# 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:** 95
**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 6, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1881 "2017-03-06T20:12:35Z")
Canadian woman of Indian ancestry, born in Canada with a valid Canadian passport, denied entry into the United States. > **[Canadian woman denied entry to U.S. says she feels 'targeted' | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canadian-denied-entry-us-immigrant-visa-1.4011202)** > > A Canadian woman from Montreal who was travelling on a Canadian passport says she was turned away at the U.S. border and told she needed an immigrant visa to enter the country. She claims a border agent told her: "'I know you may feel like you've... ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1882 "2017-03-06T20:23:18Z")
Not a new idea, but I re-realized this weekend: all signs point to **Trump viewing popularity as the goal in itself.** I don’t know if it’s 100% true to say that most/all of our recent presidents have had top priorities beyond personal popularity. Not a mind reader, and we all know (or think we know) that “normal” people with healthy senses of their own self-worth \*\*don’t run for President. \*\*(Suspect that cynical view may not be as true as we all think, but who knows.) \*\*But it still seems very unusual for a President not to recognize that popularity comes FROM accomplishments. \*\*And that popularity is a way of making bigger and better accomplishments in the future. In other words, you excel as a president by creating a virtuous cycle of popularity and accomplishment. You don’t excel by getting good poll numbers and doing nothing with them, much less by having people say nice things about you in the press right this minute. I’m on one hand heartened that maybe these guys don’t even know how to win when they’ve got a ton of advantages. On the other: the MUST BE POPULAR, MUST NOT BE CRITICIZED drive is likely to take Trump, and his partisans, into some delusional territory - as we’ve seen so many times already. ---
**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 6, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1883 "2017-03-06T20:33:47Z")
Trump Corporation had dealings in Azerbaijan with a company and individual which acted as a front for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. > **[Donald Trump’s Worst Deal](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/donald-trumps-worst-deal)** > > The President helped build a hotel in Azerbaijan that appears to be a corrupt operation engineered by oligarchs tied to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1884 "2017-03-06T20:40:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Canadian woman of Indian ancestry, born in Canada with a valid Canadian passport, denied entry into the United States. > [Canadian woman en route to Vermont spa denied entry to U.S., told she needs immigrant visa | CBC News](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/canadian-denied-entry-us-immigrant-visa-1.4011202) You ain’t seen nothing yet. This is all happening with the current crop of border guards. Wait until Trump’s lads start hiring for border security. You’re going to see wholesale nastiness and denial of entry to anyone foolish enough to TWB. (Travel While Brown) ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1885 "2017-03-06T20:44:32Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Why doesn’t he just build gas ovens instead? Probably much more economical. Wouldn’t \*coal \*ovens please his constituency better? ---
**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 6, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1886 "2017-03-06T20:55:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Yeah, but aren’t we usually encouraged to give a little more info than “Check out this link!” when we post? Sure, in general. I admit that my response might have been shaped, at least in part, by the particular poster i was responding to. As i observed on the first page of this very thread, the poster in question spent a considerable amount of time on this message board posting a “constant barrage of content-free bitching about Donald Trump.” With such a poor signal-to-noise ratio on this issue, she shouldn’t be the first one to bitch about content-free posts. The whole “Thx” thing was also annoying. Anyway, carry on. The breathless outrage of so many of **ThelmaLou** ’s posts has led me to ignore most of them; i should probably just continue in that vein. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1887 "2017-03-06T20:55:25Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Trump Corporation had dealings in Azerbaijan with a company and individual which acted as a front for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. > > [Donald Trump’s Worst Deal | The New Yorker](http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/13/donald-trumps-worst-deal) This … This is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1888 "2017-03-06T21:12:22Z")
[From Greg Sargent at WaPo:](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/03/06/at-the-root-of-trumps-new-fury-total-contempt-for-american-democracy/?utm_term=.c4c3c55ff8d8) > [@](#): > > As Benjamin Wittes and Quinta Jurecic explain in a great piece, \*\*the almost comical lack of good faith that Trump and the White House are showing toward our processes is inspiring an escalation in institutional pushback — from the courts, the media, government leakers, and civil society — that is having much more of a constraining effect than Trump ever could have anticipated. \*\* [The Wittes and Jurecic piece](https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-happens-when-we-dont-believe-presidents-oath) is worth reading in full - I’ll note that Wittes is no lefty, look him up - but Sargent’s summary makes a key point. Trump & Co are stepping on their own dicks. As in the old joke, they probably could’ve walked calmly down the hill and screwed a whole lot more cows. ---
