# 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:** 990
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19785 "2018-04-30T22:02:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > [John Kelly calls Donald an idiot.](http://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/wh-staffers-kelly-thinks-he-s-saving-u-s-from-disaster-calls-trump-idiot-1222628419972) Thank goodness you’re here, Captain Obvious. I predict he’ll be gone before midnight. On the other hand, Tillerson lasted what, a few months, after doing that? ---
**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:** [April 30, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19786 "2018-04-30T22:05:14Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > On the other hand, Tillerson lasted what, a few months, after doing that? If he’s going to get rid of everyone who thinks he’s an idiot, it’s going to be a pretty lonely White House. ---
**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 30, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19787 "2018-04-30T22:07:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Mika B (I can’t spell her name) from Morning Joe criticized Michelle Wolff for attacking Sarah the Huckster, “A wife and mother”. Why is wife and mother Sarah Huckster sacrosanct, but wives and mothers Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama are fair targets? And Mika claims to be a liberal. My guess is that Mika’s attack on Wolf, along with similar attacks from Maggie Haberman (of the NYT) and Andrea Mitchell (of MSNBC), were about preserving White House access. Haberman and Mitchell, in particular, built their careers on scoops gleaned from anonymous White House informants…and Sarah H. Sanders may well be one of them. Gotta keep on her good side. By the way, thanks, Banquet Bear, for that massive compilation of reaction to the WHCD/Michelle Wolf story (in post 19698). I’d been following it on Twitter, but you summarized it very nicely. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20931121#post20931121](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20931121#post20931121) ---
**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 30, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19788 "2018-04-30T22:11:11Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > [John Kelly calls Donald an idiot.](http://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/wh-staffers-kelly-thinks-he-s-saving-u-s-from-disaster-calls-trump-idiot-1222628419972) Thank goodness you’re here, Captain Obvious. I predict he’ll be gone before midnight. > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > He also sad bad things about women, that should get him a promotion. _Black_ women, too! Double promotion! ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19789 "2018-04-30T22:15:19Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Maybe it’s because they’re so used to women being attacked for their looks, they assume that there must have been one - because there “always” is. > > Perfect smokey eyes are hard. If anything, it’s a compliment to SHS’s makeup skills. they _absolutely_ think they heard “fats” when she said “facts” because that’s where they would have gone. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19790 "2018-04-30T22:19:10Z")
> [@CurtC](#): > > On the other hand, Tillerson lasted what, a few months, after doing that? Actually…I heard Jake Tapper interviewed the other day. He said that the only reason that Tillerson’s firing was delayed was because the press was reporting that Tillerson was going to get fired. Trump delayed the canning just to show the press that they weren’t really getting the scoop. It was his petulant way of showing them up. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19791 "2018-04-30T22:21:31Z")
> [@JackieLikesVariety](#): > > they _absolutely_ think they heard “fats” when she said “facts” because that’s where they would have gone. > > :mad: Exactly right! There are a LOT of REALLY FUCKING STUPID people out there. They see Sanders, they think “she’s fat”. They hear that somebody was making fun of her, they think “they must have said she’s fat.” Referencing her makeup to call her out for lying is several magnitudes beyond their imagination. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19792 "2018-04-30T22:33:31Z")
Wow, I guess it takes a really smart person to hear better. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19793 "2018-04-30T22:48:59Z")
Truth be told, I don’t think the joke is funny just because I find “burning facts to make eye-shadow” is excessive strain on the metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19794 "2018-04-30T23:10:49Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > [John Kelly calls Donald an idiot.](http://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/wh-staffers-kelly-thinks-he-s-saving-u-s-from-disaster-calls-trump-idiot-1222628419972) Thank goodness you’re here, Captain Obvious. I predict he’ll be gone before midnight. Nah. Trump will tweet about how the Fake News is lying again and he has complete confidence in him. Then he’ll fire him in two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19795 "2018-04-30T23:31:01Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Wow, I guess it takes a really smart person to hear better. :smack: Smart people tend to figure things out. Context clues, and all. When she repeats the word “lies” twice, she probably was making a joke about facts, not fats. > [@](#): > > I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. Like, she burns facts, and then she uses the ash to create a perfect smoky eye. Like, maybe she’s born with it; maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19796 "2018-04-30T23:34:31Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Truth be told, I don’t think the joke is funny just because I find “burning facts to make eye-shadow” is excessive strain on the metaphor. maybe it was directed at those who wear eye make up 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19797 "2018-04-30T23:48:07Z")
Here’s the thing about Wolf’s performance that stays with me (and I know that as a professional comedian she shouldn’t worry about this, but as someone who cares about more than her career, I do worry about it): **Her performance will be used to increase GOP turnout in the midterms.** The Democratic Party’s chances of taking the House (and the Good Lord willing the Senate) went down because of her performance. It won’t matter that she also roasted the press (at a dinner that is NOT a roast), that won’t get reported on, especially by Fox, et. alt-right. She will be cast as the voice of the liberal media (i.e., LSM, i.e., FAKE NEWS!) attacking a woman who dares to support POTUS. This will play well in Redland and will be used to excite and motivate a base that’s been surprisingly difficult to excite and motivate. Sorry, can’t support that. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19798 "2018-04-30T23:59:22Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Smart people tend to figure things out. … Holy shit, you sound like one of the smart ones! ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19799 "2018-05-01T00:02:54Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Here’s the thing about Wolf’s performance that stays with me (and I know that as a professional comedian she shouldn’t worry about this, but as someone who cares about more than her career, I do worry about it): > > **Her performance will be used to increase GOP turnout in the midterms.