# 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:** 49
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/961 "2025-01-23T18:16:37Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > please report all facts and circumstances to [DEIAtruth@opm.gov](mailto:DEIAtruth@opm.gov)within 10 days I’ve already reported the series of nominees who clearly owe those positions to race and gender rather than ability. I’m not expecting them to get back to me anytime soon; they never did respond to the report I filed during the first Chump circus to the “crimes committed by aliens” tip line about the laundry thief who surely should have been easy to find given the distinctive mechanical-rice-picker ear damage… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/962 "2025-01-23T18:47:01Z")
The administration has abruptly shut down the National Institute of Health – no meetings, no reviews, no travel, no communications, no hiring: > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump’s return to the White House is already having a big impact at the $47.4 billion U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the new administration imposing a wide range of restrictions, including the abrupt cancellation of meetings including grant review panels. Officials have also ordered a communications pause, a freeze on hiring, and an indefinite ban on travel. > > The moves have generated extensive confusion and uncertainty at the nation’s largest research agency, which has become a target for Trump’s political allies. “The impact of the collective executive orders and directives appears devastating,” one senior NIH employee says. > > Today, for example, officials halted midstream a training workshop for junior scientists, called off a workshop on adolescent learning minutes before it was to begin, and canceled meetings of two advisory councils. Panels that were scheduled to review grant proposals also received eleventh-hour word that they wouldn’t be meeting. > [@](#): > > Trump has driven a knife into the back of medical research in the United States. > > [His executive order cancelling study sections](https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-hits-nih-devastating-freezes-meetings-travel-communications-and-hiring) means that no research can be approved, nor grants awarded. NIH members cannot communicate with anyone, nor can they travel to conferences or to work with scientific studies. They may not be allowed to release papers for peer review or publishing, and they cannot invite patients into trials. And of course, they have implemented a hiring freeze. > > Obviously, the lack of funding will be devastating for American Universities. And American health. The NIH is the single largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. Without that funding in basic research, American pharmaceutical companies would not be able to exist. Even a small delay means that deadlines for grants are missed, and researchers and universities may lose their access to funds. That is likely a feature. [https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-hits-nih-devastating-freezes-meetings-travel-communications-and-hiring](https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-hits-nih-devastating-freezes-meetings-travel-communications-and-hiring) > **[Trump Shuts Down Medical Research via NIH](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/23/2298633/-Trump-Shuts-Down-Medical-Research-via-NIH?utm_campaign=trending)** > > Trump has driven a knife into the back of medical research in the United States. His executive order cancelling study sections means that no research can be approved, nor grants awarded. NIH members cannot communicate with anyone, nor can they... ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/963 "2025-01-23T19:06:16Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I’ve already reported the series of nominees who clearly owe those positions to race and gender rather than ability. I wonder- if there were a concerted effort to have millions of citizens email trolling “reports,” could that email be rendered useless? Fill the inbox to capacity in a matter of hours? Might be a good way to fight back. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/964 "2025-01-23T19:09:32Z")
As if the reporting wasn’t just cover for firing the people they want to regardless of any actual complaints. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/965 "2025-01-23T19:41:09Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The administration has abruptly shut down the National Institute of Health – no meetings, no reviews, no travel, no communications, no hiring: Yeah, but you gotta remember the MAGAs think Fauci used NIH money to create the COVID virus at the Wuhan lab and make millions for himself. It’s all about payback, not what’s good for the country. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/966 "2025-01-23T19:48:39Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > I wonder- if there were a concerted effort to have millions of citizens email trolling “reports,” could that email be rendered useless? Fill the inbox to capacity in a matter of hours? Might be a good way to fight back. Could people be persecuted for it? I’m not doing much lately; I could probably send sternly worded emails all the live long day. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/967 "2025-01-23T19:49:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > Could people be persecuted for it? I’m not doing much lately; I could probably send sternly worded emails all the live long day. I can’t imagine how. You have a right to petition the government. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/968 "2025-01-23T19:54:11Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > I can’t imagine how. You have a right to petition the government. They’d throw the book at you for “filing a false report”. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/969 "2025-01-23T19:55:31Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > You have a right to petition the government. I’m not entirely sure which rights I still have, tbh. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/970 "2025-01-23T19:58:23Z")
Is Q-anon still a thing and is it making a resurgence? Just curious if the craziest part of the crazy party is coming back. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/971 "2025-01-23T20:00:02Z")
