# The Trump Administration: The Clusterfuck Continues (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [December 1, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298 "2025-12-01T20:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 158
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3141 "2026-03-12T04:16:29Z")
If only Jeff Winger had gone down to pick up the pizzas. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3142 "2026-03-12T05:06:01Z")
Remember the trolling against the felon with a couple of people dressed as Russian soldiers guarding his star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame? [Someone’s one upped that.](https://www.aol.com/articles/statue-depicting-trump-epstein-jack-181937511.html) > [@](#): > > A [statue](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/controversy-statue-trump-epstein-holding-201445280.html) depicting President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/) and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein embracing in a “Titanic” pose similar to Jack and Rose, two of the movie’s characters, appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this week. > > The 12-foot statue was unveiled by The Secret Handshake group, a small organization of citizens using art and humor to prompt political discourse, on Tuesday, March 10, with a backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. The partially gold spray-painted art installation shows Epstein standing at the bow of a ship with his arms stretched out, with the president behind him holding his wrists. > > The statue depicts the men in the iconic scene from the film where lovers Jack and Rose embrace on the bow of the ship at sunset. > > The artwork is titled “The King of the World,” a reference to that scene in which Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, shouts: “I’m king of the world.” [Don’t look at me! Look at me! Don’t look at me! I need you to look at me!](https://www.aol.com/articles/pentagon-blocks-photographers-hegseths-briefings-173629047.html) > [@](#): > > NEW YORK (AP) — The Pentagon has not permitted photographers to cover Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s last two briefings on [the war in Iran](https://apnews.com/hub/iran), and hasn’t explained the change in longstanding policy. > > A Pentagon spokesman, Joel Valdez, declined to comment for this story. > > The Defense Department under Hegseth has had a contentious relationship with the news media assigned to cover him. Most mainstream news organizations have [left their desks](https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-press-access-hegseth-trump-restrictions-5d9c2a63e4e03b91fc1546bb09ffbf12) at the Pentagon rather than accept new Trump administration rules that restrict their movements and who they can talk to. > > They’ve been replaced at the Pentagon by a [newly constituted press corps](https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-media-rules-new-press-corps-b14b8cef6ba63cdac17c8ffac375e615) that agreed to the rules and to a large extent work for outlets that are supportive of President Donald Trump. > > The Pentagon has been giving passes to reporters who vacated their desks at the Pentagon in order to attend Hegseth’s briefings on the war. Although Hegseth infrequently recognizes those legacy news reporters at the briefings, he did call on one of them, Eric Schmitt of The New York Times, on Tuesday. It seems major war criminal (crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity) Hegseth wasn’t impressed by the size of the itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow ~~polka dot bikini~~ “journalist” pool he imprimatured not so long ago. But, of course this is for preening, not informing. And still no photography allowed. Who knows why? My guess is he doesn’t want anyone to notice his arousal when he’s talking about the war crimes he’s committing. [And true to form, the felon attacks a real journalist instead of actually answering the question.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-calls-woman-journalist-rotten-233429657.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald [Trump](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/trump) called a reporter “rotten” after she asked him to provide evidence of [election fraud](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/election-fraud) justifying the recent [seizure of election records](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/fbi-search-warrant-raid-georgia-203901932.html) in [Arizona](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/arizona). > > On Wednesday, PBS White House correspondent Liz Landers [asked Trump](https://x.com/ElizLanders/status/2031772201318289871?s=20) why the FBI seized election records in Arizona. Trump said, “Well, they probably thought the election was rigged, right?” > > Landers pushed back, saying the [2020 election was not rigged](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/announcing-airstrikes-iran-trump-goes-170000072.html), prompting Trump to ask her, “How do you know?” > > She then reminded him that his own attorney general in 2020 determined that no evidence had been found of widespread voter fraud. > > “If you say it wasn’t rigged, you’re a rotten reporter,” Trump replied before walking away. And here’s how we know that election wasn’t rigged: The felon failed at his attempt and thus lost. [It’s about time for the felon to open a new military base, not a golf club.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pam-bondi-reportedly-moved-onto-125020744.html) > [@](#): > > Attorney General **Pam Bondi** has moved into housing on a military base amid ongoing threats, according to a new report. > > _The New York Times_, citing multiple people familiar with the situation, [reported](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/us/politics/bondi-military-housing-threats.