# 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:** 277
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5521 "2026-05-20T01:46:13Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > FINALLY: Trump gets BAD NEWS about his $1.7 billion slush fund Summary? Catching up on a TV show, and the toaster oven just dinged; so I can’t watch YouTube. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5522 "2026-05-20T04:52:04Z")
[Color Vance as ~~orange~~ as incompetent as his boss.](https://www.aol.com/articles/jd-vance-just-tried-reassure-190557387.html) > [@](#): > > The exact moment when it became clear that JD Vance was going to fumble this press conference was about 10 seconds in, when he [called the Iran war](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-war-live-trump-ceasefire-hormuz-oil-uae-b2979110.html) “the Iran situation.” > > The moment when it became clear that it was going to become deeply weird was when he claimed that the United States doesn’t have a national healthcare system because there are American troops in Europe. > > And the moment when it became truly eye-opening was when he suggested taxpayers should be fine paying for a $1.8 billion (sorry, a [patriotically pegged $1.776 billion](https://www.aol.com/news/senate-leader-thune-splits-trump-145023542.html), to be precise) [slush fund for Trump allies](https://www.aol.com/news/trump-called-sudden-urgent-press-170004914.html) because there aren’t taxes on overtime or tips. [The G1 (Grift One) phone screwed up the flag.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/donald-trumps-gold-t1-phone-facing-fury-over-major-us-flag-error-100727596.html) > [@](#): > > Donald Trump’s gold-finished T1 phone has stumbled into controversy after a design flaw involving the United States flag drew public scrutiny. > > The $499 Trump-branded [smartphone](https://tech.yahoo.com/phones/), already facing pushback from MAGA supporters, is drawing new criticism over a polished promotional video that seems to lean heavily on AI-generated content. > > Earlier this week, Trump Mobile rushed to address mounting frustration from customers who had placed deposits. On Wednesday, the company released a video stating that T1 Phones would finally begin shipping soon, with fulfillment starting “this week” for those who had paid in advance. > > The video appeared to be a response to mounting skepticism from buyers about whether the phones would actually ship. The T1’s design is pitched as “designed with American values in mind” and “shaped by American innovation.” Separately, the brand highlights support from “American teams helping guide design and quality.” > > However, the camera, and more notably, the flag design, seems to have changed. The U.S. flag has 13 stripes for the original colonies, yet the renderings display 11 stripes in one video clip and only 9 in another, per [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/931347/trump-mobile-t1-phone-logo-flag-stars-stripes). The media network notes that the inconsistent stripe count likely stems from the video being AI-generated. I don’t know why, but I feel moved to mention this nifty fact: [the flag of Liberia has 11 stripes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Liberia). [Now the felon thinks he’s Benjamin Button.](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-claims-aging-reverse-concerns-174712561.html) > [@](#): > > “[President Trump ages in reverse!](https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/trump-79-claims-hes-aging-1840785)” read the caption on one image the 79-year-old shared on [Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump) following his state visit to China. “President Trump gets YOUNGER,” another declared. A third post featured a younger image of Trump in military-style attire with medals, alongside the caption, “Same guy. Even More Energy Now!” That could explain why he’s such a baby at his age. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5523 "2026-05-20T13:20:16Z")
He’s certainly regressed mentally to childhood. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5524 "2026-05-20T14:48:30Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’m confused here (and who, really, isn’t when it comes to Rip van Simple and his flock of felons?). I thought a settlement such as this latest ~~fraud~~ fiasco required a judge’s approval. Is that correct? And is the judge involved one of the felon’s toadies? It’s not a settlement. The whole thing is an illegal grift. And no, the judge noted quite explicitly that there was no settlement, because she anticipated exactly this kind of shenanigan. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5525 "2026-05-20T14:58:22Z")
OK, that somehow confuses me about this mess more than clears it up, which is probably a problem on my end. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5526 "2026-05-20T16:15:31Z")
Nah. I’m not following either. @fachverwirrt , can you clarify or cite a source, because _my interpretation of_ your post is at odds with my understanding of the implication of what recently occurred: [**Judge dismisses Trump’s IRS lawsuit, paving the way for a settlement - NPR**](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/g-s1-119783/trump-irs-lawsuit-settlement) My understanding of what recently occurred is captured _in the headline of_ this article. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5527 "2026-05-20T17:26:32Z")
The case was dismissed with prejudice. You can’t settle a dismissed case (as far as I know). After the dismissal, the DOJ (read Todd Blanche) framed the $1.8 billion slush fund and “all Trumps can cheat on their taxes in perpetuity” as a “settlement”, but no settlement has been filed with the court. If you read the whole article, you’ll see a statement by the judge indicating that fact. Mainly, my point was to answer Monty’s question about whether the judge was a Trump toady. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5528 "2026-05-20T18:18:51Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > After the dismissal, the DOJ (read Todd Blanche) framed the $1.8 billion slush fund and “all Trumps can cheat on their taxes in perpetuity” as a “settlement”, but no settlement has been filed with the court. It was basically extortion. “I’ll drop the $10b lawsuit, it you give me $1.8b, and agree to never look into my familys taxes.” It’s crimes all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5529 "2026-05-20T19:33:39Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > It was basically extortion. “I’ll drop the $10b lawsuit, it you give me $1.8b, and agree to never look into my familys taxes.” I think for it to be extortion, you need two distinct parties: an extorter and an extortee. “I’ll drop the lawsuit, if I give me 1.8b”, is just fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5530 "2026-05-20T19:51:27Z")
