# 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:** 888
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17745 "2018-03-12T19:03:18Z")
DeVos wants to protect schools? Who’s going to protect schools from _her?_ ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17746 "2018-03-12T19:45:50Z")
Sarah Huckster refuses to even acknowledge the possibility that Russians were involved in the poisoning in the UK of a former Russian spy and his daughter. > **[Sarah Sanders refuses to blame or even mention Russia in UK poisoning --...](https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/sarah-sanders-refuses-blame-even-mention-russia-uk-poisoning-calls-indiscriminate/)** > > Sarah Sanders refused to blame or even mention Russia over the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter while they were living in the U.K.During Monday's White House briefing, a reporter noted that British Prime Minister Teresa May had... ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17747 "2018-03-12T19:53:01Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Betsy Devos’s appearance on 60 Minutes last night did not go well. > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/betsy-devos-60-minutes/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/betsy-devos-60-minutes/index.html) > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/12/education-secretary-betsy-devos-stumbles-during-pointed-60-minutes-interview](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/12/education-secretary-betsy-devos-stumbles-during-pointed-60-minutes-interview) > [Betsy DeVos can’t answer basic questions on sexual assault, school choice in rough 60 Minutes interview - Vox](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/12/17109122/betsy-devos-60-minutes-gun-control-today) > [Betsy DeVos crashes, burns in '60 Minutes' interview | Kaffer](https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/nancy-kaffer/2018/03/12/kaffer-betsy-devos-folks-u-s-ed-sec-crashes-burns-60-minutes/416862002/) Betsy DeVos: Well there are certainly pockets where students are doing well. Yeah, like the state senate majority leader’s pockets. And the state speaker of the house’s pockets. And the governor’s pockets. And charter school CEOs’ pockets. And…well, she’s absolutely right that she’s helped lots of pockets in Michigan. Don’t know about the students so much. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17748 "2018-03-12T20:04:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Betsy Devos’s appearance on 60 Minutes last night did not go well. > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/betsy-devos-60-minutes/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/betsy-devos-60-minutes/index.html) > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/12/education-secretary-betsy-devos-stumbles-during-pointed-60-minutes-interview](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/03/12/education-secretary-betsy-devos-stumbles-during-pointed-60-minutes-interview) > [Betsy DeVos can’t answer basic questions on sexual assault, school choice in rough 60 Minutes interview - Vox](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/12/17109122/betsy-devos-60-minutes-gun-control-today) > [Betsy DeVos crashes, burns in '60 Minutes' interview | Kaffer](https://www.freep.com/story/opinion/columnists/nancy-kaffer/2018/03/12/kaffer-betsy-devos-folks-u-s-ed-sec-crashes-burns-60-minutes/416862002/) A funny for the geeky crowd: [http://thehill.com/homenews/house/377928-ted-lieu-mocks-devos-she-wasnt-asked-the-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen](http://thehill.com/homenews/house/377928-ted-lieu-mocks-devos-she-wasnt-asked-the-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17749 "2018-03-12T20:33:26Z")
The sad, depressing, enraging thing is that DeVos also had trouble answering fundemental questions during the confirmation process. Why even have a process in the first place? MAGA! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17750 "2018-03-12T20:35:59Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It’s just a localized version of the only thing Trump ever does–pander to that limited sector of voters stupid enough to believe him. The whole country in general has effectively been taken hostage by Trump’s cult. A thousand times, this. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17751 "2018-03-12T20:37:01Z")
> [@wonky](#): > > A funny for the geeky crowd: > > [http://thehill.com/homenews/house/377928-ted-lieu-mocks-devos-she-wasnt-asked-the-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen](http://thehill.com/homenews/house/377928-ted-lieu-mocks-devos-she-wasnt-asked-the-airspeed-velocity-of-an-unladen) Ted Lieu is a rockstar. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17752 "2018-03-12T20:38:53Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Democratic pundit [David Axelrod thinks](https://twitter.com/davidaxelrod) that the steel and aluminum tariffs were put in place solely to swing the election for the House seat in Pennsylvania. > > That the national economy is being held hostage for such a tiny partisan advantage is stunning in its cynicism, but I have no problem believing it. Even after Trump’s campaign appearance Democrat Lamb leads in the polling. > **[Democrat Conor Lamb seizes the lead over Trump-endorsed Republican Rick...](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/12/conor-lamb-leads-rick-saccone-in-pa-special-election-monmouth-poll.html)** > > Republicans are looking to avoid a potentially embarrassing loss in Pennsylvania's 18th District, which President Donald Trump won easily. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17753 "2018-03-12T23:05:55Z")
As of right this second, before somebody else talks to him, Trump is planning on naming Lawrence Kudlow as his trade advisor, to replace Gary Cohn. > **[Trump tells people he is selecting Larry Kudlow to replace Gary Cohn | CNN...](https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/12/politics/larry-kudlow-gary-cohn-white-house/index.html)** > > President Donald Trump told people Monday that he has settled on Larry Kudlow to replace Gary Cohn as the new director of the White House's National Economic Council, according to a source familiar with his conversations. > **[Larry Kudlow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kudlow)** > > Lawrence Alan Kudlow (born August 20, 1947) is an American conservative broadcast news analyst, columnist, journalist, political commentator, talk radio host, and television personality. He is the chief financial program host for the Fox network who served as the Director of the National Economic Council during the Trump Administration from 2018 to 2021. He assumed that role after his previous employment as a CNBC television financial news host. > Kudlow began his career as a junior financial an... ---
