# The Trump Administration: The Clusterfuck Continues (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [November 11, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068 "2024-11-11T06:19:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/41 "2024-11-13T01:33:03Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > We’re all gonna die. > > [https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/politics/pete-hegseth-secretary-of-defense/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/politics/pete-hegseth-secretary-of-defense/index.html) He looks like a model in a 1950s Brylcreem advertisement: [![](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EXP1RG/1950s-advertisement-circa-1951-magazine-advert-for-brylcreem-for-mens-EXP1RG.jpg) ](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EXP1RG/1950s-advertisement-circa-1951-magazine-advert-for-brylcreem-for-mens-EXP1RG.jpg) > [@Monty](#): > > Okay, how many of these decisions he’s making now are based on: I mean, Trump doesn’t really make decisions. All of these people are _Apprentice_-ing for their roles and will be fired the first time they do anything that displeases him. But that does bring up one genuine question about Trump’s Gamut of Goons: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NgWWube0M1c/maxresdefault.jpg "Where in the World Is Kellyanne Conway? - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgWWube0M1c) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/42 "2024-11-13T02:32:48Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I was mildly surprised to see that Pete Hegseth (who I have never heard of before) actually served in the military. Indeed. Looks like he made it to Major in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Seems like a great pick for Secretary of Defense. I wonder if Walz knew him? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/43 "2024-11-13T02:56:56Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That was him touring wildfire areas with Gavin Newsome back in 2018. Where are the brooms? > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Trump’s Gamut of Goons I like it, but I think we, the Teeming Millions, can think of a more appropriate collective noun for that crew. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/44 "2024-11-13T02:58:43Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That was him touring wildfire areas with Gavin Newsome back in 2018. Gavin Newsom always looks like the evil real estate developer in a '90s kids movie who wants to tear down the beloved neighborhood rec center/diner/park/school/church/fairground to build luxury condos. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/45 "2024-11-13T02:59:59Z")
I don’t know that much about some of these choices. Stefanik has impressed me before but, unlike Rubio and Waltz, seems inexperienced. One presumes they were chosen for loyalty and looking the part. No doubt several of them are unlikely to last four years if Trump remains mercurial. Picking a journalist personality was certainly a surprise, and there will be others. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/46 "2024-11-13T03:29:53Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > By “long term”, I mean too long past the end of this 4 year term. As in, things become saner by the end of my lifetime and my kids aren’t living in some kind of dystopian nightmare. Unfortunately, no matter what Trump does/doesn’t do, your kids are likely going to be living in a climate-change-induced dystopian nightmare. Though I expect what he does do will hasten its arrival. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/47 "2024-11-13T04:32:06Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Gavin Newsom always looks like the evil real estate developer in a '90s kids movie who wants to tear down the beloved neighborhood rec center/diner/park/school/church/fairground to build luxury condos. He’s the trying-to-be-cool stepdad who turns out to be a cocaine dealer: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fQpoALQs4vk/hqdefault.jpg "firstborn-sam tells off jake") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQpoALQs4vk) > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Stefanik has impressed me before but Elise Stefanik is a [“truth-denying acolyte of Donald Trump”](https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2021/5/9/22428019/what-happened-rep-elise-stefanik-trump-loyalist-replace-rep-liz-cheney). > [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Unfortunately, no matter what Trump does/doesn’t do, your kids are likely going to be living in a climate-change-induced dystopian nightmare. Though I expect what he does do will hasten its arrival This is going to be essentially true regardless of which party is in power because despite the pretense of doing ‘things’ to combat climate change, no American political leader is going to take the extreme measures necessary to affect change (notwithstanding that even if they did many other nations like China and India will not follow), and frankly a lot of that change is already baked in. But what a realist political administration could do is to provide information and guidance on developing resiliency and facilitating relocation from areas that are not going to be able to sustain their current populations or will be subject to the ravages of extreme weather events. But the GOP and former Trump administration prohibited spending funds on disseminating information about the 4th and 5th National Climate Assessment Report (which details the projected impacts of climate change on a state and county level in the United States), and we can fully expect this administration and a MAGA-driven majority to completely dismantle NOAA and Earth weather satellite surveillance programs which will hobble any efforts to address climate change and upon which most other nations are heavily dependent for their planning. So…going from bad to very much worse. