# 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:** 493
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9902 "2025-11-26T01:47:41Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I don’t recall the boyscouts ever being a meritocracy. Meritbadgeocracy. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9903 "2025-11-26T01:49:50Z")
That’s pretty funny. Especially because they seem to insist on showing their middle initial. eta: when it’s definitely not a [requirement](https://www.dhs.gov/leadership) ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9904 "2025-11-26T02:04:57Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Needless to say, you have to have a dick _and_ pass the paper bag test. Being a dick helps too. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9905 "2025-11-26T02:09:19Z")
Nobody’s the dick in his own story. Just ask 'em. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9906 "2025-11-26T02:19:01Z")
I knew a narcissist who was proud to call himself an asshole but who got mad if/when anyone else said it about him despite how true it was and despite how it was usually in direct response to some asshole behavior he had just engaged in. (aside: why isn’t asshole in the Firefox spellcheck? This is not a new word.) ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9907 "2025-11-26T02:20:54Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I don’t recall the boyscouts ever being a meritocracy. Really? I’m very “meh” about them, but advancement through the ranks is very much based on doing sets of tasks. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9908 "2025-11-26T02:32:05Z")
Sure, but the general DEI complaint regarding meritocracy is that by actively attempting to encourage minority participation, more deserving white males will lose out against against unqualified candidates of the preferred demographic (this is utter bullshit but it is their claim). This doesn’t work in the case of scouts. If a girl gets eagle she doesn’t take the place of a better qualified boy, if he meets the requirements he can get eagle the same time she does. ---
**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 26, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9909 "2025-11-26T02:47:17Z")
The point is that it ruins Hegseth’s fantasies about getting hot and sweaty with a bunch of hairless thinks without any gross FEEEEEEE-males (pronounced as if spoken by an annoyed Ferengi) around to spoil his fun. ---
**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 26, 2025, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9910 "2025-11-26T03:59:23Z")
[They’re not even pretending to care anymore. Yet another top anti-vaxer gets government role.](https://www.aol.com/articles/anti-vaxxer-ralph-abraham-named-192602314.html) > [@](#): > > Louisiana’s top health official, who has opposed widespread vaccination for diseases including COVID-19 and the flu, and promoted discredited remedies for the coronavirus, has been named principal deputy director at the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/former-cdc-directors-rfk-jr-155045096.html), according to multiple reports. > > The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the appointment of Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham, NBC News and The Washington Post reported. > > Abraham, who recently ordered his health department to stop promoting mass vaccinations during an uptick in influenza cases, will work under Jim O’Neill, a top aide to Health and Human Services Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr/), who is the CDC’s acting director. > > Some public health experts condemned the appointment. “Dr. Abraham is unqualified,” said Thomas Farley, who served as health commissioner in both New York City and Philadelphia. “It’s dangerous.” [War Criminal Hegseth is really out for blood.](https://www.aol.com/articles/hegseth-bashes-kellys-display-medals-172841011.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > A day after the Department of Defense said it would be launching a “thorough review” into [Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pentagon-launching-review-democratic-sen-mark-kelly/story?id=127827953), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continued to bash the Arizona senator, accusing him of **incorrectly wearing his military medals** and calling the video addressed to troops that Kelly and other Democratic lawmakers were in a “politically-motivated influence operation.” And he’s pulled a childisht stunt straight from the felon’s playbook. > [@](#): > > "So ‘Captain’ Kelly, That would be another way of saying _so-called Captain_. I haven’t seen the photo the war criminal’s got a hair up his butt about, but I do know there’s an interesting difference in how medals and ribbons are displayed on a Navy uniform compared to the Army. In the Navy, if one is wearing the actual medals, they’re put in the normal order on the left breast. The ribbon awards (those which only have a ribbon, but no medal, authorized), are worn on the right breast _in mirror order to the way they would have been displayed on the left breast_. It’s not like the war criminal is a stellar and knowledgeable officer in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9911 "2025-11-26T04:29:58Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > haven’t seen the photo the war criminal’s got a hair up his butt about, I saw something earlier that said the photo was a mirror image. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9912 "2025-11-26T05:09:29Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I saw something earlier that said the photo was a mirror image But someone noted that the word NASA wasn’t reversed. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9913 "2025-11-26T05:32:31Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **incorrectly wearing his military medals** Somebody with knowledge of exactly how to correctly wear your medals please show me a photo of what may be out of place? Did Kelly get a medal for blowing Venezuelan boats to smithereens? Yes, please put one of the nicest, smartest Senators at the forefront of the news. Remind us he’s a former Astronaut in league with that crazy Brigadier General Aldrin who _claims_ to have walked on the moon. Court Martial him too. ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9914 "2025-11-26T12:32:39Z")
I’ve never been happier my granddaughter is in scouting. It’s a pain in my butt, but she likes it, and is learning skills both physical and mental that will help her down the road. ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9915 "2025-11-26T13:21:45Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > But someone noted that the word NASA wasn’t reversed. Even more obviously it’s on the left hand side of his uniform, a mirrored version would seem to be on the right. Either he re-racked his medals for the shot and got something wrong, or they were put on wrong last time he added a medal and nobody ever noticed / cared / gave a damn. ---
**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 26, 2025, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9916 "2025-11-26T13:32:37Z")
> [@yendis](#): > > or they were put on wrong last time he added a medal and nobody ever noticed / cared / gave a damn. This. Who gives a flying fuck? Talk about unimportant minutia for Kegsbreath to get his panties in a bunch over… ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9917 "2025-11-26T13:49:12Z")
Easily explained by the fact that heseth is an idiot, and s misogynist. He doesn’t understand what meritocracy means, and wouldn’t care if he did. Girls are icky and shouldn’t be allowed to do cool fun things with or near boys. And totally what smapti said. It wouldn’t shock me to find out hegseth is closeted, “and likes them on the younger side.” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9918 "2025-11-26T13:50:50Z")
Back this turkey up. WTF is a MAHA turkey. Let’s start there. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2025, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9919 "2025-11-26T14:04:01Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > “and likes them on the younger side.” Hence the no facial hair edict. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9920 "2025-11-26T14:20:27Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Back this turkey up. WTF is a MAHA turkey. Let’s start there. MAHA is Kennedy’s take on MAGA. It means Make America Healthy Again. Of course Kennedy has some misguided ideas on how to achieve that goal. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/9921 "2025-11-26T14:44:36Z")
Let the weak ones die off, of course. Survival of the fittest–nature’s way. /s [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=492) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=494)