The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[jasg]

@D_Odds

Did it at least pardon a turkey, or did it shit on another trivial, easy, positive photo opportunity tradition?

I’m expecting Don Jr & Eric to show up in turkey costumes…

[StarvingButStrong]

Dang. I was hoping we’d been given an early Xmas present.

[septimus]

Top White House aide breaks law by using private server for government e-mail.

I think she should be forgiven. How could anyone have possibly known that this was against the rules?

[Happy_Lendervedder]

Trump stands with Saudi prince in light of journalist’s grisly murder.

President Trump declared his unswerving loyalty to Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, on Tuesday, declaring that the prince’s culpability in the killing of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, might never be known.

“It could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!” Mr. Trump said in a remarkable, eight-paragraph, exclamation-point laden statement that appeared calculated to end debate over the American response to Mr. Khashoggi’s killing.

Well, the dead guy *was *an enemy of the people, and wasn’t even American, so no harm no foul, right? I mean, Mohammed bin Salman *may *have slaughtered this guy, but let’s just throw our hands up and admit we can’t possibly know for sure. What? The CIA has concluded bin Salman was behind it? Pfft. Hillary fans.

[jsc1953]

@Happy_Lendervedder

. What? The CIA has concluded bin Salman was behind it? Pfft. Hillary fans.

If I worked for the CIA for the past 2 years, it would be difficult to fight the temptation to throw up my hands and walk away. “Fuck it…why do we even bother? The clown makes up his mind and ignores everything we do”

[ThelmaLou]

@Happy_Lendervedder

Trump stands with Saudi prince in light of journalist’s grisly murder.

Well, the dead guy *was *an enemy of the people, and wasn’t even American, so no harm no foul, right? I mean, Mohammed bin Salman *may *have slaughtered this guy, but let’s just throw our hands up and admit we can’t possibly know for sure. What? The CIA has concluded bin Salman was behind it? Pfft. Hillary fans.

Thump doesn’t believe anything can be known for sure. Facts? No such thing. Nothing matters anyway.

[CalMeacham]

It’s not just that Trump stands by the Saudis – he does so in the most amateurish non-tweet statement yet issued by the White House. Have a look at it from their official site:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-standing-saudi-arabia/

Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia

Foreign Policy

Issued on: November 20, 2018

★★★

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America First!

The world is a very dangerous place!

The country of Iran, as an example, is responsible for a bloody proxy war against Saudi Arabia in Yemen, trying to destabilize Iraq’s fragile attempt at democracy, supporting the terror group Hezbollah in Lebanon, propping up dictator Bashar Assad in Syria (who has killed millions of his own citizens), and much more. Likewise, the Iranians have killed many Americans and other innocent people throughout the Middle East. Iran states openly, and with great force, “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” Iran is considered “the world’s leading sponsor of terror.”

On the other hand, Saudi Arabia would gladly withdraw from Yemen if the Iranians would agree to leave. They would immediately provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has agreed to spend billions of dollars in leading the fight against Radical Islamic Terrorism.

After my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Kingdom agreed to spend and invest $450 billion in the United States. This is a record amount of money. It will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, tremendous economic development, and much additional wealth for the United States. Of the $450 billion, $110 billion will be spent on the purchase of military equipment from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and many other great U.S. defense contractors. If we foolishly cancel these contracts, Russia and China would be the enormous beneficiaries – and very happy to acquire all of this newfound business. It would be a wonderful gift to them directly from the United States!

The crime against Jamal Khashoggi was a terrible one, and one that our country does not condone. Indeed, we have taken strong action against those already known to have participated in the murder. After great independent research, we now know many details of this horrible crime. We have already sanctioned 17 Saudis known to have been involved in the murder of Mr. Khashoggi, and the disposal of his body.

Representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an “enemy of the state” and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but my decision is in no way based on that – this is an unacceptable and horrible crime. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!

That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran. The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region. It is our paramount goal to fully eliminate the threat of terrorism throughout the world!

I understand there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction – and they are free to do so. I will consider whatever ideas are presented to me, but only if they are consistent with the absolute security and safety of America. After the United States, Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producing nation in the world. They have worked closely with us and have been very responsive to my requests to keeping oil prices at reasonable levels – so important for the world. As President of the United States I intend to ensure that, in a very dangerous world, America is pursuing its national interests and vigorously contesting countries that wish to do us harm. Very simply it is called America First!

