# 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:** 916
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18305 "2018-03-23T00:36:12Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Interesting. Trump mentions tariffs and the stock market takes a shit. Wonder how many trump family members figured out that knowing when the POTardUS is about to make statements that will tank the market and act accordingly. > > Then buy before other statements of his boost the same market. Presidential insider trading courtesy of a moron with the power to manipulate the market. > > What a great short story that would make. Fictional, of course. Bingo. I lost ~ 6g today. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if this was deliberate to make him or his buddies money. ---
**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 23, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18306 "2018-03-23T00:39:45Z")
Personal prediction for the next few months: We’ll lend troops to Saudi Arabia and they team up with Israel to directly attack Iran. Russia says “No” and we yank our troops, causing massive issues for Israel. Meanwhile, rumbles of a pending attack on North Korea will start to shake Washington and Congress will write a law making it illegal. 65% confidence. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18307 "2018-03-23T00:55:37Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > FiveThirtyEight was pretty much in line with betting markets. This is “the exception that proves the rule.” Nate Silver is the celebrity predictor who’s almost a legend in his own time. And we applaud him because … he did about as well as the prediction markets. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2018, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18308 "2018-03-23T00:56:27Z")
Okay, let’s take a moment and assess the current clusterfuck situation Right now on CNN’s home page we have the following: > [@](#): > > Karen McDougal tells CNN Trump tried to pay her after sex > [@](#): > > Dow plunges 724 points as trade war fears rock Wall Street > [@](#): > > Dowd resigns as Trump’s lawyer amid disagreements on strategy > [@](#): > > One person “who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers” told the Intercept that MBS bragged to United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed that Kushner was “in his pocket.” > [@](#): > > More anti-Muslim, conspiratorial tweets emerge from Trump’s pick for top UN migration job > [@](#): > > Opinion: John Bolton’s mustache is more qualified to be national security adviser than he is That’s just today’s edition. ---
**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 23, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18309 "2018-03-23T01:14:43Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Okay, let’s take a moment and assess the current clusterfuck situation > > Right now on CNN’s home page we have the following: > > That’s just today’s edition. To be fair, CNN isn’t an impartial observer, headed principally by the intellectual lights of modern time. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18310 "2018-03-23T02:09:16Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To be fair, CNN isn’t an impartial observer, headed principally by the intellectual lights of modern time. Are you challenging the factual accuracy of the items listed in **Procrustus** ’ post? IOW are you saying those things did not happen? ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18311 "2018-03-23T02:20:23Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Bolton is a genuine nut-job. He WILL get us into a hot war.—which was why Trump was willing to overlook the mustache, no matter how un-Central Casting it is. Trump knows that a hot war is his best chance of escaping accountability for his crimes. +1 The Fox & Friends inmates are running the asylum now. Bolton is a crazy war monger. His new lawyer spins conspiracy theories about the FBI on Fox News. This will not end well. ---
**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 23, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18312 "2018-03-23T02:20:28Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Are you challenging the factual accuracy of the items listed in **Procrustus** ’ post? IOW are you saying those things did not happen? I’d probably agree that those are pretty close to the highlights of the day from the US perspective, plus or minus, and that the (presumable) negative presentation are deserved, but by virtue of being CNN, there’s not much credibility. More than FOX, but that’s not saying much. Dumping the home page of CNN as proof that Trump is an awful President and human being is as meaningful as dumping the home page of FOX to demonstrate the opposite. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18313 "2018-03-23T02:34:53Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Bingo. I lost ~ 6g today. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if this was deliberate to make him or his buddies money. 6g – as in 6,000 DOLLARS? :eek: You should play bingo in some lower-stakes bingo halls… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18314 "2018-03-23T02:46:52Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > To be fair, CNN isn’t an impartial observer, headed principally by the intellectual lights of modern time. Yes, they suck up to the Republicans a lot; so if\* they\* are willing to criticism Trump or the Right, things are bad. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18315 "2018-03-23T02:53:57Z")
Hey, look, it can get even better. [Trump wants to fire Kelly and not have a Chief of Staff](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/amid-white-house-turmoil-trump-mused-about-life-without-chief-n859301). > [@](#): > > In the midst of a Cabinet shake-up and a possible staff upheaval, President Donald Trump considered firing his chief of staff this month and not naming a successor, according to three people familiar with the discussions. Trump has mused to close associates about running the West Wing as he did his business empire, essentially serving as his own chief of staff, these people said. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18316 "2018-03-23T02:57:46Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > So we’re going to have a trade war with one of the primary buyers of our debt, just after a record tax cut and a 1.3 trillion budget on the horizon. > > Yep, put sharp businessmen in charge and they’ll make America great again. > > We shall see. He’s running the government just like he ran all his businesses. Loading it with crippling debt, undermining its foundations, and planning to cut and run before the structure crumbles, with a healthy wallet and all his personal debts wiped out. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18317 "2018-03-23T04:06:08Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > And to the taxpayers. Over a billion dollars for 33 miles of fencing? Some contractor is getting very rich. No doubt it’ll be the same contractor hired to “help” Puerto Rico. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18318 "2018-03-23T04:44:51Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > You may be able to enjoy him for much longer than you think; he doesn’t strike me as being likely to be willing to give up power just because of a silly little thing like an ‘election.’ > > Many commentators have noted Kelly’s disdain for governments run by civilians, instead of by the military. One widely-read piece ends: > > [An Old Colonel Looks at General Kelly – Foreign Policy](http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/23/an-old-colonel-looks-at-general-kelly/) > > I’m not one of those who see Kelly’s presence in the Oval Office as a good thing; I don’t think he cares two cents about the Constitution. I’m not too worried. Trump’s not my president. I’m just concerned about what he does to the world. Kelly at least isn’t much of a threat in that regard. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk ---
**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 23, 2018, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18319 "2018-03-23T06:26:35Z")
The $1.3 trillion spending bill has passed through Congress: > **[Senate approves $1.3 trillion spending bill, sending to Trump](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379883-senate-approves-13-trillion-spending-bill-sending-to-trump/)** > > The Senate rushed to approve a government funding bill early Friday morning, sending it to President Trump’s desk less than 24 hours before a deadline to avert another shu… Personal prediction: Trump will veto. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18320 "2018-03-23T06:46:38Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The $1.3 trillion spending bill has passed through Congress: > > [http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379883-senate-approves-13-trillion-spending-bill-sending-to-trump](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/379883-senate-approves-13-trillion-spending-bill-sending-to-trump) > > Personal prediction: Trump will veto. I’ll take that bet. I predict Trump signs the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18321 "2018-03-23T08:03:45Z")
Absolutely The Orange Turd signs that! A bill someone else has to pay??? Just like those hoity-toity investors I had at my Taj Mahal Casino! Which I still own and run every single day! ---
**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 23, 2018, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18322 "2018-03-23T08:58:41Z")
A) [GOP Congress rebuffs Trump and goes on a spending spree - POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/22/gop-congress-spending-spree-440005) B) Trump s currently in the process of flipping every table in sight out of built up anger of having everyone rebuffing him and hemming him in for a year. So now the Legislature has been ignoring him and his wants while negotiating one of the most important bills in the year with the Democrats, and giving them most of everything they want. If he’s going to go to town on his cabinet and China, using this as a vehicle for throwing a tantrum in Congress’ direction seems like it would be pretty par for the course this month. C) The Breitbart heads are announcing that the Tea Party has died with this bill. He can win pretty big with his base by dumping on the bill for a week. D) Ultimately, the only reason that I could see that Trump doesn’t veto the thing is because he doesn’t realize what a great chance it is to call the Republicans in Congress to heel and jerk the chain. And while it is decently likely that he’ll not notice the opportunity, I think the odds are high enough that it’s worth making the prediction, for the bragging rights. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2018, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18323 "2018-03-23T09:52:34Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Are you challenging the factual accuracy of the items listed in **Procrustus** ’ post? IOW are you saying those things did not happen? > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I’d probably agree that those are pretty close to the highlights of the day from the US perspective, plus or minus, and that the (presumable) negative presentation are deserved, but by virtue of being CNN, there’s not much credibility. More than FOX, but that’s not saying much. Dumping the home page of CNN as proof that Trump is an awful President and human being is as meaningful as dumping the home page of FOX to demonstrate the opposite. My emphasis. “Those are pretty close to the highlights of the day” means, yes, in fact, those events are “pretty close” (whatever that means) to things that actually happened. IOW true. BUT “By virtue of being CNN, there’s not much credibility” means there IS credibility (IOW true) but not “much,” meaning what? You agree these events happened but you object to the fact that CNN is reporting them? And you’re likening CNN to FOX because–?? Your post suffers from an excess of vagueness and internal contradiction. IOW it doesn’t make sense, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2018, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18324 "2018-03-23T10:23:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > “By virtue of being CNN, there’s not much credibility” means there IS credibility (IOW true) but not “much,” meaning what? You agree these events happened but you object to the fact that CNN is reporting them? And you’re likening CNN to FOX because–?? I too wonder what evidence there is that CNN is nearly as uncredible as Fox. However, the bar for CNN is _if_ they report any given story amidst their pop culture and shocker-of-the-day stories. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=915) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=917)