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/48 "2024-11-13T06:13:21Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > This is going to be essentially true regardless of which party is in power because despite the pretense of doing ‘things’ to combat climate change, no American political leader is going to take the extreme measures necessary to affect change (notwithstanding that even if they did many other nations like China and India will not follow), and frankly a lot of that change is already baked in. Yep. The only difference between humanity and a mouse pushing a cocaine button is that humanity can read the big sign above the button reading “This is cocaine, do not push this or you will die.” ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/49 "2024-11-13T06:56:22Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > > > Trump’s Gamut of Goons > > I like it, but I think we, the Teeming Millions, can think of a more appropriate collective noun for that crew. _The Injustice League_? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/50 "2024-11-13T10:02:42Z")
What are the odds that Trump will succeed in doing an end run around the Senate, so that nominees are not fully scrutinized or possibly found to be unsuitable? Don’t sone positions require confirmation from the House and Senate? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/51 "2024-11-13T10:22:59Z")
It almost goes without saying that any nominee Trump prefers for prominent positions will be a Trump acolyte, or at least acolyte-adjacent. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/52 "2024-11-13T10:33:35Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > What are the odds that Trump will succeed in doing an end run around the Senate, so that nominees are not fully scrutinized or possibly found to be unsuitable? Don’t sone positions require confirmation from the House and Senate? He quickly discovered last time around he can rotate “acting” members for those positions. Why wouldn’t he do the same thing this time? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/53 "2024-11-13T10:55:54Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > What are the odds that Trump will succeed in doing an end run around the Senate, so that nominees are not fully scrutinized or possibly found to be unsuitable? Well, he is trying to get Senate leaders to permit him to make ‘recess appointments’ by default. What are recess appointments? The Congressional Research Service (CRS) [has answers](https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RS/RS21308#page4): > _# What Is the Purpose of a Recess Appointment?_ > > _The Constitution states that “[t]he President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may > happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End > of their next Session” (Article II, §2, clause 3). The records of debate at the Constitutional > Convention do not provide much evidence of the framers’ intentions in the Recess Appointment > Clause. A discussion of the clause by Alexander Hamilton, in The Federalist Papers, suggests > that its purpose was to provide an alternative method of appointment that would allow the filling > of vacancies “without delay” during periods of Senate absence.1 Opinions by later Attorneys > General also supported this general notion, suggesting that the purpose of the clause was to allow > the President to maintain the continuity of administrative government through the temporary > filling of offices during periods when the Senate was not in session, at which time his nominees > could not be considered or confirmed.2 This interpretation is supported by the fact that both > houses of Congress had relatively short sessions and long recesses during the country’s early > years. In fact, until the beginning of the 20th century, the Senate was, on average, in session less > than half the year.3 Throughout the history of the republic, Presidents have also sometimes used > the recess appointment power for political reasons. For example, recess appointments have > sometimes enabled the President to temporarily install an appointee who probably would not be > confirmed by the Senate._ Trump very much wants to appoint Cabinet secretaries, undersecretaries, and heads of executive agencies without the formalities of Senate confirmation hearings even if the results are guarenteed, and it is not at all assured that this Republican-dominated Senate with a majority in thrall of MAGA willnot grant him that authority on at least a limited basis “for expediency”. It isn’t even unconstitutional if the Senate agrees, so all of those posters repeating the mantra [“As long as the Constitution remains intact, we’ll be fine,”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-political-rage-that-i-feel-is-eating-me-up/1009971/96) should respectfully consider the implications of this even if they believe it to be unlikely. > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Don’t sone positions require confirmation from the House and Senate? Only the Senate confirms Cabinet secretaries and other people with first and second tier executive authority (in essence, ‘speaking for the President’ as part of their duty to [“advise and consent”](https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C1-2/ALDE_00013791/%5B'advise',%2520'and',%2520'consent'%5D). > [@Monty](#): > > He quickly discovered last time around he can rotate “acting” members for those positions. Why wouldn’t he do the same thing this time? Yes, but first they have to be confirmed by the Senate into some high tier position. Unless…well, see above. Everyone should read the [U.S. Constitution](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/). I suspect most people have not because they believe it has no bearing on their everyday lives and _The Golden Bachelorette_ is really