The Trump Administration: A Clusterfuck in the Making

[SteveG1]

Now charities are dumping Trump, too

Now charities are dumping Trump, too
August 18, 2017: 5:22 PM ET

Some of the biggest-named charities in America are walking away from President Trump.

The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Susan G. Komen foundation all said Friday they’re canceling events at Trump’s Palm Beach property Mar-a-Lago. That comes after three organizations made similar announcements on Thursday.

The cancellations follow the spectacular implosion of Trump’s business councils this week over the president’s insistence that counter-protesters shared the blame for violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The collapse of the councils was an extraordinary rebuke to a president who prides himself on being business-friendly. High-profile CEOs like JPMorgan Chase’ (JPM)Jamie Dimon have publicly slammed Trump’s reaction to Charlottesville.

Now, Trump’s words are affecting his own business.

“The American Red Cross has decided we cannot host our annual fundraising event at Mar-a-Lago, as it has increasingly become a source of controversy and pain for many of our volunteers, employees and supporters,” the organization said in a statement Friday morning.

The Red Cross said it “provides assistance without discrimination to all people in need, regardless of nationality, race, religious beliefs, or political opinions, and we must be clear and unequivocal in our defense of that principle.” …
The Salvation Army also pulled its Holiday Snow Ball off the venue’s events list.
…Yet another philanthropic event could also be on its way out. The president of Leaders in Furthering Education on Friday urged the board of her charity to abandon Mar-a-Lago for the organization’s annual Lady in Red Gala, slated for December 2.

“The hatred, vitriol and anti-semitic and racist views being spewed by neo-Nazis and white supremacists are repugnant and repulsive – and they are antithetical to everything that this country, and I personally stand for,” LIFE President Lois Pope said in a statement. “And anyone who would demonstrate even a modicum of support for them by insisting that there are ‘good people’ among them is not deserving of my personal patronage or that of my foundations.”

[SteveG1]

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) resigned.

Dear Mr. President:

Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville. The false equivalences you push cannot stand. The Administrations refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill. We cannot sit idly by, the way your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions. We are members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH). The Committee was created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan to advise the White House on cultural issues. We were hopeful that continuing to serve in the PCAH would allow us to focus on the important work the committee does with your federal partners and the private sector to address, initiate, and support key policies and programs in the arts and humanities for all Americans. Effective immediately, please accept our resignation from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Elevating any group that threatens and discriminates on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, orientation, background, or identity is un-American. We have fought slavery, segregation, and internment. We must learn from our rich and painful history. The unified fabric of America is made by patriotic individuals from backgrounds as vast as the nation is strong. In our service to the American people, we have experienced this first-hand as we traveled and build the Turnaround Arts education program, now in many urban and rural schools across the country from Florida to Wisconsin.
Speaking truth to power is never easy, Mr. President. But it is our role as commissioners on the PCAH to do so. Art is about inclusion. The Humanities include a vibrant free press. You have attacked both. You released a budget which eliminates arts and culture agencies. You have threatened nuclear war while gutting diplomacy funding. The administration pulled out of the Paris agreement, filed an amicus brief undermining the Civil Rights Action, and attacked our brave trans service members. You have subverted equal protections, and are committed to banning Muslims and refugee women & children from our great country. This does not unify the nation we love. We know the importance of open and free dialogue through our work in the cultural diplomacy realm, most recently with the first-ever US Government arts and cultural delegation to Cuba, a country without the same First Amendment protections we enjoy here. Your words and actions push us all further away from the freedoms we are guaranteed.
Ignoring your hateful rhetoric would have made us complicit in your words and actions. We took a patriotic oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Supremacy, discrimination, and vitriol are not American values. Your values are not American values. We must be better than this. We are better than this. If this is not clear to you, then we call on you to resign your office, too.
Thank you,

[EinsteinsHund]

@SteveG1

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) resigned.

Dear Mr. President:

Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville. The false equivalences you push cannot stand. The Administrations refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill. We cannot sit idly by, the way your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions. We are members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH). The Committee was created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan to advise the White House on cultural issues. We were hopeful that continuing to serve in the PCAH would allow us to focus on the important work the committee does with your federal partners and the private sector to address, initiate, and support key policies and programs in the arts and humanities for all Americans. Effective immediately, please accept our resignation from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Elevating any group that threatens and discriminates on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, orientation, background, or identity is un-American. We have fought slavery, segregation, and internment. We must learn from our rich and painful history. The unified fabric of America is made by patriotic individuals from backgrounds as vast as the nation is strong. In our service to the American people, we have experienced this first-hand as we traveled and build the Turnaround Arts education program, now in many urban and rural schools across the country from Florida to Wisconsin.
Speaking truth to power is never easy, Mr. President. But it is our role as commissioners on the PCAH to do so. Art is about inclusion. The Humanities include a vibrant free press. You have attacked both. You released a budget which eliminates arts and culture agencies. You have threatened nuclear war while gutting diplomacy funding. The administration pulled out of the Paris agreement, filed an amicus brief undermining the Civil Rights Action, and attacked our brave trans service members. You have subverted equal protections, and are committed to banning Muslims and refugee women & children from our great country. This does not unify the nation we love. We know the importance of open and free dialogue through our work in the cultural diplomacy realm, most recently with the first-ever US Government arts and cultural delegation to Cuba, a country without the same First Amendment protections we enjoy here. Your words and actions push us all further away from the freedoms we are guaranteed.
Ignoring your hateful rhetoric would have made us complicit in your words and actions. We took a patriotic oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Supremacy, discrimination, and vitriol are not American values. Your values are not American values. We must be better than this. We are better than this. If this is not clear to you, then we call on you to resign your office, too.
Thank you,

