# 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:** 342
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6821 "2026-06-30T14:37:21Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > > He’ll never pay this. > > Actually…he already has. > > > [@](#): > > > > Trump transferred $5.5 million to a court-controlled account in 2023 following the jury verdict so Carroll is likely to receive the cash relatively quickly. Oh. I didn’t realize that. Good deal! Thx. Ignorance fought. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6822 "2026-06-30T14:41:20Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > Advocates for the plan say that it would both underscore the president’s singular authority and reinforce an image he has long sought to cultivate: “Trump the merciful,” as a person close to the White House described it to us recently. Meanwhile, the prospect of a mass pardon has set off an international frenzy of lobbying and dealmaking, **in which even slight proximity to the president can be monetized.** “Vewwy well, I shall welease ‘Woger’\*!” I’ve always said, if media has already pre-mocked your ideas, you really need to stop and rethink your approach. \*The fact that he’s both a wobber and a wapist (and a pick-pocket) is actually kind of on-brand here 😃 ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6823 "2026-06-30T14:44:25Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Oh. I didn’t realize that. Good deal! Thx. Ignorance fought. Well, sort of. He found a sucker…er, underwriting company that put up a bond. So, they’re on the hook to get the money back from him. So she’ll get the money, but the odds of him actually paying his creditors? Let’s just say I’m not going to hold my breath ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6824 "2026-06-30T14:50:15Z")
I thought the underwriters didn’t have enough cash on hand to secure the bond and it was refused, or did he find another ~~suck-up~~ underwriter? ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6825 "2026-06-30T14:56:21Z")
There are two of them. He found suckers for both. He did try to argue before the court he shouldn’t have to put up any money but the court was having none of that. For this particular case, his law firm put up the money ($5 million plus interest). Carroll will get this soon presumably. He also found an underwriting company (Federal Insurance Co, which is a subsidiary of Chubb) for the bigger $83 million (plus interest). This one is still working through the appeal process No doubt each has been compensated in other ways. [https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-sets-aside-money-while-he-appeals-e-jean-carrolls-5-million-verdict-2023-06-23/](https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-sets-aside-money-while-he-appeals-e-jean-carrolls-5-million-verdict-2023-06-23/) [https://www.reuters.com/legal/donald-trump-appeals-e-jean-carrolls-833-million-defamation-verdict-2024-03-08/](https://www.reuters.com/legal/donald-trump-appeals-e-jean-carrolls-833-million-defamation-verdict-2024-03-08/) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6826 "2026-06-30T14:56:24Z")
He did. I don’t have access to this whole story, but there’s enough to get the gist: [Trump Posts Nearly 92 Million Bond to Appeal E. Jean Carroll Case](https://www.axios.com/2024/03/08/trump-posts-nearly-92m-bond-to-appeal-e-jean-carroll-defamation-damages) Still don’t know who put up the money, though. ETA: Ninja’d by @Great_Antibob with better links! ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6827 "2026-06-30T14:58:14Z")
Chubb. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that. > **[Chubb CEO defends backing Trump appeal bond in E. Jean Carroll case](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/ceo-insurance-company-backed-trump-bond-carroll-case-defends-issuing-p-rcna143252)** > > Donald Trump has asked a federal appeals court to overturn a massive defamation judgment in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rape. [missed the link AND the ‘ninja’ comment that could have – and, arguably, should have – led me TO the link :-)] ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6828 "2026-06-30T15:00:00Z")
I’m just glad E. Jean Carroll is going to get her money without having to go through the hassle of trying to collect it after a final judgment. The SCOTUS declining to take up the first case bodes well for her in the second one, too. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6829 "2026-06-30T16:21:01Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > There are two of them. He found suckers for both. He did try to argue before the court he shouldn’t have to put up any money but the court was having none of that. Okay, so is the bottom line that trump won’t be out any personal $$$? That fits with what I thought in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6830 "2026-06-30T16:22:28Z")
