# 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:** 937
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18725 "2018-04-03T18:44:15Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Remember those 60 Russians expelled from the US in response to Russia, you know, poisoning people? The Russians expelled and held up as evidence that Trump wasn’t beholden to Russia, and that he was tough on Putin? A week later, the State Department has quietly decided to undo that and allow them to [be replaced by 60 new “diplomats”](http://thehill.com/policy/international/381432-state-department-expelled-diplomats-can-be-replaced). I’m guessing from no evidence that this is the normal process for kicking out ‘diplomats’, and that Russia is probably accepting replacements for those of ours they kicked out. It probably at least disrupts any active spying they were doing, as the new people get up to speed. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18726 "2018-04-03T18:48:37Z")
On February 28 Trump tweeted, “45 year low on illegal border crossings this year. Ice and Border Patrol Agents are doing a great job for our Country. MS-13 thugs being hit hard.” > Today, he announced that he’s sending the military to the border to fight illegal immigration. > **[Trump Plans to Send National Guard to the Mexican Border (Published 2018)](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/us/politics/trump-border-immigration-caravan.html)** > > The White House said Tuesday night that President Trump plans to deploy the National Guard to confront what it called a growing threat of illegal immigrants, drugs and crime from Central America. What happened in just six weeks? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18727 "2018-04-03T18:50:27Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I’m guessing from no evidence that this is the normal process for kicking out ‘diplomats’, and that Russia is probably accepting replacements for those of ours they kicked out. > > It probably at least disrupts any active spying they were doing, as the new people get up to speed. In reality, they probably didn’t even change their name when they returned. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18728 "2018-04-03T18:58:12Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > What happened in just six weeks? [He’s been watching Fox “News” again.](http://insider.foxnews.com/2018/04/02/tucker-carlson-illegal-immigration-debate-enrique-morones-border-angels-honduras-caravan) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18729 "2018-04-03T19:15:11Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > What happened in just six weeks? Change of tactics. He decided that the best way to deflect from Mueller isn’t to tout his accomplishments, but instead to whip up hysteria. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18730 "2018-04-03T20:21:26Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I’m guessing from no evidence that this is the normal process for kicking out ‘diplomats’, and that Russia is probably accepting replacements for those of ours they kicked out. > > It probably at least disrupts any active spying they were doing, as the new people get up to speed. Probably, but it certainly blunts the right wing argument that this was finally some tough action against Russia. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18731 "2018-04-03T20:39:29Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Today, he announced that he’s sending the military to the border to fight illegal immigration. > [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/us/politics/trump-border-immigration-caravan.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/03/us/politics/trump-border-immigration-caravan.html) > > What happened in just six weeks? These unarmed Mexican families are incredibly dangerous. We need to send our military troops, tanks, F16 aircraft, and possibly nuclear weapons to stop these unarmed people. Get smart and tough people! #MAGA ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18732 "2018-04-03T21:48:13Z")
Trump administration targets Chinese electronics, aerospace and machinery goods with $50 billion in tariffs. Remember folks, trade wars are good and winnable. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18733 "2018-04-03T22:02:42Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > Trump administration targets Chinese electronics, aerospace and machinery goods with $50 billion in tariffs. > > Remember folks, trade wars are good and winnable. My 401k is so tired of all this winning :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18734 "2018-04-03T22:04:53Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > My 401k is so tired of all this winning :dubious: During that ridiculous market run-up in January, Trump would go to his rallies and exhort his fans with “How’s your 401(k) doing?” (ignorant of the fact that most of his fans don’t have 401(k)'s) … I bet he’s not saying that so much lately. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18735 "2018-04-03T22:59:35Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > …David Shulkin claims he did not resign, he was fired. CNN says there is an important distinction here, because federal law allows the President to make an interim appointment to fill a position if the previous holder died or resigned, but there is no provision to fill it if the holder was fired. > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/politics/shulkin-trump-resigned-fired/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/politics/shulkin-trump-resigned-fired/index.html) Yes, it’s a major issue. Trump will have more trouble putting his doctor into the cabinet seat if it’s held that Shulkin was fired. The weird thing is how hard Shulkin is working to keep from saying any words that resemble “I was fired.” I’ve seen three news anchors try to get him to say it so far, and all he’ll say is “I would never have resigned”. Was a threat made that if he said the words ‘I was fired,’ a family member would be killed? Or what? It’s bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18736 "2018-04-03T23:03:05Z")