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) that Bondi “relocated” within the past month from an apartment to one of several military bases in Washington where other Trump officials are also living. Bondi’s move reportedly came amid threats from the cartels and critics upset over her handling of [files](https://www.mediaite.com/tag/epstein-files/) related to convicted child sex predator **Jeffrey Epstein**. > > Other Trump officials moved to military facilities amid security threats include **Kristi Noem** , who recently lost her gig as head of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State **Marco Rubio** , and Secretary of Defense **Pete Hegseth**. > > A spokesperson for Noem previously told the _Times_ that she was paying “fair-market rent” for her military base housing, though other reports suggested the housing was [free](https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/dhs-spox-slams-washington-post-for-story-on-kristi-noems-rent-free-military-base-digs-this-is-truly-sick/). > > Bondi’s staff saw an uptick in threats against the attorney general, especially in recent months with Epstein files backlash and the capture of disputed Venezuelan [President](https://www.mediaite.com/tag/nicolas-maduro/) **Nicolás Maduro** , who is now facing narco-terrorism charges in the United States. Must be nice. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3143 "2026-03-12T08:02:28Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > My guess is he doesn’t want anyone to notice his arousal when he’s talking about the war crimes he’s committing. Arousal? A slowly expanding wet spot. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3144 "2026-03-12T09:57:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > As some point reality jumped the tracks and we’re stuck living in some hack writer’s political satire novel. I don’t even think it requires a hack writer. The late Joseph Hiller’s “Catch 22” supplies much of the plotline, it has it all. Grift, greed, stupidity, absurdity and a bit more grift. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3145 "2026-03-12T11:30:27Z")
I’ve been seeing a lot about this lately. People are annoyred at Trump’s choice of euphemism: ## **Trump Dismisses Iranian War As ‘Excursion’ That’s ‘Easier Than We Thought’** > **President Donald Trump dismissed the airstrikes on Iran as “a little excursion” and not a war for the United States, while also calling the 12-day attacks that have left seven U.S. soldiers dead “easier than we thought.”** > > **[Speaking to reporters](https://x.com/cspan/status/2031807834740936909) Wednesday, Trump repeatedly diminished the ongoing conflict while sharing an update on the ongoing military strikes and their effect on the U.S. economy and oil prices.** > > **“We had to take an excursion, but it’s doing well,” he said. “Prices are coming down very substantially. Oil will be coming down. That’s just a, that’s just a matter of war.”** > > **When asked by a reporter if it’s “an excursion” or “war,” Trump said it’s only the latter for Iran.** > > **“It’s both. It’s an excursion that will keep us out of a war,” he said. “For them, it’s a war. For us, it’s turned out to be easier than we thought.”** I’m reminded of how, back in 1968, the landing stage of the Apollo mission was called the **LEM** , for “Lunar Excursion Module” (I know because I built a LOT of models of this). But there was a public outcry that “Excursion” sounded too airy and nonchalant, and NASA changed the name to “ **LM** ”, now standing for simply “Luna Module”. Who needs vowels to make things pronounceable? Would that public outcry objected to our Iran Excursion. [Iran Attacks Commercial Ships, Global Energy Concerns Grow: Live Updates | HuffPost Latest News](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/latest-news-live-updates_n_69ae9a51e4b0fe5c2e757cb8/liveblog_69b1c71fe4b09ed5dafee65d) ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3146 "2026-03-12T11:36:25Z")
Oh, yes, and the White House officially releases this piece of idiocy. The White House. It’s a good thing Trump brought back gravitas and responsibility to that institution. # **‘Absolutely Shameful’: Trump White House Torched Over Bowling-Themed ‘AI Slop’ About Iran** “My God, is this really what this country has become?” one critic asked. **By [Lee Moran](https://www.huffpost.com/author/lee-moran)** > The Trump White House drew backlash online Wednesday after sharing yet another AI-generated video, which this time critics said mocked the seriousness of [Donald Trump](https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/donald-trump)’s ongoing Iran war. > > The 34-second clip begins with ESPN footage of U.S. bowling star Pete Weber hitting a strike, before cutting to an animated video of bowling pins representing Iranian regime officials being destroyed by a bowling ball emblazoned with the American flag. > > It then switches to actual footage of Iranian targets being destroyed. > > “STRIKE,” the White House proudly captioned the video, adding explosion and bald eagle emojis. > **[‘Absolutely Shameful’: Trump White House Torched Over Bowling-Themed ‘AI...](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-white-house-iran-ai-slop_n_69b27733e4b0aea6db0bc793?origin=home-latest-news-unit)** > > “My God, is this really what this country has become?” one critic asked. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3147 "2026-03-12T11:50:13Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’m reminded of how, back in 1968, the landing stage of the Apollo mission was called the **LEM** , for “Lunar Excursion Module” (I know because I built a LOT of models of this). Yup, forever enshrined in the lyrics of an excellent 1970 Jethro Tull song, “For Michael Collins, Jeffrey, and Me”: _I’m with you, LEM Though it’s a shame that it had to be you…_ /hijack ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3148 "2026-03-12T12:20:10Z")
From [Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack](https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/march-11-2026) today: > Today a reporter confronted Trump, saying: “A new report says that the military investigation has found that the United States struck the school in Iran. As commander-in-chief, do you take responsibility for that?” > > Trump answered: “I don’t know about it.” Words fail me… 🤪 ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3149 "2026-03-12T12:44:15Z")
