# 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:** 325
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6542 "2025-07-16T02:50:33Z")
From Times article: > [@](#): > > Trump stopped USAID’s spending because he said it was “not in line with American interests.” The Trump team also plans to ask Congress to cut $8.3 billion from global aid programs, including for climate and LGBTQ+ support, as per the report by The Independent…Experts say ending USAID could stop progress on fighting AIDS. AIDS-related deaths could rise from 6 million to 10 million in the next 5 years. 3.4 million more kids could lose a parent to AIDS… Not in line with American interests, apparently. Couldn’t Trump use that as a default explanation for basically anything he declares, going forward? > [@robby](#): > > Headline from _The Atlantic_: “The Trump Administration Is About to Incinerate 500 Tons of Emergency Food” With reports of maggots, etc found in the food in the detention centres, I’m sure it crossed GOPs’ minds to maybe divert a lot of this emergency food to those places, but then realised - oh, wait - we’re moral maggots _ourselves_, devoid of any shred of empathy or common sense to set up the transporting system to facilitate it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6543 "2025-07-16T04:00:02Z")
Well, maggots _are_ a form of protein, so… ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6544 "2025-07-16T04:37:27Z")
[The felon’s supporters in the Senate are in a race!](https://www.aol.com/news/senate-republicans-shrink-trumps-spending-202756199.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted Tuesday evening to advancing a [package of spending cuts](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-push-claw-back-funding-government-shutdown-fight-rcna217725) proposed by President Donald Trump as they race to pass the measure by a Friday deadline. > > The procedural vote on the [$9.4 billion rescissions package](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-vote-claw-back-94-billion-funding-foreign-aid-npr-pb-rcna211740), which seeks to claw back previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, passed 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking a tie. > > Three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, all members of the Appropriations Committee — joined with every Democrat in voting against it. The Senate will hold a final vote on the proposal later this week. > > Earlier Tuesday, Senate Republicans and the White House agreed to make a significant change to the measure as they sought to secure the simple majority needed to pass the rescissions package through the chamber. They planned to remove of about $400 million in cuts to PEPFAR, the Bush-era foreign aid program to combat HIV/AIDS, which has been credited with saving millions of lives. > > “There’s a substitute amendment that I think has a good chance of passing,” White House budget director Russell Vought told reporters after meeting with Senate Republicans. “PEPFAR will not be impacted by the rescissions.” > > Republicans plan on passing it on party lines through a rarely used filibuster-proof process that gives Congress 45 days from the time of the White House request to get it to the president’s desk. That deadline is Friday. > > The Senate’s plan to amend the bill means it will have to pass the GOP-controlled House again before Trump can sign it into law. The House [narrowly passed](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-vote-claw-back-94-billion-funding-foreign-aid-npr-pb-rcna211740) the rescissions package 214-212 last month, with four Republicans voting against it, This is more proof that republicans are not representing their consituents, but are doing the bidding of the felon. Well, there are a couple of senators and representaties who aren’t, but I guess that falls into the “proves the rule” category. (Hey! Nifty fact: that actually fits the real meaning of the expression.) [What’s a tyrant got to do to get a sycophant on the bench?](https://www.aol.com/former-doj-prosecutors-seek-derail-233020139.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > A group of former Justice Department officials are making an eleventh-hour effort to derail President Trump’s nomination of Emil Bove for a lifetime appointment to a federal judgeship, according to memos obtained by CBS News. > > The effort includes outreach to sway the vote of Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican whose objection doomed the nomination of another Trump surrogate earlier this year. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a vote on Bove’s nomination for a seat on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday. > > **Bove, a former personal defense attorney for Mr. Trump, has been a magnet for controversy this year as he has served as a top Justice Department administrator.** > > A group of eight former federal prosecutors have drafted a memo for senators arguing for the defeat of Bove’s nomination. **The group accuses Bove of being a “hatchet man” for Mr. Trump who would work as a loyalist for the president from the bench.