> [@fachverwirrt](#): > > The case was dismissed with prejudice. You can’t settle a dismissed case (as far as I know). > > After the dismissal, the DOJ (read Todd Blanche) framed the $1.8 billion slush fund and “all Trumps can cheat on their taxes in perpetuity” as a “settlement”, but no settlement has been filed with the court. Right, the thing that virtually ALL media (NPR? you jerks) is calling a “settlement” is actually only an agreement------an agreement between Trump and his own Department of Justice. Now a Congress with a spine would object to handing over money on so flimsy a pretext as this. But… ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5531 "2026-05-20T20:10:24Z")
I would think that Trump would have a fiduciary duty to the citizens and taxpayers. This so-called deal or agreement is a complete violation of every fiduciary duty he might have. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5532 "2026-05-20T20:12:31Z")
MAGA counterpoint: the literal words “fiduciary duty” do not appear in the Constitution, so this is some kind of made up woke requirement. Once God-King Trump has the billions, he will shower us in gold…funny smelling and kind of wet though it may be ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5533 "2026-05-20T20:16:20Z")
> [@billy-jack](#): > > I would think that Trump would have a fiduciary duty to the citizens and taxpayers. This so-called deal or agreement is a complete violation of every fiduciary duty he might have. It is to laugh. Again, for the people in the back: the _only_ thing that Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump. He does not care a whit for the citizens, the taxpayers, or the country, except for how they can benefit _him_. The only way that he would obey any “fiduciary duty” is if Congress or the courts _forced_ him to. He’s getting away with this crap because he _ **can** _. Results in Republican primaries in the last few weeks, in which sitting members of Congress were defeated by Trump’s handpicked candidates, have demonstrated that he has Congress (at least, the Republicans) under his complete control. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5534 "2026-05-20T20:42:15Z")
> [@billy-jack](#): > > This so-called deal or agreement is a complete violation of every fiduciary duty he might have When has Trump _ever_ cared about “Duty”? He dodged the draft, cheated on every wife he’s ever had, failed to raise his kids, screwed over everyone he ever owed money, and that was all _before_ he started comprehensively screwing up his duties as president. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5535 "2026-05-20T21:01:45Z")
> [@billy-jack](#): > > I would think that Trump would have a fiduciary duty to the citizens and taxpayers. Trump is the center of the universe and his profit and glorification is the only reason for its existence. He has no duty towards anyone or anything; the citizens and taxpayers have a duty to hand him everything in return for nothing and praise him for it. That is the only purpose of their existence. [/malignant narcissism] ---
**Author:** ![billy-jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@billy-jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy-jack)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5536 "2026-05-20T21:12:39Z")
My point was that it should give Congress and the Courts plenty of justification to use every legal avenue to put a stop to Trump’s criminal behavior. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5537 "2026-05-20T23:07:04Z")
“Things will happen maybe for the best, hopefully for the best, but I believe for the best, but things will happen that you can’t even imagine and it’s going to be very exciting, but the way that’s going to happen is through thinking big. Nothing great was ever built. Think of that. Nothing great was ever built without the word momentum at your side.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mmcdnjqjvd2t)** > > Trump is literally out here saying random words and calling it a commencement address. Get a load of this gibberish. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5538 "2026-05-20T23:52:16Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The only way that he would obey any “fiduciary duty” is if Congress or the courts _forced_ him to. I don’t see how they can force him to do anything. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5539 "2026-05-20T23:53:07Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I don’t see how they can force him to do anything They certainly have not shown a great deal of inclination to even attempt to do so, especially in this term. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/5540 "2026-05-20T23:59:22Z")
Seriously, what CAN a court do to force trump to do anything? He just ignores laws, directives, orders. Short of an armed guard circling him on the golf course and hauling him off to jail, there is no way to force trump to do anything. Civilized society functions because people obey laws. If not at first, then eventually, when threats come from the courts or law enforcement, they give in. But trump has ignored his felony convictions in a way that no private citizen would even try. I’m really curious: is there any way for a court to force him to do anything? ETA: So we have lawsuits flying through the air like a plague of locusts. People against trump and trump against everyone. But he keeps on truckin’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=276) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=278)