Wow, that’s some strong and damning stuff. Perfectly articulated.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

Dear Mr. President:

Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville. The false equivalences you push cannot stand. The Administrations refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill. We cannot sit idly by, the way your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions. We are members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH). The Committee was created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan to advise the White House on cultural issues. We were hopeful that continuing to serve in the PCAH would allow us to focus on the important work the committee does with your federal partners and the private sector to address, initiate, and support key policies and programs in the arts and humanities for all Americans. Effective immediately, please accept our resignation from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Elevating any group that threatens and discriminates on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, orientation, background, or identity is un-American. We have fought slavery, segregation, and internment. We must learn from our rich and painful history. The unified fabric of America is made by patriotic individuals from backgrounds as vast as the nation is strong. In our service to the American people, we have experienced this first-hand as we traveled and build the Turnaround Arts education program, now in many urban and rural schools across the country from Florida to Wisconsin.
Speaking truth to power is never easy, Mr. President. But it is our role as commissioners on the PCAH to do so. Art is about inclusion. The Humanities include a vibrant free press. You have attacked both. You released a budget which eliminates arts and culture agencies. You have threatened nuclear war while gutting diplomacy funding. The administration pulled out of the Paris agreement, filed an amicus brief undermining the Civil Rights Action, and attacked our brave trans service members. You have subverted equal protections, and are committed to banning Muslims and refugee women & children from our great country. This does not unify the nation we love. We know the importance of open and free dialogue through our work in the cultural diplomacy realm, most recently with the first-ever US Government arts and cultural delegation to Cuba, a country without the same First Amendment protections we enjoy here. Your words and actions push us all further away from the freedoms we are guaranteed.
Ignoring your hateful rhetoric would have made us complicit in your words and actions. We took a patriotic oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Supremacy, discrimination, and vitriol are not American values. Your values are not American values. We must be better than this. We are better than this. If this is not clear to you, then we call on you to resign your office, too.
Thank you,

Pretty impressive, creative stuff.

[Fiveyearlurker]

How’s infrastructure week going?

[Colibri]

@SteveG1

President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) resigned.

Dear Mr. President:

Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville. The false equivalences you push cannot stand. The Administrations refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill. We cannot sit idly by, the way your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions. We are members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH). The Committee was created in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan to advise the White House on cultural issues. We were hopeful that continuing to serve in the PCAH would allow us to focus on the important work the committee does with your federal partners and the private sector to address, initiate, and support key policies and programs in the arts and humanities for all Americans. Effective immediately, please accept our resignation from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

Elevating any group that threatens and discriminates on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, disability, orientation, background, or identity is un-American. We have fought slavery, segregation, and internment. We must learn from our rich and painful history. The unified fabric of America is made by patriotic individuals from backgrounds as vast as the nation is strong. In our service to the American people, we have experienced this first-hand as we traveled and build the Turnaround Arts education program, now in many urban and rural schools across the country from Florida to Wisconsin.

Speaking truth to power is never easy, Mr. President. But it is our role as commissioners on the PCAH to do so. Art is about inclusion. The Humanities include a vibrant free press. You have attacked both. You released a budget which eliminates arts and culture agencies. You have threatened nuclear war while gutting diplomacy funding. The administration pulled out of the Paris agreement, filed an amicus brief undermining the Civil Rights Action, and attacked our brave trans service members. You have subverted equal protections, and are committed to banning Muslims and refugee women & children from our great country. This does not unify the nation we love. We know the importance of open and free dialogue through our work in the cultural diplomacy realm, most recently with the first-ever US Government arts and cultural delegation to Cuba, a country without the same First Amendment protections we enjoy here. Your words and actions push us all further away from the freedoms we are guaranteed.

Ignoring your hateful rhetoric would have made us complicit in your words and actions. We took a patriotic oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Supremacy, discrimination, and vitriol are not American values. Your values are not American values. We must be better than this. We are better than this. If this is not clear to you, then we call on you to resign your office, too.

Thank you,

You need to maintain the paragraphs to get the full message. (Bolding mine.)

ETA: Beaten to the punch.