enthralling, but it is actually not a long document and written mostly in plain language. Reading it won’t enshroud you in protective armor but at least you’ll be familiar when you see the government exercising ‘loopholes’ like recess appointments in a way not at all in line with the intentions of the authors, and also when your rights are being flatly violated (which happens quite a lot, actually, and with the tacit extent of both major parties). The CRS also has [an excellent series of reports exploring the Constitutional framework and background context](https://crsreports.congress.gov/search/#/?termsToSearch=constitution&orderBy=Relevance) which is a great place to get started if you are curious about interpretations pf the Constitution free of partisan bullshit. It is very helpful in identifying when an autocrat, enabled by the legislature and not restrained by the courts, is trying to take away your protected freedoms or subvert the required duties of government and separation of powers. Finally, while the parallels are not exact, I’m just going to throw [this dead cat on the table](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_cabinet) for your consideration because it is a surprisingly well-written for a Wikipedia article and presents a scenario _which actually happened_ in which a despot took control of a government without electoral consent or a broad decree and then…well, we all know what happened next: Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/54 "2024-11-13T11:11:33Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Everyone should read the [U.S. Constitution](https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/). … Hell, after showing interest in it, I was encouraged to study it, by my Constitutional Law professor. And this was at a Canadian law school. I did study it, on my own time, but under my professor’s guidance, and I think I know it pretty well. Sadly, perhaps, this Canadian knows it better than most Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/55 "2024-11-13T11:17:59Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Sadly, perhaps, this Canadian knows it better than most Americans. Of that I am certain. Most Americans can’t identify obvious terms, key provisions. or the basic functions of even five of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. And despite often being characterized as “the perfect document”, it is full of loopholes, compromises, and ambiguities. But all told it is still a pretty firm basis for democratic governance in a republican form of government, and when you see somebody trying to do an end run around it you can be assured that they are up to no good. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/56 "2024-11-13T11:21:02Z")
There are two amendments the 2nd and that other one. Unless you’re a SovCit and then there are four the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and the 5th. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/57 "2024-11-13T12:29:25Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Sadly, perhaps, this Canadian knows it better than most Americans. It’s a guarantee you know it better than the person who prevailed in the 2024 election. > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Unless you’re a SovCit and then there are four the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and the 5th. And damn sure never ever the tenth. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/58 "2024-11-13T13:08:14Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > but under my professor’s guidance, That might be the important part. There are intelligent posters here on this board who have read it and still make mistaken assertions about basic provisions in it. Simply reading the US Constitution is no panacea. A basic grounding is certainly important but it does not really prepare people for the minutiae of actual government practice anymore than reading the rules of Chess prepares anybody to take on a Grand Master. And that’s still setting aside the often inane and pointless arguments over the 2nd Amendment (among others). ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2024, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/59 "2024-11-13T13:29:47Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > If the lazy fuck even does a tenth of all that I’ll be surprised > > Trump isn’t a leader, Trump is a boss. He just yells, “I want this done!”, and other people are supposed to do all the actual work. > > Last time around, he didn’t have people to yell at who would jump at his command and do all that hard work. They actually expected him to show some leadership, and do at least some of the work. > > But now? Look at that list that’s shaping up. He’s choosing people who will snap to attention and do everything he tells them to do, without all that tedious asking for guidance. “Deport 10 million people! Drill more oil! Impose tariffs!” How hard is it to just yell that, and then sit back and watch others do the work? There were stories that come out of the first trump administration, especially from early on when there were still a few ‘adults in the room’, actual experienced, responsible advisors and cabinet officials. trump would give them an order to do something that was a Very Bad Idea, and they’d say ‘sure boss’…then slow-walk the execution of it until he completely forgot about what he asked for a couple days later. Now every wacky demand is going to cause a bevy of lickspittle toadies to trip over each other to make it happen. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/60 "2024-11-13T19:25:58Z")
Majority Leader-Elect John Thune says he won’t be eliminating the filibuster. > **[Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3latzgeocbi2z)** > > Reporter: Will the legislative filibuster remain unchanged under your tenure? > > Thune: Yes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=4)