** The Democratic Party’s chances of taking the House (and the Good Lord willing the Senate) went down because of her performance. > > It won’t matter that she also roasted the press (at a dinner that is NOT a roast), that won’t get reported on, especially by Fox, et. alt-right. She will be cast as the voice of the liberal media (i.e., LSM, i.e., FAKE NEWS!) attacking a woman who dares to support POTUS. > > This will play well in Redland and will be used to excite and motivate a base that’s been surprisingly difficult to excite and motivate. > > Sorry, can’t support that. …fuck this bullshit. If your entire strategy to win the midterms is to not offend a bunch of fucking snowflakes then we may as well burn it all down now. This is utterly pathetic. Its as pathetic as the journalists who throwing Wolf under the bus because they don’t want to loose their precious access to the White House. These people that will vote for Trump and his enablers despite everything they have done exist and pretending they don’t exist, and pretending that they only come out when “provoked” is a load of horseshit. If the the Democrats loose the primaries midterms it won’t be because of Michelle Wolf. It will be because there are a lot of people who support Trump, who approve of what he is doing and because they want it to continue. Accept that. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19800 "2018-05-01T00:07:00Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Here’s the thing about Wolf’s performance that stays with me (and I know that as a professional comedian she shouldn’t worry about this, but as someone who cares about more than her career, I do worry about it): > > **Her performance will be used to increase GOP turnout in the midterms.** The Democratic Party’s chances of taking the House (and the Good Lord willing the Senate) went down because of her performance. > > It won’t matter that she also roasted the press (at a dinner that is NOT a roast), that won’t get reported on, especially by Fox, et. alt-right. She will be cast as the voice of the liberal media (i.e., LSM, i.e., FAKE NEWS!) attacking a woman who dares to support POTUS. > > This will play well in Redland and will be used to excite and motivate a base that’s been surprisingly difficult to excite and motivate. > > Sorry, can’t support that. I rather doubt that. The red land crowd already thinks the media and Hollywood are mean to Trump and frankly I doubt this will be remembered in a month given the nature of this administration. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19801 "2018-05-01T00:16:11Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …fuck this bullshit. > > If your entire strategy to win the midterms is to not offend a bunch of fucking snowflakes then we may as well burn it all down now. > > This is utterly pathetic. Its as pathetic as the journalists who throwing Wolf under the bus because they don’t want to loose their precious access to the White House. > > These people that will vote for Trump and his enablers despite everything they have done exist and pretending they don’t exist, and pretending that they only come out when “provoked” is a load of horseshit. If the the Democrats loose the primaries midterms it won’t be because of Michelle Wolf. It will be because there are a lot of people who support Trump, who approve of what he is doing and because they want it to continue. Accept that. Yep. THEY VOTED FOR TRUMP IN THE FIRST PLACE. They will continue to support him just to piss off forward thinking people. Doesn’t matter that it affects them as well (or in many case more/worse) THIS is their goal. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19802 "2018-05-01T00:30:18Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > … **Her performance will be used to increase GOP turnout in the midterms.** The Democratic Party’s chances of taking the House (and the Good Lord willing the Senate) went down because of her performance. > … > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …fuck this bullshit. > > If your entire strategy to win the midterms is to not offend a bunch of fucking snowflakes then we may as well burn it all down now. > > This is utterly pathetic. Its as pathetic as the journalists who throwing Wolf under the bus because they don’t want to loose their precious access to the White House. > > These people that will vote for Trump and his enablers despite everything they have done exist and pretending they don’t exist, and pretending that they only come out when “provoked” is a load of horseshit. If the the Democrats loose the primaries midterms it won’t be because of Michelle Wolf. It will be because there are a lot of people who support Trump, who approve of what he is doing and because they want it to continue. Accept that. ^ Yes. This. At some point the right is going to realize that the “if you’d just be nice to us and speak respectfully and deferentially to us and flatter us and give us everything, then things will work out great for you” message ISN’T WORKING. (Or maybe they’ll never realize it. But, yeah: it isn’t working.) Authoritarianism-fans always whine and cry when criticized, and make threats of crack-downs and civil war and continued attacks on freedom of the press if the criticism doesn’t stop. But non-fans of authoritarianism know perfectly well that no amount of ‘being nice to the right’ will stop the attacks on freedom of the press. Because attacking the free press and freedom of speech _ **is what authoritarians do** _. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19803 "2018-05-01T01:11:48Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > If your entire strategy to win the midterms is to not offend a bunch of fucking snowflakes then we may as well burn it all down now. My “strategy” is to sell something positive, not something negative. Negative plays into THEIR hands. They’re better at it, fucking accept that. If we become the party of NOT TRUMP, we lose. I’d like to win. Idealism is wonderful and feels good. Pragmatism gets shit done. Yes, we’ve lost the True Believers. This election will be fought at the margins and the margins care about perception. If this performance gained you 100,000 votes each in NY and CA and lost you 10,000 each in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, it’s a net loss. Defense Exhibit 1: [Democrats lose ground with millennials](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-millennials/exclusive-democrats-lose-ground-with-millennials-reuters-ipsos-poll-idUSKBN1I10YH) That’s not due to the WHCD, but it is indicative that we still lack a damn message other than “fuck this bullshit”. ---
**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:** [May 1, 2018, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070/19804 "2018-05-01T01:17:39Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Maybe it’s because they’re so used to women being attacked for their looks, they assume that there must have been one - because there “always” is. I have a simpler explanation; they’re lying. They know that most of the people in their intended audience didn’t watch the show and will never check out the credibility of any accusations they make. So they’re free to make up a story about what Wolf said and their followers will accept it as gospel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=989) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-a-clusterfuck-in-the-making/774070.md?page=991)