# 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:** 58
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1141 "2025-01-27T04:21:37Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I wondering if it had to be “approved” by some Trump appointee. I have a friend who does research at NIH. I’ll send him a text tomorrow and ask what he’s dealing with in regard to orders. The truth is there has been little if any guidance in terms of what Trump’s executive order actually means so it may be that different branches are interpreting it differently. It may be that the group that @OldOlds is collaborating with has interpreted it more narrowly than the clinics that were reported. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1142 "2025-01-27T05:17:32Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s the logistics of _moving_ hundreds of thousands of (let’s face it) dead and dying people there from all across the country that would **derail** the effort. You can move a lot of people in boxcars. It’s been done before. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1143 "2025-01-27T05:46:13Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > > [@dtilque](#): > > > > Ditto for cocaine > > Yeah, I want to see The Donald collect the tarrif on that one! At least it would cut the national debt in half, amirite? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1144 "2025-01-27T06:41:12Z")
Just came across this retreat: > **[U.S. Air Force resumes teaching about Tuskegee Airmen and WASP following...](https://www.tpr.org/military-veterans-issues/2025-01-26/u-s-air-force-resumes-teaching-about-tuskegee-airmen-and-wasp-following-outcry-over-dei-review)** > > The U.S. Air Force will resume teaching about the nation's first Black pilots, and the women pilots of World War II. The Air Force paused that part of its basic training curriculum last week pending a review of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion... ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1145 "2025-01-27T10:50:35Z")
And we see the expected way they will address unpleasant results: > [@](#): > > The news led to an uproar across the country — including from Republican Senator Katie Boyd Britt of Alabama, who called it “malicious compliance” within the DEI review. And the MAGA Base will say “but of course! THAT is not what he meant!” ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1146 "2025-01-27T13:20:27Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Why would they? There’s no profit and a great deal of personal, physical risk. I keep forgetting that Trumps are an off-shoot of Ferengi. ( Might be why so many people want to drag him down the street by the ear ) ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1147 "2025-01-27T14:07:25Z")
Wow. Thanks for posting that. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1148 "2025-01-27T14:50:55Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Yes, it’s closer to Russia. Alaska is much closer. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1149 "2025-01-27T16:03:22Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > The truth is there has been little if any guidance in terms of what Trump’s executive order actually means so it may be that different branches are interpreting it differently. My impression is limited to the RTO order. The consistent message is that OPM and my Agency are issuing this as deferentially towards the Chump as possible, ignoring valid CBAs in the process. There was a rapid about face. Initial messages stressed “in accordance with laws” and referred to the CBAs. Within days, the message was, “We realized we can just change the laws.” Add in the new government-wide call and response email system that was initialed, and the extra-legal firings of IGs, and it is pretty hard not to get a clear message. I would imagine that any Agency/officials who fail to completely defer to the Chump would hear about that quite quickly. ---
**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 27, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1150 "2025-01-27T16:17:41Z")
This is very interesting and important, if true: > [@](#): > > From an anon OPM employee on Reddit. > > > [OPM employee here, we are not the bad guys](https://old.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1ib3zai/opm_employee_here_we_are_not_the_bad_guys/)HR ([self.fednews](https://old.reddit.com/r/fednews/)) > > > > submitted 3 hours ago by [Throwaway918284](https://old.reddit.com/user/Throwaway918284) > > > > I’m a current employee at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This is a throwaway account for obvious reasons. I’m posting this because people need to know what’s going on at OPM. > > > > I’ve been an OPM employee for nearly a decade and a Federal Employee for almost 20 years. I’ve never witnessed anything even remotely close to what’s happening right now. In short, there’s a hostile takeover of the federal civil service. > > > > Let me say this in no uncertain terms — OPM has been compromised and taken over. The very backbone of American Government, the HR of all HR in the U.S. Government has been taken over by outside politicals. In just five days, they managed to push aside dozens of non-political, career civil servants who were there specifically to prevent the civil service from becoming the President’s henchmen. > > > > The current Acting Director, Charles (Chuck) Ezell is a low-level branch chief. He’s the friendliest “yes man” you’ll ever meet. He never says no. It’s clear they pushed aside all the high-level non political civil servants who refused to do Donald Trump’s bidding, until they found Chuck. > > > > Under his name, they’ve sent numerous requests to all the agencies to collect information on gov’t employees that they see as a threat to their agenda. Instructions say to send these lists to Amanda Scales. But Amanda is not actually an OPM employee, she works for Elon Musk. She wasn’t even properly cleared by OPM Personnel Security. > > > > Our CIO, Melvin Brown, (also a non political career public servant) was pushed aside just one week into his tenure because he refused to setup email lists to send out direct communications to all career civil servants. Such communications are normally left up to each agency. > > > > Instead, an on-prem (on-site) email server was setup. Someone literally walked into our