Yes but he LOST the case so he is a LOSER. That’s what will chafe him the most. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6831 "2026-06-30T16:27:44Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Okay, so is the bottom line that trump won’t be out any personal $$$? Well, the companies which fronted the money will absolutely try to get Trump to pay them back; they were, in a sense, acting as bail bondsmen. I have no doubt that Trump had to sign legal contracts as part of the companies putting up the money for him. I also have no doubt that both companies were/are well aware of Trump’s history of ignoring debts. Remember that _Trump_ is the one found liable in the cases, and Trump is the one whom the courts ruled had to pay Carroll. Whether those companies will have any success in getting Trump to pay them back is another question. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6832 "2026-06-30T17:18:53Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > That plus the central image is giving way too much _”adults-unnecessarily-putting-their-hands-on-unrelated-children”_ vibe. Like, can’t you show adult figures symbolizing inspiration and stewardship for a young boy without pawing at him? I pretty sure the robot is meant to be the reanimation of Jeffrey Epstein. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6833 "2026-06-30T17:31:20Z")
The A.I. Jeffrey Epstein model. Powered by Grok and personally endorsed by Elmo. Don’t ask how it was trained. You don’t want to know. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2026, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6834 "2026-06-30T17:34:13Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > the companies which fronted the money will absolutely try to get Trump to pay them back Like this? > [@](#): > > Chubb Ltd. is partnering with the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. on a $20 billion reinsurance backstop aimed at reviving shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil route being disrupted by the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. > > The firm will underwrite and issue policies for eligible vessels, the DFC said in a statement Wednesday, as part of the Trump administration’s new initiative to offer maritime reinsurance. While Chubb is the lead partner, other participating insurers could be announced in coming days. > **[Chubb Backing Trump's $20 Billion Reinsurance Plan for Hormuz](https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2026/03/11/336237.htm)** > > The firm will underwrite and issue policies as part of the Trump administration's initiative to offer maritime reinsurance. Other insurers could be announced in coming days. Or this > **[Trump Names Chubb’s Greenberg to FEMA Review Council](https://news.ambest.com/newscontent.aspx?refnum=265901&altsrc=23)** > > Chubb Ltd. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Evan Greenberg has been named by President Donald Trump to the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council, which is tasked with streamlining ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6835 "2026-06-30T17:36:08Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Like this? _Quid pro quo_ is a form of being paid back, I suppose. 😛 ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6836 "2026-06-30T17:59:21Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Yes but he LOST the case so he is a LOSER. That’s what will chafe him the most. Will it, though? I’m in full control of my faculties, and I can’t keep track of all the millions of lawsuits, potential lawsuits, and other drama swirling around this incompetent. I can’t imagine that he keeps track, either. I imagine his lackies present him with the slate of good news and minimize the bad. Chances are that he won’t even hear about it, since there’s nothing he needs to do. That’s what lawyers are for. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6837 "2026-06-30T18:14:06Z")
He’s already tweeted (or whatever they call it) about the loss, so he knows. Of course, he’s so addled by dementia and whatever else is wrong with him (not to mention he was never especially sharp), I’m not confident he’ll remember 5 minutes from now ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6838 "2026-06-30T18:15:29Z")
Oh, well, good. Even five minutes of his unhappiness is something. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6839 "2026-06-30T18:37:06Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Well, the companies which fronted the money will absolutely try to get Trump to pay them back; they were, in a sense, acting as bail bondsmen. I have no doubt that Trump had to **sign legal contracts** as part of the companies putting up the money for him. My bold. BWA-HAHAHA! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. \ * * * > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > _Quid pro quo_ is a form of being paid back, I suppose. This is more like it. ---
**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:** [June 30, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6840 "2026-06-30T19:14:14Z")
> **[Donald J. Trump: "The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is...](https://trumpstruth.org/statuses/39632)** > > The Supreme Court upheld Birthright Citizenship, which is too bad for our Country, but we can easily make it up in Congress through Legislation, with the support of the President, that has now been determined during this process. No long and unwieldy... Good luck with that, dumbass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=341) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=343)