**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:** [March 12, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17754 "2018-03-12T23:28:58Z")
Rex Tillerson apparently disagrees with Sarah Huckster about whether Russia was involved in the poisoning case or not. > ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17755 "2018-03-12T23:49:26Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Rex Tillerson apparently disagrees with Sarah Huckster about whether Russia was involved in the poisoning case or not. > [x.com](https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/973339186424987648) He have heart attack and fell out of window onto exploding bomb, and was killed in shooting accident. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17756 "2018-03-13T01:01:35Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Even after Trump’s campaign appearance Democrat Lamb leads in the polling. > [https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/12/conor-lamb-leads-rick-saccone-in-pa-special-election-monmouth-poll.html](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/12/conor-lamb-leads-rick-saccone-in-pa-special-election-monmouth-poll.html) I think I would change the first two words to “Because of”. His behavior at the rally reminds me of Christie’s speech at Romney’s convention: “me me me me me me me me me me me me… oh yeah voter for whatshisface” ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17757 "2018-03-13T07:08:31Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I think I would change the first two words to “Because of”. > > His behavior at the rally reminds me of Christie’s speech at Romney’s convention: “me me me me me me me me me me me me… oh yeah voter for whatshisface” And his followers chant in response “you you you you you you you you you you you you… what’s _whose_ face?” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17758 "2018-03-13T12:49:55Z")
Tillerson is out, Pompeo is new Secretary of State nominee. > **[Trump ousts Tillerson, will replace him as secretary of state with CIA chief...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html)** > > The move brings major changes as the United States deals with delicate foreign policy efforts such as possible outreach to North Korea. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17759 "2018-03-13T13:00:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Tillerson is out, Pompeo is new Secretary of State nominee. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html) I liked your original and was going to post about how Crassus was in the wings. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17760 "2018-03-13T13:03:24Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Tillerson is out, Pompeo is new Secretary of State nominee. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html) I recently saw a PBS Newshour interview with an African Head of State talking about how Tillerson’s visit was allowing him and his country to put Shit-Gibbon’s _shithole_ remarks behind them. I wonder how he feels now, knowing that visit was meaningless, and that Shit-Gibbon probably knew it was going to be meaningless. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2018, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17761 "2018-03-13T13:16:09Z")
Disagreeing with the President about Russia sure is a fast way to get canned. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17762 "2018-03-13T13:24:29Z")
Ex-Exxon exec, Texan Rex, next ex-Sec! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17763 "2018-03-13T13:28:02Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Tillerson is out, Pompeo is new Secretary of State nominee. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-ousts-tillerson-will-replace-him-as-secretary-of-state-with-cia-chief-pompeo/2018/03/13/30f34eea-26ba-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html) I’m more interested in the person that he’s appointing to head the CIA. It sounds like she oversaw the worst of the torture sessions that Bush II approved. While I’m sure that the media will go insane over that, I suspect that there’s more to the woman than that one factoid, but that one factoid is also probably the whole reason that Trump chose her; it keeps the media fed and boosts his image as a tough guy. In reality, she may be more the type who will jump on a grenade if her commander tells her to sort of person. That she oversaw a torture scheme that was ordered from above could, certainly, mean that she’s into that sort of thing. But it could just as well tell us that she’s gung-ho for law and order and duty to ones country. I doubt that Trump did much vetting. On the whole, I think he’s running in crazy mode because of the latest Mueller revelations about the Internet Research Agency, Gates Flipping, the Mitt Romney issue, Van Der Zwaan, and the Seychelles meeting and is just going around everyone in his cabinet rather than listening to anyone anymore. So that could mean that she could just become a further extension of Trump, doing whatever he orders blindly, even if it means sending an assassin after Mueller or running a money laundering scheme through the CIA. It could mean that she starts suggesting some supremely heinous activities for the CIA to start getting involved in - if she is a psychopath - which Trump would immediately jump all over. In general, I think, the CIA doesn’t tend to have one of its own promoted to lead the organization and that’s probably because the CIA has a sufficient potential for shadiness that you really want an outside, clean, and trustworthy person to oversee it. It’s likely that, whatever sort of personality that this lady has, whatever brakes the CIA has on it are about to come off. In thinking about what that means, probably the most likely target will be the Middle East - specifically, Iran. Traditionally, the CIA mostly seemed to be best on destabilizing governments (often by outright giving different groups money and weapons, in a fairly non-secretive manner). In terms of intelligence gathering, they’ve always been more a collector of intel that other gleaned, rather than great at gathering intel themselves. (Though, possibly that has improved over the last few decades.) My expectation will be that the CIA becomes the puppet force of Israel and the UAE. Both countries will want all of the intel that they have access to. Israel will probably team up to start destroying shit in Iran. The UAE will probably meander, paying Trump to give them access to all of the training and trinkets that the CIA has at its disposal, so that they can build and squander the world’s most overly trained and financed intelligence force. And, obviously, they’ll torture some people along the way. I suppose, overall, not the worst thing in the world. But it probably will crank up the Middle Eastern war another notch. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/17764 "2018-03-13T13:28:12Z")
> [@Crybaby\_Boobie](#): > > Disagreeing with the President about Russia sure is a fast way to get canned. It might be more that disagreeing the president about Russia is a sure sign the person has already moved on. See, e.g. Tillerson, Tom Rooney. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=887) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=889)