building and plugged in an email server to our network to make it appear that emails were coming from OPM. It’s been the one sending those various “test” message you’ve all seen. We think they’re building a massive email list of all federal employees to generate mass RIF notices down the road. > > > > The non-political civil servants here at OPM are watching helplessly as our government is being systematically dismantled bit by bit. Even the IGs are being fired to prevent them from investigating the numerous whistleblower complaints we’ve filed. > > > > Please share this and tell the world that OPM is not the bad guy. We’re just as helpless to stop this as the rest of our fellow public servants. Hopefully someone out there can help us, but it’s looking pretty grim. > **[What is happening inside the Office of Personnel Management?](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/27/2299469/-What-is-happening-inside-the-Office-of-Personnel-Management?utm_campaign=trending)** > > From an anon OPM employee on Reddit. OPM employee here, we are not the bad guysHR (self.fednews) submitted 3 hours ago by Throwaway918284 I'm a current employee at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This is a throwaway account for obvious... ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1151 "2025-01-27T16:26:07Z")
Thanks. That is all entirely consistent with how I have interpreted the many unprecedented communications I have received over the past (has it only been 1?) week. I imagine many/most folk wouldn’t really care, since government workers are all lazy do-nothings providing nothing of value… ---
**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:** [January 27, 2025, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1152 "2025-01-27T17:07:41Z")
Well, that’s just horrifying. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1153 "2025-01-27T18:45:15Z")
I’m trying to think as perversely as possible, to try to see what the next move by the misAdministration might be. My basic assumption is that they’d really like to make all this as hard to revert back to the prior normal as possible, while reducing the immediate impact on the average American voter\*. I figure they’re going to stay as far away from the Social Security Administration as possible for the moment, though cutting them to shreds may be planned for in the endgame. And I think I have an idea that might be in the right ballpark, though perhaps not diabolical enough. Government employees can be rehired, so even massive RiFs can be reversed fairly easily. But _get rid of the office equipment and real estate_, and that makes it a lot harder to restaff your previous programs. Plus, the excess equipment sales and real estate bonanzas (some probably going to Trump’s developer frenemies) would help boost the federal bottom line, cushioning the effect of tax cuts on the budget deficit. But when/if a Democrat regains the Oval Office in 2029, it will be that much harder for them to get the dollar outlays necessary to restaff and reequip the federal government, since more revenue will be needed to perform the task. And Republicans are always more than happy to let Democrats take the lead in hiking taxes. And this is just a scenario I came up with in five minutes of thought. I haven’t had four years to cogitate on the details for how to make this work. But if I can think of it, I’m sure there are plenty of Trumpers who can as well. \* “First they came for the Park Service, and I did not speak out - for I never went to the parks. Then they came for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and I did not speak out - for my kids were too old for _Sesame Street_. Then they came for OSHA, and I did not speak out - for I worked a desk job…” ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1154 "2025-01-27T18:48:00Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > I do some work with the NIH. They requested a quote from us on Thursday. I heard back from my friend at NIH (NIAID) about placing orders. They’re allowed to place orders under existing vendor contracts but can’t order from vendors without contracts and can’t request contracts for new vendors. So, I imagine most regular inventory supplies should be OK for now but maybe not some specialty items. I’m not sure what happens if a contract expires. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1155 "2025-01-27T19:05:36Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Garand thumb? Given the KOS article, I think that ‘Garand Thumb’ may just be about the least painful thing about this Rump Administration. Also, it doesn’t happen if you reload with the other four fingers straight down on your right, which keeps the bolt from slamming on your thumb. Not that I have one. I sold my guns years back so now they just need to breach my front door and arrest me for ‘thought crimes’. If I have eggs, I’ll throw them at them. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1156 "2025-01-27T19:40:14Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > If I have eggs, I’ll throw them at them. So, THAT’S why the price of eggs has risen so much, lately. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1157 "2025-01-27T20:24:24Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > So, THAT’S why the price of eggs has risen so much, lately. Q: Just how much would You pay to be able to nail Rump in the face with an egg…? ( Oh, to have Sam Waterson ask that on camera in a silent courtroom? \< chef’s kiss \> ) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1158 "2025-01-27T20:52:26Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > Q: Just how much would You pay to be able to nail Rump in the face with an egg…? Ostrich? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1159 "2025-01-27T20:59:01Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Ostrich? Dude, at this point a 2lb Geode would be just fine. ---
**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 27, 2025, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/1160 "2025-01-27T21:14:04Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > since government workers are all lazy do-nothings providing nothing of value… That’s certainly true of the one at the very top of the executive department now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=57) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=59)