**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 6, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1889 "2017-03-06T21:27:06Z")
[Khizr Khan-- 30-year American citizen, Gold Star father, and internationally-famous Trump opponent-- says his “freedom to travel abroad” is currently under review by the American government with no explanation.](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/khizr-khan-travel-privileges-toronto-235727) ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1890 "2017-03-06T21:29:22Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It would have taken you less time to click on the link Do you have any other internet safety tips for us? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1891 "2017-03-06T21:35:30Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Wouldn’t \*coal \*ovens please his constituency better? They would also be more historically accurate. The Nazis used gas in the showers, but coal and coke in the ovens. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1892 "2017-03-06T21:41:06Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Khizr Khan-- 30-year American citizen, Gold Star father, and internationally-famous Trump opponent-- says his “freedom to travel abroad” is currently under review by the American government with no explanation.](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/khizr-khan-travel-privileges-toronto-235727) Pretty light on details. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1893 "2017-03-06T21:53:13Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Do you have any other internet safety tips for us? Sex is faster without a condom. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1894 "2017-03-06T22:21:17Z")
> [@SaharaTea](#): > > Mika Brzezinski did not hold back on [Morning Joe today](http://theweek.com/speedreads/684151/morning-joes-mika-brzezinski-tearfully-addresses-trumps-wiretapping-accusations-presidency-fake-failed). Hot, Zbiggy’s kid but apparently Republican, made fun of Kelly Ann but is dumb enough to have had some hope for Trump? My perfect woman! 😉 ---
**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:** [March 6, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1895 "2017-03-06T22:53:37Z")
Trumpski’s Russian friends [try to salvage](http://www.radio24syv.dk/udvalgte-nyhedshistorier/russian-tv-crew-offered-money-to-youths-in-sweden-to-cause-trouble-in-front-of-camera/) the “see what’s going on in Sweden” gaffe: > [@](#): > > 400 Swedish Krona for causing “action” in front of the camera. That offer was allegedly given to a group of local youths in the Stockholm suburb of Rinkeby. The offer came from a Russian tv crew, two of the young men tell Danish media Radio24syv. > > “They came to us and told us they wanted to see some action. They wanted to bribe each of us with 400 Swedish Krona,” says “Mohammed”. “Mohammed” wants to remain anonymous, but Radio24syv is familiar with his identity. > > “Mohammed” tells Radio24syv that two men approached the group and claimed to be Russian journalists. He also overheard them speaking in a language that sounded like Russian. Neither of the two young men know which network the journalists came from… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1896 "2017-03-06T23:00:06Z")
Ben Carson, HUD Secretary and one of the dumbest people to ever hold a PhD, [uncorked a doozy](Ben Carson: Slaves Were Immigrants Who Came Here And Worked Really Hard ‘For Less’) today: > [@](#): > > Slaves were immigrants who came here and worked really hard ‘for less’ I’m sure this won’t piss anybody off. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1897 "2017-03-06T23:07:44Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Ben Carson, HUD Secretary and one of the dumbest people to ever hold a PhD, [uncorked a doozy](Ben Carson: Slaves Were Immigrants Who Came Here And Worked Really Hard ‘For Less’) today: > > I’m sure this won’t piss anybody off. Link is blank. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1898 "2017-03-06T23:09:07Z")
In other news, [‘Day Without A Woman’ Strike Is Closing Schools Around The Country](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/womens-strike-closing-schools_us_58bda6cbe4b09ab537d56988). Wow! I like this. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1899 "2017-03-06T23:58:58Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > Link is blank. Try, [try again](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ben-carson-slaves-immigrants_us_58bdbf1fe4b033be1467634f?). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/1900 "2017-03-07T00:07:24Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Khizr Khan-- 30-year American citizen, Gold Star father, and internationally-famous Trump opponent-- says his “freedom to travel abroad” is currently under review by the American government with no explanation.](http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/khizr-khan-travel-privileges-toronto-235727) [Middle Eastern Man Not Sure How Many Days’ Worth Of Airport Detention Clothes To Pack](http://www.theonion.com/article/middle-eastern-man-not-sure-how-many-days-worth-ai-55457). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=94) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=96)