** > > **In the memo, the former prosecutors accuse Bove of [executing mass firings](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-firings-include-trump-investigators-jan-6-prosecutors/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17) inside the agency of people “perceived not to show sufficient loyalty to the Administration’s policies.” They also point to a whistleblower complaint accusing Bove and others of discussing whether to ignore court orders.** > > The group also argues **Bove [sought to execute](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-attorney-manhattan-danielle-sassoon-quits-justice-dept-drops-eric-adams-case/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17) a quid pro quo earlier this year, by forcing out Justice Department employees who refused to work to dismiss New York Mayor Eric Adams’ “serious criminal corruption indictment in return for the mayor’s commitment to cooperate with the Administration’s immigration policy.”** Bove has denied that Adams’ prosecution was dropped as part of a quid pro quo. [The felon still thinks the military is his toy soldiers to move around willy-nilly.](https://www.aol.com/pentagon-pulls-2-000-national-223233511.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration is pulling half of the [California National Guard](https://www.yahoo.com/news/marine-infantry-unit-deploying-los-220504616.html) members [it deployed](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/06/19/trump-california-national-guard-la-protests/84280771007/) to Los Angeles in a major rollback of President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/)’s [militarized response to protests](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-urges-immigration-agents-arrest-004118063.html) in Southern California over immigration arrests and raids. > > “Thanks to our troops who stepped up to answer the call, the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding," Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a July 15 statement. “As such, the Secretary has ordered the release of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection mission.” And a legitimately elected leader had this to say. (Same link, and still my **bolding**.) > [@](#): > > California [Gov. Gavin Newsom,](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/california/2025/06/09/ca-to-sue-feds-over-national-guard-deployment-to-los-angeles-trump-sends-marines/84121332007/) a Democrat [who sued](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/california/2025/06/09/ca-to-sue-feds-over-national-guard-deployment-to-los-angeles-trump-sends-marines/84121332007/) the Trump administration over the guard’s deployment, called for Trump to release the remaining National Guard members from Los Angeles now that half have been pulled. > > “While nearly 2,000 of them are starting to demobilize, **the remaining guards members continue without a mission, without direction and without any hopes of returning to help their communities** ,” [Newsom said in a statement](https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1945251687222141197)Tuesday. **We call on Trump and the Department of Defense to end this theater and send everyone home now.”** [Co-conspirator and conspiracy theory bagman has lost what’s left of his mind.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/rfk-jr-no-cuts-medicaid-034309796.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday refuted the existence of Medicaid cuts due to President Trump’s megabill of tax and spending cuts. > > “First of all, there’s no cuts on Medicaid. There is a — there’s a diminishment of the growth rate of Medicaid, which is bankrupting our country. And, by the way, the national debt is also a determinant — a social determinant — of health,” Kennedy told Fox Business Network’s Larry Kudlow on his show. > > “If we’re leaving our kids with these giant debts, they can’t afford health care. They can’t afford good food,” he added. > > **The “big, beautiful bill” cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid** , mostly through strict work requirements and reductions to how states can fund their Medicaid programs via [provider taxes](https://thehill.com/newsletters/health-care/5400856-hospitals-brace-for-big-beautiful-medicaid-cuts/) and state-directed payments. So, exactly how low did you think the felon could go? [This low, perhaps?](https://www.yahoo.com/news/homeland-security-agent-says-told-200312080.html) (The **bolding** and ALL CAPS are mine.) > [@](#): > > Federal investigators normally tasked with uncovering narcotic and financial crimes were told to prioritize the arrest of a university student with no criminal record, and not tell her that her visa was revoked, a Homeland Security Investigation agent testified Tuesday, a marked shift for the agency under President Donald Trump. > > The agent, Patrick Cunningham, appeared during the second week of a trial in Boston over the Trump administration’s so-called **IDEOLOGICAL DEPORTATION POLICY** , which a group of university professors say is **intended to limit protected political speech**. [¿Quieres justicia? ¡Bésame culo!\*](https://www.yahoo.com/news/english-only-doj-announces-plan-161326232.