Well, I can’t think of a way it would be illegal to send an email. I’m pretty sure that if, for instance, I had the email Warren Buffet shares with his family, I could not be prosecuted for sending him one. MAYBE they could say you were harassing, but in my vision, it would be millions of people sending in one or two emails, and I doubt any one individual could be nabbed for harassment then. I’d be interested in a lawyer’s opinion, but as I said, I think right to petition and freedom of speech would protect nearly any communication with the government (threats aside, of course) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/972 "2025-01-23T20:04:11Z")
Maybe not specifically banned by law, but under this regime I’m a little leery of playing the “I’m not touching you” game. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/973 "2025-01-23T22:10:04Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > Could people be persecuted for it? Persecuted or prosecuted? Not that there is any difference now. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/974 "2025-01-23T22:14:48Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > MAYBE they could say you were harassing, but in my vision, it would be **millions of people sending in one or two emails** , and I doubt any one individual could be nabbed for harassment then. Conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/975 "2025-01-23T22:38:56Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Conspiracy. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day sending an email. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement. And that’s what it is, the Straight Dope Anti-fascism Freedom Movement, and all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come’s around on the guitar. And send an email. (note the poster is not encouraging this nor is it a call to action. All rights reserved, void where prohibited) ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/976 "2025-01-23T22:54:45Z")
The friend being referred to in this tweet was a federal employee. > **[Jessica Cogswell (@awildjessichu.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/awildjessichu.bsky.social/post/3lggvro6kes2t)** > > Have had two friends contact me today to tell me their workplace/their friends’ workplace started firing “DEI hires” today. One of the emails sent to a person let go read “records indicate you were hired in part due to being a Jew.” How is this... > **[Jessica Cogswell (@awildjessichu.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/awildjessichu.bsky.social/post/3lggwkiqn5c2t)** > > I should mention that in both these instances they were federal employees. This is not happening in my industry as far as I know, but that doesn’t make it any less shocking and important to talk about. > **[Jessica Cogswell (@awildjessichu.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/awildjessichu.bsky.social/post/3lggxk27bpk2t)** > > It says verbatim “Records indicate that you were hired under a DEIA program, in part due to your status as a member of a religious minority -Jew.” It is not my email to share, but I’ve put people in contact with a journalist at a large site who is... ETA: There is some speculation that this could be malicious compliance on the supervisor’s part - stating an explicitly illegal reason for termination to give the employee grounds to serve. If this is legit I hope the media picks up on it. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2025, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/977 "2025-01-23T22:55:27Z")
Hell, I knew the bad sh\*t was going to happen but not this quickly. If any Native Americans voted for Trump….well…I hope they understand. > **["Excluding Indians": Trump admin questions Native Americans' birthright...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/excluding-indians-trump-admin-questions-164312466.html)** > > The Trump admin is leaning on a pre-14th Amendment law in its fight to redefine birthright citizenship. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/978 "2025-01-23T23:49:39Z")
So, they’re just going to ignore the _Indian Citizenship Act_ of 1924 which made _Elk v. Wilkins_ moot? > **[Indian Citizenship Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Citizenship_Act)** > > The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, (43 Stat. 253, enacted June 2, 1924) was an Act of the United States Congress that declared Indigenous persons born within the United States are US citizens. Although the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that any person born in the United States is a citizen, there is an exception for persons not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the federal government. This language was generally taken to mean members of various tribes that were treate... > **[Elk v. Wilkins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_v._Wilkins)** > > Elk v. Wilkins, 112 U.S. 94 (1884), was a United States Supreme Court landmark 1884 decision with respect to the citizenship status of Indians. > John Elk, a Winnebago Indian, was born on an Indian reservation within the territorial bounds of United States. He later resided off-reservation in Omaha, Nebraska, where he renounced his former tribal allegiance and claimed birthright citizenship by virtue of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The case came about after Elk tried to re... Silly Crow! Like you don’t know the answer to that! ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/979 "2025-01-24T01:17:09Z")
It’s like one of those sitcom scenes: “Get out of my house!” “But this is MY house!” “Fine, then get out of YOUR house!” ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/980 "2025-01-24T02:37:50Z")
Trump is taking aim at dismantling FEMA. > **[‘Setting us up for catastrophe’: alarm at Trump attack on federal disaster...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/trump-fema-natural-disasters)** > > The president is now setting his sights on Fema, the agency responsible for helping Americans after major disasters He wants states to deal with disasters themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=48) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=50)