[gytalf2000]

@CalMeacham

It’s not just that Trump stands by the Saudis – he does so in the most amateurish non-tweet statement yet issued by the White House. Have a look at it from their official site:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-standing-saudi-arabia/

Wow! Did the lil’ Trumpster actually write that all by his lonesome? That’s almost up to fifth-grade-level writin’! I bet we all so goldang’d prowd…

[Rick_Kitchen]

Iran’s Foreign Minister, in response, said that they were responsible for the California wild fires because they weren’t helping to rake the forests.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-idUSKCN1NP2BU

[Steve_MB]

That looks like it was written at 3AM the night before it was due by a high school sophomore high on pot and quadruple expresso.

[Railer13]

…my heavily negotiated trip to Saudi Arabia last year…

What the fuck does this even mean?

[Happy_Lendervedder]

This is solid evidence of a scared mind, slipping rapidly into senility, right before our eyes, on an international stage.

[bobot]

@Railer13

What the fuck does this even mean?

I think it’s meant to imply that he actually participated in *work.

*And:
“…but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”

That’s an official White House communication? What a fucking disgrace.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

@bobot

I think it’s meant to imply that he actually participated in *work.

*And:
“…but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!”

That’s an official White House communication? What a fucking disgrace.

This quality of writing in this piece would be a disgrace if released by a small town. The fact that it’s an official release of the White House makes it so much worse. How did his communications staff put this up on the website? At least have an intern take out the fucking exclamation points, ffs.

ETA: I’m beginning to suspect his communication team has absolutely zero fucks left to give.

[ThelmaLou]

Thump is basically saying that if the Saudis keep the price of oil down they can kill anyone they want.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

And the Hit Parade continues:

Trump wanted to order the DOJ to prosecute Hillary and Comey this past spring.
Don McGahn sent him a memo explaining that could lead to impeachment.

[Morgyn]

@Happy_Lendervedder

This quality of writing in this piece would be a disgrace if released by a small town. The fact that it’s an official release of the White House makes it so much worse. How did his communications staff put this up on the website? At least have an intern take out the fucking exclamation points, ffs.

ETA: I’m beginning to suspect his communication team has absolutely zero fucks left to give.

According to Maddow blog,

Joe Cirincione, the president of the Ploughshares Fund and an MSNBC contributor, wrote a tweet in response to Trump’s statement that said, “This is, without a doubt, the most uninformed, imbecilic, toady, poorly-written, categorically untrue statement I have ever seen from a president of the United States. A complete disgrace.”

And all I can think is, he’s got two more years to lower the bar even further.

Fuck, this guy isn’t even competent to move his own shit, much less be in charge of an entire country.

ETA: Happy, I don’t think that memo is going to stop him for much longer, especially now that Whittaker is (nominally) in charge.

[carnivorousplant]

People elected this guy, and want to vote for him again. I would like to see a graph of candidates vs. voter IQ.

[Folacin]

@Happy_Lendervedder

This quality of writing in this piece would be a disgrace if released by a small town. The fact that it’s an official release of the White House makes it so much worse. How did his communications staff put this up on the website? At least have an intern take out the fucking exclamation points, ffs.

ETA: I’m beginning to suspect his communication team has absolutely zero fucks left to give.

Well, my guess is that they suggested some rewrites, he threatened to have Kelly fire them and they posted it as written.

[enipla]

@Happy_Lendervedder

This quality of writing in this piece would be a disgrace if released by a small town. The fact that it’s an official release of the White House makes it so much worse. How did his communications staff put this up on the website? At least have an intern take out the fucking exclamation points, ffs.

ETA: I’m beginning to suspect his communication team has absolutely zero fucks left to give.

Pffffft. That’s nothing. Try to understand what he is thinking when it comes directly out of his mouth.

@CHRIS WALLACE:

“But here is the question, you’re back in town Monday, Veterans Day, why don’t you go across the river to Arlington for that ceremony? Barack Obama went every year he was in D.C.”

TRUMP: “I should have done that, I was extremely busy on calls for the country, we did a lot of calling as you know.”

CHRIS WALLACE: “But this is Veterans Day,”

TRUMP: “I could have done that. As you know I just left the day before the American Cemetery and I probably think — and that was one where it was raining as hard as you can imagine and I made a speech at the American Cemetery the day before. And I probably, you know, in retrospect, I should have. And I did last year and I will virtually every year. But we had come in very late at night and I had just left, literally, the American Cemetery in Paris. And I really probably assumed that was fine and I was extremely busy because of affairs of state — doing other things.”

CHRIS WALLACE: Why?

TRUMP: But I would have - I would have done it.

Pretty much one long lie.