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON, D.C., ([KTAL/KMSS](https://www.ktalnews.com/)) – The federal government will soon eliminate what it calls “wasteful virtue-signaling policies” involving multilingual services. > > On Monday, President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14224 established English as the official language of the United States, and Attorney General Pam Bondi wasted no time asserting that the DOJ would follow suit and eliminate what she sees as costly translations “to promote assimilation over division.” > > To comply with the president’s EO, Bondi said her department will rescind prior Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Guidance, passed during the Clinton Administration, which prohibited national origin discrimination affecting people with limited English proficiency. > > **The DOJ will also conduct an internal inventory of all existing non-English services and release a plan to phase out “unnecessary multilingual offerings” Department-wide.** AG Bondi said the DOJ will temporarily suspend the operation of [LEP.gov](http://LEP.gov) and other public-facing materials related to language access for individuals with LEP, including letters, internet posts, YouTube videos, and training materials, pending internal review. Care to guess how many of those offerings are going to be determined necessary? More…and this is my absolute favorite. I **bolded** and _italicized_ the part where she’s obviously just messing with us. > [@](#): > > **Recommended actions for _communicating with those with limited English proficiency_** > > - Machine learning translations using AI are recommended as a cost-effective measure to facilitate communication with individuals who have limited English proficiency. > > - _ **Consider English-only services where allowed by law** _, to consider programs, grants and policies would serve the public better if they were English-only. > > - _ **Disclaimers announcing that English is the official language of all federal information.** _ > > - Redirect funds that were used for LEP translation initiatives toward research and programs that will improve English proficiency. To sum up, here’s how she wants the Second Felonial Era’s functionaries to communicate with people in English. _ **ONLY SPEAK TO THEM IN ENGLISH!** _ Oh, yeah, and be sure to tell them the US’s official language is English and that the government’s going to pay for programs to help them communicate better in English in the future. ¡Bésame culo!\* \*_Do you want justice?_ and _Kiss my ass!_ [I know the felon loves him some conspiracy served next to his hamberders and consumed while sitting by the most stylishly ketchup-decorated wall, but WTF?](https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-says-obama-ex-182616126.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump made the claim that the Justice Department’s files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were “made up” by former President Barack Obama, ex-FBI director James Comey and the Biden administration. > > Trump is continuing to deal with the backlash from many of his supporters over the Justice Department and FBI’s memo last week disclosing that there was no evidence of an Epstein “client list” that incriminated powerful people amid his perpetration of child sexual abuse against hundreds of victims. > > Trump was asked during a press gaggle Tuesday in front of the White House whether U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump that he was cited in the Epstein documents. He responded: **“No, no.” Trump said Bondi provided “us just a very quick briefing” in terms of “the credibility of the different things that they’ve seen.”** > > Trump continued, **“And I would say that, you know, these files were made up by Comey, they were made up by Obama, they were made up by the Biden [administration]. And we went through years of that with the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, with all of the different things that we had to go through.”** I think it just might be time to examine exactly what’s in the sauce Mickey D’s putting on its hamberders. [Bongino sighting!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/dan-bongino-backs-down-bitter-215324914.html) > [@](#): > > FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is back at work as President Donald Trump tries to stave off an ongoing MAGA revolt over the infamous “Epstein files.” > > Bongino failed to show up to work on Friday and threatened to resign after clashing with Attorney General Pam Bondi in the White House over her handling of the case. Now, Bongino has reportedly returned to the bureau—but his long-term future in the Trump administration remains uncertain. [Perjury Traitor Greene has some words about her idol.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-lashes-trump-155233379.html) > [@](#): > > Like much of Trump’s base, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is tired of watching the president align with the more traditional “neocon” wing of the Republican Party, particularly on the “end” to endless wars. > > “It’s not just Ukraine; it’s all foreign wars in general and a lot of foreign aid,” Greene [told](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/us/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-trump-ukraine.html) _The New York Times_ on Monday after Trump [announced](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-issues-nonsensical-threat-putin-175729918.html) he’d be selling a large amount of weapons to NATO countries, which would then give the weapons to Ukraine. “This is what we campaigned on. This is what I promised also to my district. This is what everybody voted for. And I believe we have to maintain the course.” > > “I said it on every rally stage: ‘No more money to Ukraine. We want peace.’ We just want peace for those people,” she continued. “And guess what? People haven’t changed.” Yeah, right. And her fear? This is truly ironic. > [@](#): > > We’re opening the door for younger generations to turn to radical leaders. [No, this is definitely not the joke of the day. I could almost support this.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-makes-bonkers-threat-against-220647665.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump wants to hand out IQ tests to Democratic representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett to “see who comes out best.” > > The self-proclaimed “very stable genius” has become [fixated on the intelligence of the two congresswomen](https://www.yahoo.com/news/aoc-dunks-trump-calls-her-165900994.html), who are among his youngest and most vocal critics on Capitol Hill. > > “AOC, look, I think she’s very nice. But she’s very low-IQ, and we really don’t need low-IQ,” Trump, 79, told reporters at the White House Tuesday. “Between her and Crockett, we’re going to give them both an IQ test to see who comes out best.” And by _I could almost support this_, I mean, _Let the felon take the test_. Finally, here’s the joke of the ~~day~~ quadrennium. _Have you heard the joke about President Trump?_ _That’s it; that’s the whole joke._ ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6545 "2025-07-16T06:25:52Z")
I’ve lost count. How many countries has the felon now hired to host and run his concentration camps? [Don’t forget to include Eswatini.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-sends-deportees-convicted-violent-021300563.html) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration on Tuesday said it deported a group of men convicted of violent crimes to the small African country of Eswatini, in its latest expansion of deportations to far-flung places that are not deportees’ home countries. > > Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the deportees hailed from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen, and had been convicted of serious crimes in the U.S. The men’s criminal records included convictions for murder, homicide and child rape, McLaughlin added. > > The deported men, McLaughlin said, are “so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back.” > > It’s unclear what will immediately happen to the men sent to Eswatini, a landlocked country in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland. The tiny nation is slightly bigger in size than Connecticut, has around 1.2 million residents and is ruled by a king. [What would you like to know about Eswatini?](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/eswatini-travel-advisory.html) > [@](#): > > Travel Advisory > July 1, 2024 > > ### Eswatini - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution > > _ **Reissued after periodic review without changes.** _ > > Exercise increased caution in Eswatini due to **crime** and **civil unrest**. > > **Country Summary:** Crime is common in Eswatini and sporadic armed robberies and carjackings do occur. Local police may lack the resources to deal effectively with criminal incidents. > > Demonstrations and protests occur sporadically in Eswatini. U.S. citizens are reminded to avoid all gatherings, even peaceful ones, as they could turn violent with little or no warning. [How about what the State Department has to say about the country?](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Eswatini.html) > [@](#): > > **CRIME:** Crime is the most significant threat to U.S. citizens and incidents of petty crime and violent crime are prevalent throughout Eswatini. Criminals will resort to force, including deadly force, to accomplish their goal and are not deterred by confrontations with their intended victims. Carjackings may become violent if victims do not immediately cooperate. > [@](#): > > **The Monarchy:** There are special laws related to criticism of the monarchy in Eswatini. U.S. citizens should be aware of these laws and abide by them while in Eswatini. > [@](#): > > Medical facilities are limited throughout Eswatini, and emergency medical response capabilities (including ambulance transport) are very limited and almost non-existent in the rural areas. The **Ezulwini Private Hospital** in Ezulwini is a well-equipped and operated clinic. The Mbabane **Clinic** in the capital is small but it is well-equipped and well-staffed for minor procedures, as is the **Manzini Clinic** in Matsapha. For advanced care, U.S. citizens often choose to go to South Africa where better facilities and specialists exist. Most prescription drugs are available locally or can be imported from South Africa. Travelers are advised to bring sufficient quantities of their required medications in their original bottles > [@](#): > > - In many areas, tap water is not potable. Bottled water and beverages are generally safe, although you