[wonky]

@Fiveyearlurker

How’s infrastructure week going?

The highway to Hell appears to be in fine, fine shape.

[simster]

@jsgoddess

The highway to Hell appears to be in fine, fine shape.

'Well, it’s paved with mis-information.

[QuickSilver]

@Typo_Negative

I, for one, would welcome a Pence Presidency at this point. It would be horrible, but at least it would be competent.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire?

No thanks.

I prefer the Incompetent Orange Menace remain in office if the alternative is going to be that homophobic Jesus freak.

[monstro]

I really hope next week is not as bad as this week was. I don’t think I can take anymore.

[Kamino_Neko]

@Colibri

It started as a small clusterfuck, but has been sucking in more and more clusterfuckery until now it’s enormous. And it continues to grow every day.

Lalaaalalalala, Clusterfuck Damacy.

[pulykamell]

@jsc1953

I swear I’m not making this up. My Trumpette FB friend just posted that she thinks this is a brilliant strategic move–that Bannon will now be more effective as a free agent than as a member of the administration.

I actually wouldn’t dismiss this so casually. I guess we’ll see what happens in the next week, but I don’t believe for a second Bannon is going to come out guns a-blazing against Trump or anything. Let’s see what comes out of Breitbart, but I suspect Bannon is better serving the al-right agenda back at the Breitbart helm than in the White House. I actually do have a feeling that everyone involved here does know what they’re doing.

[D_Odds]

@QuickSilver

Out of the frying pan and into the fire?

No thanks.

I prefer the Incompetent Orange Menace remain in office if the alternative is going to be that homophobic Jesus freak.

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. The best would be if, while sinking, Trump grabs hold of Pence and drags Pence down with him.

I also want a unicorn pony for Christmas.

[JackieLikesVariety]

I don’t believe for a second Bannon is going to come out guns a-blazing against Trump or anything.

I honestly think it’s strategy. SCROTUS couldn’t have thought it up but Bannon could have. :mad:

[steatopygia]

@pulykamell

I actually wouldn’t dismiss this so casually. I guess we’ll see what happens in the next week, but I don’t believe for a second Bannon is going to come out guns a-blazing against Trump or anything. Let’s see what comes out of Breitbart, but I suspect Bannon is better serving the al-right agenda back at the Breitbart helm than in the White House. I actually do have a feeling that everyone involved here does know what they’re doing.

Nope. The dope at the top hasn’t a fucking clue. There is no 3D chess, there is no secret plan. If so he would have worked with congress to fuck the 98%. He is too stupid and too much of an asshole to do much of anything, even with the complete Republican control of the government that he was given.

[steatopygia]

@D_Odds

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. The best would be if, while sinking, Trump grabs hold of Pence and drags Pence down with him.

I also want a unicorn pony for Christmas.

This. Pence can be led by the nose to effectively loot the government for the benefit of the 1%.

[asahi]

I don’t know if I’ve ever even heard of an American president being repudiated by America’s biggest non-profit organizations, biggest names in corporate America, the chiefs of the military (who technically work FOR him), and just people in general. I’ve never seen an American president so weak.

I knew Trump was on the ropes, but in some sense it’s been that way with him the entire time. His candidacy, his fledgling presidency have always been walking near the precipice, daring a strong gust of wind from the heavens above to blow him over the cliff. I have to admit that I thought he was immune from charges of being a racist - thought we’d already been there and done that. But the clumsy attempts to reach out and dog whistle his base at a time when the country was trying to make sense of right wing violence might be what breaks him. I can’t say I saw that coming, at least not at this moment. Probably should have, but didn’t.

I’m not writing him off just yet, but he’s making more and more enemies and losing whatever allies and confidence he once had. I get the sense that his senate allies have about given up on him. I wonder how long before the House goes, too.

[asahi]

@steatopygia

Nope. The dope at the top hasn’t a fucking clue. There is no 3D chess, there is no secret plan. If so he would have worked with congress to fuck the 98%. He is too stupid and too much of an asshole to do much of anything, even with the complete Republican control of the government that he was given.

Yeah, I suspect you’re right on this one. Bannon became a part of the administration because he had a vision for what he thought it could become and he wanted to be a driving force behind it. Bannon saw a neophyte he could manipulate in the same way that Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz saw a chance to use Bush as a tool. Now that Bannon’s out, that won’t happen. Bannon is going to go back to being a verbal flame thrower and this time Trump might well find himself on the receiving end, especially if he works with ‘globalists’.

[Monty]

@PatriotX

It already is a clusterfuck.

However, more fucks keep clustering.

The jerk’s only been in office for a few months and I already long for the days when his fucking up was clustered. No, his fuck ups are, literally, all over the map.

[River_Hippie]

This whole shitshow would be hilarious if it wasn’t the country I love sinking into a tar pit of corruption and incompetency. I agree though, Two Scoops getting nothing done is better than an evil but competent Pence actually accomplishing things.