I would suggest that it is a matter of post-White House employment. He’s likely seeking employment with people who would not hire him if he said he was fired and have loyalties to Trump and the Republican party… ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18737 "2018-04-04T00:16:44Z")
> [@AnalogSignal](#): > > These unarmed Mexican families are incredibly dangerous. We need to send our military troops, tanks, F16 aircraft, and possibly nuclear weapons to stop these unarmed people. Get smart and tough people! #MAGA My speculation is one of two things: 1. He sends a whole lot of Troops down there, wasting massive amounts of the military budget, until congress decides that its cheaper and in the best interest of the nation to build the damn wall rather than have a large portion of our military devoted to defending a 2000 mile front against harmless brown people or 1. Once he sends the Troops down, then it becomes a miliary operation and he can claim that for the defense of the Troops he needs to build the his idiotic wall and use the military budget to do it. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18738 "2018-04-04T00:20:36Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > During that ridiculous market run-up in January, Trump would go to his rallies and exhort his fans with “How’s your 401(k) doing?” (ignorant of the fact that most of his fans don’t have 401(k)'s) … I bet he’s not saying that so much lately. He blows off the intelligence report (go figure) but get a daily brief/binder with all the “good news” and tweets (atta boy Trumpie). Faux News certainly isn’t highlighting the drops. He recently crowed about a major gain a couple of Mondays ago; totally disregarding the drop the previous Friday that dwarfed the gain (somewhere up thread). He simply isn’t given bad news. Our “stable genius” blithely sails into the future oblivious of the past. ---
**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:** [April 4, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18739 "2018-04-04T00:43:13Z")
Apparently there are laws that prevent the military from being used for domestic law enforcement so Trump **cannot** send the Army to the border but he could use the National Guard for this. Since illegal border crossings are at historic lows, the real reason for this emergency is Anne Coulter and other Fox personalities are saying he looks weak on immigration. So he has a desperate need to do something on immigration since the wall isn’t happening. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18740 "2018-04-04T01:13:20Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > My speculation is one of two things: > > 1. He sends a whole lot of Troops down there, wasting massive amounts of the military budget, until congress decides that its cheaper and in the best interest of the nation to build the damn wall rather than have a large portion of our military devoted to defending a 2000 mile front against harmless brown people > > or > > 1. Once he sends the Troops down, then it becomes a miliary operation and he can claim that for the defense of the Troops he needs to build the his idiotic wall and use the military budget to do it. or 1. The troops go down and ride around in Humvees for a few months and provide some photo ops. The caravans evaporate, as they always do. Trump declares the crisis averted thanks to his strong leadership. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18741 "2018-04-04T01:29:35Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > China is going to impose tariffs on pork, but the largest pork producers in the world, Smithfield Farms, has been owned by WH Group of China since 2013. I wonder how that will work. I guess Smithfield’s non-U.S. farms could provide China with pork. I’m wondering how “private” WH Group really and truly is. I get the feeling that the trade “war” will continue long enough for Trump to get some press out of it – good and bad – and then reach some sort of “deal” and claim “victory.” In reality, the US will probably but with both sides eager to come to an agreement. I doubt Trump’s trade wars will spiral out of control. The real damage is going to be gradual in terms of countries concluding we’re no longer a safe bet and spreading their risk out of the US economy. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18742 "2018-04-04T03:41:29Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Was a threat made that if he said the words ‘I was fired,’ a family member would be killed? Or what? It’s bizarre. All he needs is some knowledge of how easily things can be taken out of context. Say “if I said I was fired, which I wasn’t, the legal consequences would be very different”, and five minutes later your video chopped down to “I was fired” is being sent to every whatsapp account in the world, with or without copypasted pictures of pink bunnies and black men. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18743 "2018-04-04T03:46:07Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > My 401k is so tired of all this winning :dubious: I’m glad I got out of the market, when this asshole got elected. I had “a feeling”. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/18744 "2018-04-04T04:13:45Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I’m glad I got out of the market, when this asshole got elected. I had “a feeling”. I stayed in. S&P up 22% - Nasdaq up 33% since Nov 8, 2016. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=936) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=938)