate are excluded from certain reporting requirements. > > If Trump had never gone into politics, he could have kept doing this forever to fund his personal failures. But he’s too stupid and narcissistic to figure anyone could do anything about it if he’s President. But why would a buyer need to disclose the source of the money to the seller in the first place? In any case, this feels like a hijack, so [I started a new thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20783461). ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16708 "2018-02-12T19:04:03Z")
Does Trump himself explicitly say the deal was legit? By the established principle of Trump-is-a-compulsive-liar, I’d say you’ve got enough to secure conviction right there. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16709 "2018-02-12T19:24:29Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Does Trump himself explicitly say the deal was legit? By the established principle of Trump-is-a-compulsive-liar, I’d say you’ve got enough to secure conviction right there. We’re better than that, right? Facts matter and all that? ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16710 "2018-02-12T19:28:02Z")
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, whose nomination to the federal beanch was once rejected by a Republican-controlled Senate because he was too racist, has today praised the National Sheriff’s Association for helping to uphold “the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement.” Sessions’s remarks deviated from the prepared remarks that were released prior to the speech. A DOJ spokesperson said that Sessions was merely referring to the legacy of Anglo-American common law, as opposed to, say, the Napoleonic Code. Well, sure, “common law”, “Anglo-American heritage”. Pretty much equivalent terms. > **[Sessions Praises Sheriffs For Upholding ‘Anglo-American Heritage’ Of Policing](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sessions-sheriff-anglo-american-heritage-policing-law-enforcement)** > > Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday praised the "Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement" in a speech to the National Sheriffs’ Association. “The office of sheriff is a critical part of the… ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16711 "2018-02-12T19:40:12Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Facts matter and all that? Since January 20, 2017 and arguably well before, I’d have to say… not as much as they used to. But yeah-yeah-yeah, rules of evidence, due process, presumption of innocence, all that stuff. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16712 "2018-02-12T20:20:33Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > This doesn’t explain anything. Why inform the seller of a piece of real estate that your intention is to launder money, and then pay them in order to go through with the deal anyway but keep quiet about it? > > Why not just buy it for a fair market price from someone who has no clue what’s going on and has no particular reason to ask any questions? You only need to launder ill-gotten gains, and just buying real estate with it doesn’t launder it. Under our laws, you are still required to show the legal means by which you acquired the money for the purchase or risk forfeiture. I don’t think this would apply to foreign nationals using funds from their own county. I believe that paying far more than market price for real estate is a way to disguise a bribe. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16713 "2018-02-12T20:28:24Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, whose nomination to the federal beanch was once rejected by a Republican-controlled Senate because he was too racist, has today praised the National Sheriff’s Association for helping to uphold “the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement.” > > Sessions’s remarks deviated from the prepared remarks that were released prior to the speech. A DOJ spokesperson said that Sessions was merely referring to the legacy of Anglo-American common law, as opposed to, say, the Napoleonic Code. Well, sure, “common law”, “Anglo-American heritage”. Pretty much equivalent terms. > > [Sessions Praises Sheriffs For Upholding ‘Anglo-American Heritage’ Of Policing - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sessions-sheriff-anglo-american-heritage-policing-law-enforcement) Two dogwhistles in one – the obvious racial one, and the shout-out to “Soverign Citizen” nonsense about the supremacy of local Sheriff Goodolboy. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16714 "2018-02-12T20:43:15Z")
I see “Anglo” and “Sheriff” and I think Saxon, Robin Hood, and Nottingham. ---
**Author:** ![lucid-nonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2acd7d/32.png) [@lucid-nonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucid-nonsense)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16715 "2018-02-12T21:39:19Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, whose nomination to the federal beanch was once rejected by a Republican-controlled Senate because he was too racist, has today praised the National Sheriff’s Association for helping to uphold “the Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement.” > > Sessions’s remarks deviated from the prepared remarks that were released prior to the speech. A DOJ spokesperson said that Sessions was merely referring to the legacy of Anglo-American common law, as opposed to, say, the Napoleonic Code. Well, sure, “common law”, “Anglo-American heritage”. Pretty much equivalent terms. > > [Sessions Praises Sheriffs For Upholding ‘Anglo-American Heritage’ Of Policing - TPM – Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sessions-sheriff-anglo-american-heritage-policing-law-enforcement) My God, what balls! The spokesperson said “Anglo-American law is another term for common law”, followed by “I am confused as to why this is a story that you would need a comment on”. Fuck do we care what “Anglo-American law” means? That’s not what he said! Maybe “Anglo-American potato” means something else too, so what? If he meant to say “Anglo-American law” then he meant to say “The office of sheriff is a critical part of the Anglo-American law of law enforcement”. I don’t expect flawless eloquence from basically the rooster lawyer from Futurama, but come on? Basically, if you replace half the words he said, rendering the sentence meaningless, then interpret it really charitably, then it’s not racist, so what’s your problem? Fucking piece of shit racist cock lawyer. