# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/101 "2024-11-14T12:33:01Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > A silver lining here might be that Gaetz would be out of Congress AND the White House If Gaetz isn’t confirmed as AG, he still has his job in Congress. He was just re-elected on November 5. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/102 "2024-11-14T12:55:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If Gaetz isn’t confirmed as AG, he still has his job in Congress. Nope, re resigned. > **[Matt Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked for attorney general](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-picks-rep-matt-gaetz-attorney-general/story?id=115835796)** > > President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general, he posted on his social media platform Wednesday afternoon. > House Speaker Mike Johnson announced later Wednesday that Gaetz offered his resignation from Congress effective immediately. With his resignation, the House Ethics Committee no longer has the jurisdiction to continue its investigation into him. > > Johnson said the resignation took him by “surprise” but that the Florida congressman did so to “start the clock” on the process for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to call a special election to fill the vacancy. If he does lose the AG nomination, and Johnson applies the “No Take-Backs” rule, we’re just going to laugh and laugh and laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/103 "2024-11-14T13:34:25Z")
He resigned his current term. There is nothing preventing him from being sworn in January 3. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/104 "2024-11-14T13:37:46Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > There is nothing preventing him from being sworn in January 3 That’s not how anyone else is interpreting it. There’s the point I posted above about how they’re already starting the process to elect a replacement, plus this: > Gaetz’s resignation will narrow the slim majority that Republicans will have in the new Congress in January, but he represents a reliably Republican district in the Florida Panhandle. It certainly seems like it applies to the new Congress. ETA: [More details](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4989579-matt-gaetz-resigns-attorney-general/) > “I think, out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately, of Congress,” Johnson said. “That caught us by surprise a little bit, but I asked him what the reasoning was and he said, well, you can’t have too many absences, so under Florida state law there’s about an eight-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.” > > Johnson said he is hopeful the seat could be filled by Jan. 3, when the new Congress is sworn in. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/105 "2024-11-14T14:54:58Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > That’s not how anyone else is interpreting it. There’s the point I posted above about how they’re already starting the process to elect a replacement… Then it will be just one more thing to gnash your teeth over when he is sworn in January. But yeah, “He can’t do that!” will stop him, I’m sure. If Trump wants him in Congress, he will be in Congress. ---
**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 14, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/106 "2024-11-14T14:59:03Z")
Someone told me yesterday that DeSantis is going too replace him with Lara Trump. Were they just messin’ with me? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/107 "2024-11-14T15:04:59Z")
Probably just mistaken. Vacant Senate seats can be filled by gubernatorial appointment, but vacant House seats must be filled by special election. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/108 "2024-11-14T15:07:21Z")
Probably talking about Rick Scott, actually. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/109 "2024-11-14T15:23:24Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > > [@Horatius](#): > > > > he didn’t have people to yell at who would jump at his command and do all that hard work. > > What’s also really bad about this situation is that, in addition to the impending lack of constraints on Trump’s whims, his team will also comprise an ecosystem in which there will be a constant threat and implicit pressure from coworkers who may not believe that all are sufficiently enthusiastic and hung ho. > > That is, each member of this administration may do more bad shit for fear of judgement by their peers. Sounds a lot like North Korea, where you can get in serious trouble for things like not applauding Dear Leader enthusiastically enough. And that’s not a coincidence. Trump has been open about how much he admires dictators and their obedient sycophants. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/110 "2024-11-14T15:41:55Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Trump has been open about how much he admires dictators and their obedient sycophants. To this point, remember his cabinet meeting in his first term, where they went around the table specifically praising him? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/rnxBrukAvgA/hqdefault.jpg "Praise galore: Trump's surreal cabinet meeting") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnxBrukAvgA) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/111 "2024-11-14T15:53:36Z")
Rick Scott isn’t going anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/112 "2024-11-14T15:56:58Z")
That we know of. But I got nothing else. Empty House seats are filled by election. Can’t even recess appoint them. And if we’re talking extra-legal, then none of it matters, anyway. ---
**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 14, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/113 "2024-11-14T17:33:06Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > Probably just mistaken. Or messin’ with me. Old ladies can be fair game. Although nothing would surprise me about the trump takeover. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/114 "2024-11-14T17:49:21Z")
> **['I was shocked': Lawmakers react to Gaetz pick to be Trump's attorney general](https://www.npr.org/2024/11/13/g-s1-34082/senate-reaction-gaetz-gabbard-trump-cabinet)** > > Trump has picked Matt Gaetz as his attorney general and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his director of national intelligence, surprising many lawmakers who will have to confirm them. > [@NPR](#): > > …Lawmakers on Capitol Hill reacted to the news that President-elect Donald Trump intends to[nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz](https://apple.news/A-aLn0XiNT0-4V5YnfQX7Cw), R-Fla., to be attorney general with a mix of support, disbelief and silence Wednesday. > > Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she was “shocked” to hear Gaetz was tapped to lead the Department of Justice. Oh sure, Susan. I can see why you’d be shocked. After all, who could ever foresee that a corrupt, venal, unqualified, and incompetent chief executive would choose corrupt, venal, unqualified, incompetent people to staff his administration? 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/115 "2024-11-14T17:54:05Z")
She must actually be surprised. She skipped right over concerned ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/116 "2024-11-14T18:45:33Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If Trump wants him in Congress, he will be in Congress. I don’t think Trump will want him in Congress. Gaetz is of little use to him there, as there are plenty of other GOP flunkies who could take his place. Trump will be furious (but not surprised because…troll) if Gaetz isn’t confirmed and no doubt will refuse to be thwarted. He’ll appoint him to some position where Gaetz be in our faces every day. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/117 "2024-11-14T19:06:04Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Unless you’re a SovCit and then there are four the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and the 5th. Don’t forget the 6th that says there are only two jurisdictions in the United States: common law and admiralty law. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/118 "2024-11-14T20:35:10Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > It certainly seems like it applies to the new Congress. It would have to. What would be the point of resigning only in his current term, when a cabinet appointment doesn’t happen until Trump is POTUS, which won’t be until the next term? That’s sort of like someone saying that they’re traveling to Europe next week, so they’ll be taking a week off, and you assume they’re only taking vacation _this_ week. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/119 "2024-11-14T20:46:58Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > What would be the point of resigning only in his current term, when a cabinet appointment doesn’t happen until Trump is POTUS, which won’t be until the next term? For the simple reason that it allows him to avoid discipline for sexual misconduct by the Ethics Committe, which expires at the end of this term. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068/120 "2024-11-14T21:26:55Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > For the simple reason that it allows him to avoid discipline for sexual misconduct by the Ethics Committe, which expires at the end of this term. That would be a reason, sure, but… > **[Gaetz resigns from Congress after AG nod](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4989579-matt-gaetz-resigns-attorney-general/amp/)** > > Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) will resign from Congress “effective immediately” after being nominated to serve as attorney general by President-elect Trump, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced on Wed… > Johnson on Wednesday evening said the Florida Republican decided to leave the House early to speed up the process to replace him, with hopes that his successor can be decided by the time the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. House Republicans are on track to have a razor-thin majority next year, which is set to slim even more as Trump continues nominating House Republicans for his administration. So two things: 1. One of the reasons for resigning was a step in making himself available to serve as AG. 2. They’re filling his seat to try to maintain a majority in the next term, so obviously he’s out. Let me also add that resigning just means they can’t expel him because he expelled himself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-1/1010068.md?page=7)