should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless bottled water is specifically requested. Be aware that ice for drinks may be made using tap water. > [@](#): > > The following diseases are prevalent: > > - [Tuberculosis](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Eswatini.html#ExternalPopup) > - [Tick bite fever](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Eswatini.html#ExternalPopup) > - [Malaria](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Eswatini.html#ExternalPopup) (in certain areas). > [@](#): > > Eswatini has one of the highest prevalence of HIV in the world. > [@](#): > > **Air Quality** > > - The air quality varies considerably and fluctuates with the seasons. It is typically at its worst in the winter (dry) season when brush fires are common. People at the greatest risk from particle pollution exposure include: > - Infants, children, and teens > - People over 65 years of age > - People with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. > - People with heart disease or diabetes > - People who work or are active outdoors [And what about the overcrowding in the prisons? It can’t be that bad, can it?](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eswatini-prisoner-pack/eswatini-prisoner-pack#chapter-2-detention-conditions-in-eswatini) > [@](#): > > Overcrowding is a common problem across all Eswatini’s correctional facilities. Numbers vary anywhere between 20-45 people per cell. What about health care? (Same link as the last quote.) > [@](#): > > While you are in detention, Eswatini is responsible for ensuring your basic medical needs are met. Basic healthcare is available in Eswatini, but there are shortages of even common medications. > > Each correctional centre in Eswatini has a clinic with a doctor and nurses, available to prisoners 24/7. Dental treatment is not provided. > > Detainees have access to the clinic during the day when they need it. In emergencies, a nurse will assess them first and refer to the doctor if necessary. At night-time, detainees must request a night guard to contact the nurses. If detainees need specialist treatment, they are transferred to external hospitals. Detainees are allowed to access private health care if they have medical aid or can pay themselves. > > Detainees receive their medication free of charge. Medication can often be out of stock, but detainees are allowed to use their medical aid for access to medication. > > We have been told that detainees may seek access to mental health services. They are referred to the National Psychiatric Centre. In some cases, depending on the seriousness of the issue, they may be transferred to a dedicated mental health centre for prisoners. > > Glasses for detainees are allowed through medical prescription. “Sending someone to a concentration camp in a different country for an indeterminate (read: for life) term” is most certainly not one of the legally permitted sentences for anyone who is convicted of a crime in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6546 "2025-07-16T15:15:26Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > > Eswatini - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution… The description of the conditions sounds like a blueprint for trump’s future domestic concentration camps. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6547 "2025-07-16T15:43:16Z")
Not worth its own thread so I’ll drop it here: what was Trump “thinking” (and I use the term loosely) wrt the Epstein Files? What did he think would happen? He had to have known he would be mentioned prominently in anything Epstein had going. You would think that he would have been disavowing any knowledge from the get-go, and working to sweep it under the rug as soon as he got into office. So why was he fanning the fires of conspiracy theories? Did he think he could splash shit on Bill Clinton (assuming…) and not get any on himself? ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6548 "2025-07-16T15:59:14Z")
I actually think this topic does deserve its own thread, considering the controversy. What are the leading theories on why Trump is withholding the release of the report? I can’t believe that even Trump would be so dumb to keep harping on Epstein if he had been “participating” in Epstein’s illegal activities. Did he think that his name wouldn’t be in it, and then surprised when it was? Is someone very wealthy, e.g. the British monarchy, paying Trump a lot of money to keep it secret? It is a curious decision, considering the ongoing backlash from his own base. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6549 "2025-07-16T16:05:55Z")
