# 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:** 862
**Author:** ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17225 "2018-02-28T15:44:36Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Don’t these guys have meetings? Does President Fatass not realize he can call the attorney general into his office? It is all rather passive-aggressive. And a very strange dynamic, too - Jeff Sessions has obviously decided that he’s willing to undergo public humiliation by Trump so that he can keep doing the stuff he wants to do as AG, confident in the knowledge that Trump doesn’t have the stones to actually fire him. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17226 "2018-02-28T15:51:41Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > CNN is reporting that [Jared Kushner has had his security clearance down-graded](https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/27/politics/jared-kushner-security-clearance/index.html) to “Secret”. Which begs the question as to how he’s going to be able to bring peace to the Middle East and cure cancer and everything else in his portfolio. 1. He was never going to do any of that anyway. 2. Trump is technically allowed to declassify anything he wants and will tell Kushner whatever he wants anyway. 3. #2 would be true even if Trump wasn’t technically allowed to do so. ---
**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 28, 2018, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17227 "2018-02-28T16:28:47Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So, we learn that Jared Kushner is openly spoken of as ‘easily manipulated’ by four nations: > > [Jared Kushner Could Be Targeted, Manipulated by Foreign Powers: Report - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-contacts-foreign-powers-influence-security-clearance-2018-2) My God, this is so SAD. I get that some folks have different political views than me. And I accept that sometimes they win elections. But for fuck’s sake…there are a lot of competent Republicans out there!!! Why the fuck does he go out of his way to hire the incompetent ones??? Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17228 "2018-02-28T16:31:23Z")
Because Republicans have no interest in governing, just holding power. Nice state department you had there, shame Republicans happened to it. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17229 "2018-02-28T16:44:43Z")
“Trump isn’t hiring enough friends and family” > **[Opinion | Trump isn’t hiring enough friends and family](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-isnt-hiring-enough-friends-and-family/2018/02/27/94b27788-1bfe-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html)** > > The dishonest haters keep claiming nepotism and cronyism are bad. In case you missed it, that headline is ironic. > [@](#): > > … Beyond the formal roles in the White House for Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner (responsible for everything from Middle East peace to reinventing government), and the informal roles played by Donald Jr. and Eric (responsible for antagonizing the special counsel), Trump’s friends-and-family plan has served him brilliantly. Members include: > > Dan Scavino, Trump’s onetime golf caddie, now White House director of social media. > > Hope Hicks, a former model who helped with Ivanka’s fashion line, now the White House communications director. > > Keith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard, first head of Oval Office operations and now a $15,000-a-month security consultant to the Republican National Committee. > > Lynne Patton, who among other things planned Eric Trump’s wedding, now a senior official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. > > Steve Kopec, a home improvement contractor married to a former Trump domestic staff member, now a special assistant with the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Politico. > > Linda McMahon, professional wrestling magnate and Trump friend, now Small Business Administration chief. > > Robin Bernstein, Trump friend and a founding member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, named to be ambassador to the Dominican Republic. > > Boris Epshteyn, a friend of Eric Trump from Georgetown University, named a White House spokesman before taking a job in TV. > > Kyle Yunaska, Eric’s brother-in-law, named to a senior Energy Department job. > > Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, longtime friend of Melania Trump, whose firm got $26 million for help with the inauguration. > > In addition, Trump pals Anthony Scaramucci, Steve Wynn and Omarosa Manigault all had brief but remarkable tenures in Trump world. Trump has also extended the family-based employment program to the friends and family of friends: Ben Carson’s son, White House Counsel Donald McGahn’s wife, Rudy Giuliani’s son, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s husband and sister-in-law, and various other friends’ spouses, siblings and offspring… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17230 "2018-02-28T16:45:57Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Don’t these guys have meetings? Does President Fatass not realize he can call the attorney general into his office? Well, yes and no. The President is supposed to maintain a hands-off relationship with the DoJ…but that’s just one of those “norms” that Trump has no use for. But he won’t go so far as to give Sessions direct orders—he just prefers to whine on Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17231 "2018-02-28T16:46:16Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? He isn’t interested in doing a great job, only in being \*\*told \*\*that he is. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17232 "2018-02-28T16:58:32Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > 1. He was never going to do any of that anyway. > 2. Trump is technically allowed to declassify anything he wants and will tell Kushner whatever he wants anyway. > 3. #2 would be true even if Trump wasn’t technically allowed to do so. 1. Andy Borowitz is asking who will read the PDB to Trump now? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17233 "2018-02-28T17:19:51Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Why the fuck does he go out of his way to hire the incompetent ones??? Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? Why would any competent person want to work in this administration? Trump will just ignore what you tell him and screw things up. And then blame you for his mistakes and fire you. Competent people have better offers. It’s the incompetents who have to take whatever jobs they can get. And with Trump in the Oval Office, a White House job is now low prestige employment. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17234 "2018-02-28T17:24:08Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Two days ago, he admitted that Facebook was selling ads 1/100 - 1/200th of the CPM rate FB was charging the Hillary campaign: > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/parscale/status/967516077956755457) > [@elucidator](#): > > That post needs more explanation and clarification. Which is to say, huh? Seconded. First point on which clarification would be helpful is: _“What the hell is CPM?”_ ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17235 "2018-02-28T17:25:47Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Seconded. First point on which clarification would be helpful is: _“What the hell is CPM?”_ Cost per 1000 impressions. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17236 "2018-02-28T17:27:26Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Seconded. First point on which clarification would be helpful is: _“What the hell is CPM?”_ [Cost Per Thousand](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cpm.asp). (M being the Roman numeral for 1,000) ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17237 "2018-02-28T17:31:39Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Why would any competent person want to work in this administration? Trump will just ignore what you tell him and screw things up. And then blame you for his mistakes and fire you. > > Competent people have better offers. It’s the incompetents who have to take whatever jobs they can get. And with Trump in the Oval Office, a White House job is now low prestige employment. Exiting Trump officials get tepid response on job market > [@](#): > > "…The net of it is, this administration, in general, was not able to attract the A-team. No one’s asking [for] anyone from the Trump administration.” - [The Hill](http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/375926-exiting-trump-officials-get-tepid-response-on-job-market) ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17238 "2018-02-28T17:37:02Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > So, we learn that Jared Kushner is openly spoken of as ‘easily manipulated’ by four nations: > > [Jared Kushner Could Be Targeted, Manipulated by Foreign Powers: Report - Business Insider](http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-contacts-foreign-powers-influence-security-clearance-2018-2) > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > My God, this is so SAD. > > I get that some folks have different political views than me. And I accept that sometimes they win elections. But for fuck’s sake…there are a lot of competent Republicans out there!!! Why the fuck does he go out of his way to hire the incompetent ones??? Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? As I’ve been saying for the better part of the past year, it’s because he’s an America-hating fuckstick. This just goes to show that he doesn’t hate America merely at the level of abstract values and principles, but also at the level of actual potential harm-vs.-benefit to the nation as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17239 "2018-02-28T17:40:16Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Why the fuck does he go out of his way to hire the incompetent ones??? Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? Simple: they’re the only ones who don’t mind being associated with the twit. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17240 "2018-02-28T17:46:38Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Cost per 1000 impressions. > [@running\_coach](#): > > [Cost Per Thousand](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cpm.asp). (M being the Roman numeral for 1,000) Ta. Although I would have gone with CPK (cost per kilo-impression). But I guess that just provides a good reason why I’m not a marketing specialist for Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17241 "2018-02-28T17:50:14Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Two days ago, he admitted that Facebook was selling ads 1/100 - 1/200th of the CPM rate FB was charging the Hillary campaign: > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/parscale/status/967516077956755457) I thought the cost was based on how popular the ads were, especially how many people shared those ads. If people _liked_ to read the ads and willingly shared them with friends, then it’s valuable to Facebook as a content, and something they want to encourage (by running it very cheaply). I guess the question is whether those were actual Trump supporters sharing the ads, or Russian trolls & bots. Still, even without Russian interference, I bet Trump supporters were much more willing to share Trump ads than Hillary supporters were to share Hillary ads. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17242 "2018-02-28T17:54:19Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Jefferson Beauregard just announced that he’s going to investigate FISA case abuse. How is that recusal think working out, now, Jefferson? > [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jeff-sessions-doj-will-open-investigation-into-fisa-abuses/article/2650184](http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/jeff-sessions-doj-will-open-investigation-into-fisa-abuses/article/2650184) And Trump is skewering him on Twitter (of course) for doing an investigation he (Trump) said he wanted. Before. But NOW he apparently believes that Sessions may not back his flunky Devin Nunes’ strategy to paint the FBI as full of Clinton stooges so he’s publicly demeaning him and calling his integrity into question. Seriously, if Sessions had ANY pride, and any sense of self worth, any balls, he’d say “Fuck you I quit” and then start talking a LOT to Meuller. I sure as hell would. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17243 "2018-02-28T18:52:10Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Simple: they’re the only ones who don’t mind being associated with the twit. Exhibit A: Stephen Miller. Not only doesn’t Miller mind, he _relishes_ being able to be a dick with influence. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17244 "2018-02-28T19:18:37Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Why is he bent on hiring IDIOTS??? He’s not. He’s bent on hiring sycophants. Trump is an extreme authoritarian. Authoritarians are primarily interested in hierarchy; their main interest in underlings is that they are themselves authoritarians, and will suck up and not challenge the boss. Shit, let’s invoke Gaudere and talk about Hitler! Hitler was an authoritarian. He liked suckups, like Krebs and Goering and Himmler. Some of his favourite underlings were competent, but most were not, because he selected people primarily based on their loyalty and obedience. He wasn’t selecting AGAINST competence, but he wasn’t selecting for it, so it was an accident when it happened. Trump’s the same way. Trump wants loyalty. He demands it, literally, as we know. If you aren’t perfectly loyal to him, he’ll find a way to get rid of you, as he did with James Comey, who corrected refused to do so, or Steve Bannon, who loyalty was to a different agenda. But he’ll keep Steven Miller around because Miller will suck dick and ask for more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=861) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=863)