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16716 "2018-02-12T21:42:12Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Two dogwhistles in one – the obvious racial one, and the shout-out to “Soverign Citizen” nonsense about the supremacy of local Sheriff Goodolboy. Such as the Tennessee sheriff who was so concerned that his vehicles not be scratched that he suggested his deputies shoot to kill the suspect: > [@](#): > > Shortly after Tennessee law enforcement shot and killed a man during a two-county vehicle chase in April, White County Sheriff Oddie Shoupe seemed fired up as he recalled his conversations with dispatchers. > > "They said, ‘We’re ramming (the suspect),’ " Shoupe told a deputy in body-camera footage obtained by CNN this week. “I said, **‘Don’t ram him. Shoot him.’ "F** \* that s\*\*\*. You’re gonna tear my cars up.”\*\* > Shoupe later says of the chase, “I love this s\*\*\*. God, I tell you what, I thrive on it.” > The comments, recorded April 13 after the sheriff arrived at the scene where officers shot and killed Michael Dial on the side of State Route 111, are at the center of a federal lawsuit filed last week by Dial’s widow against White County, Shoupe and others. [https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/10/us/tennessee-shooting-white-county-sheriff/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/10/us/tennessee-shooting-white-county-sheriff/index.html) American hero! ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16717 "2018-02-12T21:46:26Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > I see “Anglo” and “Sheriff” and I think Saxon, Robin Hood, and Nottingham. Wasn’t the Sheriff of Nottingham a Norman, the oppression of Saxons being the point of the story? ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16718 "2018-02-12T21:58:08Z")
[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-4-trillion-budget-helps-062340996.html?.tsrc=fauxdal](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-4-trillion-budget-helps-062340996.html?.tsrc=fauxdal) What? Trump’s budget plan is going to raise the deficit. I’m shocked. I didn’t see that coming at all. What a true surprise. (My apologies if I broke anybody’s sarcasm-o-meters) ---
**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:** [February 12, 2018, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16719 "2018-02-12T21:58:55Z")
> [@ticker](#): > > Wasn’t the Sheriff of Nottingham a Norman, the oppression of Saxons being the point of the story? Not really. The oppression was at the hand of John, who was trying to take control of England in the absence of King Richard Lionheart while he was off trying to drive Muslims out of the Levant. John was heir to the throne next after Richard. In other words, the good guy and the bad guy were full brothers. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16720 "2018-02-12T22:40:47Z")
> [@ticker](#): > > Wasn’t the Sheriff of Nottingham a Norman, the oppression of Saxons being the point of the story? fake news! Sad ! Maid Marion was into it, I swear! ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16721 "2018-02-13T00:42:26Z")
Pruitt, one of Trump’s great swamp drainers, [apparently has a habit of flying first class and racking up hefty bills doing it](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/first-class-travel-distinguishes-scott-pruitts-epa-tenure/2018/02/11/5bb89afc-0b7d-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html)…After all, if you are going to destroy the environment, you need to do it in comfort. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16722 "2018-02-13T00:43:16Z")
> [@jshore](#): > > Pruitt, one of Trump’s great swamp drainers, [apparently has a habit of flying first class and racking up hefty bills doing it](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/first-class-travel-distinguishes-scott-pruitts-epa-tenure/2018/02/11/5bb89afc-0b7d-11e8-8b0d-891602206fb7_story.html)…After all, if you are going to destroy the environment, you need to do it in comfort. Didn’t wazzisname get fired last year for doing that? ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16723 "2018-02-13T00:44:21Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > What? Trump’s budget plan is going to raise the deficit. I’m shocked. I didn’t see that coming at all. What a true surprise. But, the good news is that he is managing to raise the deficit and savagely cut useful programs at the same time! I mean, anybody can just bust the budget. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/16724 "2018-02-13T00:46:56Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Didn’t wazzisname get fired last year for doing that? Was it Price? But I think he was flying charters. That would be a bit more expensive than first class commercial. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=835) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=837)