trump is going to have a really tough time getting reelected to a third term if he keeps alienating his supporters like this… > **[Trump disavows supporters pushing Jeffrey Epstein 'bulls---': 'I don't want...](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-disavows-supporters-pushing-jeffrey-epstein-bulls-dont-want-supp-rcna219078)** > > In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump called supporters "weaklings" for pushing the Justice Department to release more files related to Jeffrey Epstein. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6550 "2025-07-16T16:06:20Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > He had to have known he would be mentioned prominently in anything Epstein had going. You would think that he would have been disavowing any knowledge from the get-go, and working to sweep it under the rug as soon as he got into office. So why was he fanning the fires of conspiracy theories? I think he figured that the Qanon whack-jobs that he courted were more loyal to him, than to the conspiracy. Turns out he was wrong. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6551 "2025-07-16T16:08:05Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > You would think that he would have been disavowing any knowledge from the get-go You would think, but one thing Trump has never failed at is surprising everybody at the complete and total lack of strategic thought. This is a man who can contradict a statement he made a moment earlier without even realizing it. He’s a counter-puncher and tactician, not a planner. From what we already know about him, the likeliest explanation is that he said/did what was most convenient in that moment and figured he could just always do that. He’s never been punished for that before, except in court, where his lawyers keep him off the stand and/or pleading the 5th. So, he just said and did the same things he always had (I don’t know about it, it’s Obama/Clinton/Biden’s fault, it’s not true, that’s a nasty question, etc) and expected the same tactic would work as it always did. Hell, it still might. The shocking thing is not that he should have planned ahead. The shocking thing is that his usual obfuscations aren’t working as well with his base as they usually do. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6552 "2025-07-16T16:12:18Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > what was Trump “thinking” (and I use the term loosely) wrt the Epstein Files? What did he think would happen? I don’t think Trump was trying to promote the Epstein files at all and he was hoping it would be forgotten along with other hits like “grocery prices”. There was that one interview where he is asked rapid-fire about conspiracy stuff he plans to release. He answers affirmatively and immediately to the first two (JFK and something else) but only stumbles when asked about Epstein. He says yes but it’s a liar’s yes. It’s the answer he knows he’s supposed to give and he gives it reluctantly because he knows damn well that he is in those files and not in a good way. His supporters on the other hand, cannot begin to conceive of the idea that their guy could be such a creep even though he’s quite open about it and even though it’s been public knowledge for years. They have this fantasy that once that list is opened up, it’s nothing but Democrats from top to bottom and it reveals this secret cabal that they are utterly convinced has been running the show. So they were the ones making all the comments about how Trump was going to blow the whole thing wide open and they were way more enthusiastic about it than Trump ever was. Unfortunately for them, once certain sycophants (Bondi, Bongino, Patel, etc) took the reigns of power, they finally found out the real truth and they had no choice but to try to pretend it never happened. Doing such a 180 on a topic usually results in zero consequences for Republicans, as they have a 100% immunity to the effects of hypocrisy. But they forgot which audience they were deal with here. Because now there is a conspiracy, a very poorly managed one at that and everyone sees right through it. And now the pitchfork brigade is discovering that they’re not crazy after all (broken clocks and all that) and they aren’t satisfied with the party line. They wanted a conspiracy and Trump handed it to them. He says “stop talking about it, it’s boring” but he fails to realize he just made it _really interesting_ for the first time in years. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6553 "2025-07-16T16:13:43Z")
He’s gonna fire Fed Chair Powell. [https://thehill.com/homenews/5404007-trump-lawmakers-jerome-powell/](https://thehill.com/homenews/5404007-trump-lawmakers-jerome-powell/) Lawyer up, Jerome! ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6554 "2025-07-16T16:17:58Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > I actually think this topic does deserve its own thread, considering the controversy. What are the leading theories on why Trump is withholding the release of the report? I’m at the point where I don’t know what is going on here. No matter how I look at it, it feels like I’m getting into Conspiracy Theory territory. Epstein was arrested during Trump’s first term. But we went the whole Biden term with no incriminating evidence being released, and now Trump is saying such evidence doesn’t exist, even though we have statements from the FBI and DoJ that they are/have been reviewing the evidence. So what’s going on? Trump suppressing the evidence the first time makes sense, because he’s implicated. By why wouldn’t Biden release that? Biden suppressing evidence makes sense if some prominent Democrats are implicated, but why wouldn’t Trump release that? If the evidence just doesn’t exist, why wasn’t that made clear when Epstein was first arrested? If it does exist, why hasn’t it been leaked? The top level political appointees at