Holy shit. I watched the video. 4chan has taken over the White House. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3150 "2026-03-12T13:49:08Z")
Dems should run ads with clips of Trump and Johnson expressing ignorance on a variety of questions, and get them on the air been now and the midterms. Possible tag lines: “Who the hell’s running the government right now?” or “Do Republicans know anything?” or "They just don’t care " ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3151 "2026-03-12T13:50:08Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > expressing ignorance That would be great if the average American disdained ignorance, rather than worshipping it. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3152 "2026-03-12T14:00:01Z")
I have no little faith in my fellow Americans, I suspect it would have the opposite effect on many of them. Or rather, no effect. If you want to reach them, if only to discourage them from voting (they’ll never vote for another party), have the ads be a series of food and gasoline prices across his term, alongside a picture of the bombs we’re dropping with their price tags overlaid. That is something they actually care about. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3153 "2026-03-12T14:00:32Z")
[![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/d5b04cc9-505e-447f-83f8-2933c59063cd/f3470e36-407e-4f42-8e8c-2702625f7d21_rw_1920.jpg?h=1b775970212cc3032da0291ca6600b5e) ](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/d5b04cc9-505e-447f-83f8-2933c59063cd/f3470e36-407e-4f42-8e8c-2702625f7d21_rw_1920.jpg?h=1b775970212cc3032da0291ca6600b5e) ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3154 "2026-03-12T15:10:24Z")
Have you not seen the people behind him while he was… whatever that was he was performing? They looked thrilled! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3155 "2026-03-12T16:28:48Z")
[Hegseth gutted offices that would have probed Iran school strike](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/10/pentagon-iran-school-strike-civilian-casualties-00820780). > The Pentagon chief last year slashed offices that didn’t contribute to his goal of “lethality,” including the group that assists in limiting risk to civilians, known as the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. Around 200 employees who worked on the issue, including at that office, have been reduced by about 90 percent, according to two current and former officials and a person familiar with the effort. The team that handles civilian casualties at Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, has dropped from 10 to one. > > Hegseth can’t close the offices because they are approved by Congress. But he has managed to make them nearly inoperable… I read somewhere (but can’t find it now) that the school used to be a military facility, but that it had been converted to a girls’ school at some point. [This BBC article](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn87ndd4rgyo) [emphasis mine] does imply that the school was formerly a military site. > According to the BBC’s partner CBS News and other US outlets, a preliminary assessment of the incident by American officials suggests that the US was “likely” to have been responsible, but that it did not intentionally target the school and may have hit the site in error. > > **This may have been because the intelligence used by the US was outdated and wrongly identified the area as still being a military site** , according to a person briefed on the preliminary assessment who spoke to CBS. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3156 "2026-03-12T16:36:17Z")
Quoting the American officials quoted by the BBC: “the US was ‘likely’ to have been responsible, but that it did not intentionally target the school and may have hit the site in error.” Does the fact that they did not intentionally target the school make a god-damned bit of difference? They had the ability to assess the risks (i.e. be aware that it was a school in session at the time of the bombing) and they certainly had the ability not to drop bombs. Fuck the US and its “errors.” Fuck anyone whose response is less than total compassion for the dead children. I realize that children suffer and die in conflicts all the time, but I do not understand why this incident isn’t a bigger deal to the entire world. Just about the worst thing you can do with a bomb, right in the opening days of an unnecessary war: why aren’t Americans in the streets calling for Trump’s head on a platter? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3157 "2026-03-12T16:47:04Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Just about the worst thing you can do with a bomb, right in the opening days of an unnecessary war: why aren’t Americans in the streets calling for Trump’s head on a platter? Because most Americans either don’t care, are burned out and don’t think anything they do matters, or actively approve of murdering as many civilians as possible. Especially Muslims or Iranians. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3158 "2026-03-12T16:54:29Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Does the fact that they did not intentionally target the school make a god-damned bit of difference? Not to the victims. > [@Dr.Drake](#): > > They had the ability to assess the risks (i.e. be aware that it was a school in session at the time of the bombing)… Or maybe not, if Kegsbreath gutted the department that kept track of military targets. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3159 "2026-03-12T17:01:16Z")
Well, they _had_ the ability to assess the risks, until they gutted that office. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/3160 "2026-03-12T17:21:17Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Ummm, he knows that criminals have guns, right? I’m pretty sure I could take anyone in the UFC provided I was the only one prepared to use a gun. But you’re forgetting the “_RRRWAAARRAAAGGGGGHHHHH!_ _ **WARRIOR!!!** _” part of the training. That’s absolutely key for _\>checks notes\<_ domestic policing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=157) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=159)