the FBI and DoJ don’t review thousands of pages of evidence and hours of videos by themselves, they have employees who do that drudge work, and write summaries for the bosses. If some major figures in either the Republican or Democratic parties are implicated, why hasn’t one of those people taken a stand on justice, and leaked the evidence? We’ve seen leaks on other issues, so why not this one? Anything I come up with to try to explain all this just ends up sounding like some Hollywood Deep State nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6555 "2025-07-16T16:19:37Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Trump suppressing the evidence the first time makes sense, because he’s implicated. By why wouldn’t Biden release that? My theory is because Merrick Garland is a chickenshit. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6556 "2025-07-16T16:19:51Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > If it does exist, why hasn’t it been leaked? The top level political appointees at the FBI and DoJ don’t review thousands of pages of evidence and hours of videos by themselves Epstein was dead at the time (the Biden administration), so I would hazard a guess that reviewing any evidence became a much lower priority than active cases against living people. That is, until it became a priority for the current administration, who found a lot of things they didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6557 "2025-07-16T16:21:26Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > From what we already know about him, the likeliest explanation is that he said/did what was most convenient in that moment and figured he could just always do that. > (…) > So, he just said and did the same things he always had (I don’t know about it, it’s Obama/Clinton/Biden’s fault, it’s not true, that’s a nasty question, etc) and expected the same tactic would work as it always did. > [@DWMarch](#): > > he was hoping it would be forgotten along with other hits like “grocery prices”. Right. Use it as something to wave in front of the MAGA base (AND of a number of non-MAGAs who are however convinced there is some grand cabal of perverts to bring down) then move on promptly tobdome other issue. (I’d caution the Ds about picking up this cause’s banner. Because what will be THEIR excuse if they’re ever in a position to do something about it, and what they do doesn’t satisfy the crowd’s wishes?) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6558 "2025-07-16T16:24:36Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > My theory is because Merrick Garland is a chickenshit. > [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I would hazard a guess that reviewing any evidence became a much lower priority than active cases against living people. But that doesn’t explain the lack of any leaks. If you had access to evidence that proved a major political figure, in charge of important parts of the US government, was guilty of these kinds of crimes, would you just sit on it for almost a decade? Even now, when Trump is laying off huge swathes of government employees anyways, so worrying about your job is less of a factor? ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6559 "2025-07-16T16:38:15Z")
Leaking what, exactly, and why? There’s a lot of non-leaks in the DOJ. More non-leaks than leaks. We had (and still have some) very professional staffers who are not the sort to leak documents without very good reason. They don’t believe themselves to be above the law. Most believe in the rule of law to the extent they know any leaks would more likely work against any potential future cases. Why would this particular case be an exception for them when many others aren’t? These days, I would expect any leaks to be from the partisan hacks Trump has installed, rather than the dedicated professionals he’s trying to remove. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2025, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6560 "2025-07-16T17:21:04Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > They have this fantasy that once that list is opened up, it’s nothing but Democrats from top to bottom and it reveals this secret cabal that they are utterly convinced has been running the show. It would be poetically hilarious if it’s the bullshit pizzagate/qanon stupidity that results in Trump finally being taken down in the end. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/6561 "2025-07-16T17:31:44Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > It would be poetically hilarious if it’s the bullshit pizzagate/qanon stupidity that results in Trump finally being taken down in the end. Yes, I agree, but I think it’s more likely to end up like John Oliver’s, “WE GOT HIM!” meme. [![](https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNDhldnAycmo3bTNoZmhtaGtsbXFveXNpdHAxeGNzdW9keDFmYWQyOSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/xT9Igtjxw42qVPziy4/giphy.gif) ](https://media0.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNDhldnAycmo3bTNoZmhtaGtsbXFveXNpdHAxeGNzdW9keDFmYWQyOSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/xT9Igtjxw42qVPziy4/giphy.gif) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=324) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=326)