# 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:** 349
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6961 "2026-07-06T05:00:06Z")
I think you might need to re-read the post to which you were responding, which was making precisely this point. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6962 "2026-07-06T05:02:31Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’d asked why the person who was ostensibly in charge, **the one confirmed by the senate** , hasn’t been impeached. Emphasis mine. Part of the whole clusterfuck that was DOGE is that there _was_ no oversight, and AFAIK, no one in its leadership – not Amy Gleason, not [Steve Davis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Davis_(executive)), and certainly not Musk – was ever subject to a Congressional confirmation hearing, much less a confirmation vote. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6963 "2026-07-06T05:32:21Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I’m not an engineer and being related to actual engineers hasn’t improved my non-existent engineering skills a whit, but even I know what caused those gashes: tension. The dummies the dummy hired stretched the material and it ripped. Didn’t they also drive a motorcade over it before filling it? > [@Monty](#): > > [Florida 'pubby congressman criticizes the dummy!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/florida-republican-says-deporting-haitians-195438148.html) It’s unusual for a Republican to be paying attention, but he seems to have noticed that 1) this looks bad in his constituency and 2) it sets a precedent that might result in Cubans getting sent back too. Enlightened self-interest, as it were. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6964 "2026-07-06T05:33:03Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Didn’t they also drive a motorcade over it before filling it? Yes, on May 8th. > **[Trump drives across Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to inspect blue coating...](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-drives-across-lincoln-memorial-reflecting-pool-to-inspect-blue-coating-hes-adding)** > > President Donald Trump on Thursday went on an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial to see the Reflecting Pool after he had it coated in a color he calls “American flag blue.” ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6965 "2026-07-06T06:30:40Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Oh for sixhe’s not a great man of history. D’oh! I miscounted the preliminaries. Of _course_ he’s not a great man of history. Caligula maybe. Does he have a horse he can induct into the Senate? ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6966 "2026-07-06T07:59:57Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Does he have a horse he can induct into the Senate? Judging by the number of horse’s asses surrounding him, he has plenty. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6967 "2026-07-06T08:46:08Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Emphasis mine. Part of the whole clusterfuck that was DOGE is that there _was_ no oversight, and AFAIK, no one in its leadership – not Amy Gleason, not [Steve Davis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Davis_(executive)), and certainly not Musk – was ever subject to a Congressional confirmation hearing, much less a confirmation vote. Thanks. I completely forgot Rip van Simple loves to fill positions with “acting” individuals so he doesn’t have to do that whole responsible governance with checks and balances thing. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6968 "2026-07-06T11:58:14Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Didn’t they also drive a motorcade over it before filling it? Yes but, as much as some folks want it to be the case, it’s not likely to have done much damage. This is one of those cases where it’s not far from a left wing conspiracy theory that driving over it was responsible for any of the issues. The real issue is hiring total incompetents on a no bid contract. The sorts of companies who actually knew what they were doing already told them (1) using a dark color was a bad idea because of the algae and (2) there was no way to do this properly in the timeframe they wanted. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6969 "2026-07-06T12:44:49Z")
And they needed to drive cars on it because…? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6970 "2026-07-06T12:47:22Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > And they needed to drive cars on it because… Because Trump wanted to see it, and he can’t walk that far. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6971 "2026-07-06T12:48:09Z")
Good gravy. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6972 "2026-07-06T13:03:55Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Yes but, as much as some folks want it to be the case, it’s not likely to have done much damage. This is one of those cases where it’s not far from a left wing conspiracy theory that driving over it was responsible for any of the issues. Given that [Trump has had people arrested for the damage](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/6-people-arrested-connection-alleged-vandalism-reflecting-pool-trump-s-rcna351409), it _does_ matter. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6973 "2026-07-06T13:11:50Z")
I realize this is the post-truth era but come the fuck on. Facts and science are supposed to still matter. Sure, criticize him for driving on it. That was unnecessary, especially given the terrible job they did. But don’t make up fake stuff too. We’ve already got way too much of that going around ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6974 "2026-07-06T14:24:48Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > I realize this is the post-truth era but come the fuck on. Facts and science are supposed to still matter. > > Sure, criticize him for driving on it. That was unnecessary, especially given the terrible job they did. But don’t make up fake stuff too. I think you’re being a bit too sweeping here. Sometimes self-appointed debunkers get carried away with their mission to defend facts and end up being too dismissive of genuinely debatable issues. Of course nobody should be assuming that the Trump motorcade was definitely or solely, or even primarily, the cause of the pool liner damage. But [knowledgeable experts have opined that it might have played a role.](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-motorcade-reflecting-pool-damage-washington-dc-12121337) > [@](#): > > Despite the questions raised about if the motorcade could’ve damaged the pool, the official cause remains unknown. > > “At this point, there is not enough definitive information to conclude that vehicle traffic, including the presidential motorcade or construction equipment, caused the apparent delamination of the coating,” Aquatic Council Chair Tim Auerhahn told _Newsweek_. "That said, it is one of several factors that should be considered as part of a comprehensive failure analysis. The timing of vehicle traffic in relation to surface preparation, coating application, and cure time; the weight and distribution of the loads; the location of vehicle travel relative to the observed failures; and the condition of the underlying substrate would all be relevant.” […] > > Despite the resurfaced motorcade video, Auerhahn stressed the importance of not focusing on one theory behind the coating’s demise at this point. > > “Many factors—including product selection, substrate compatibility, surface preparation, application methods and environmental conditions, joint movement, fill-[water](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/water)quality, chemical exposure and mechanical loading—should all be considered,” he said. “Ultimately, the apparent delamination may prove to be the result of multiple contributing factors rather than a single point of failure.” ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6975 "2026-07-06T14:41:56Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > > “It is impossible to review the events of the last decade and conclude that it is anything other than divine providence that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States on the year of America 250, July 4th, 2026,” he claimed. So, all that whining (literally _years worth of whining_) about Trump **really** winning in 2020 were just the GOP and MAGA trying to circumvent the will of God? Yeah, that tracks. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6976 "2026-07-06T14:44:14Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > But [knowledgeable experts have opined that it might have played a role.](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-motorcade-reflecting-pool-damage-washington-dc-12121337) That’s a CYA statement. “Can’t definitively eliminate it as a possibility” is a very careful way of saying they can’t 100% rule it out. It’s science speak with tons of qualifiers and no firm statements. The followup is the important part - focusing on any single thing as a proximal cause is not something experts should do without actually looking into the matter. And yet, that seems to be what people have done - focus on the motorcade. The most likely (but not 100%!!! verified) cause is known - this was a company that had not done much work on stone or at scale before and had limited experience with vinyl linings at all and screwed up the prep and application of it. Sure, driving over it might have made a difference but it’s not likely (another one of those pesky qualifiers!) to have been “the” cause. But measured, qualified statements don’t play well on social media, so here we are. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6977 "2026-07-06T14:44:49Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Atlantic is reprinting an editorial from ten years ago about how Trumpism is an insidious poison like heroin that will rot the country from within, by an up-and-coming author who I think decided to run for office at some point. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Spoiler alert: it’s by J.D. Vance! J.D. Vance is like Donald Sutherland’s character in the 1978 remake of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers". Spoiler alert: the person fighting against the pod people becomes a pod person himself eventually. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6978 "2026-07-06T15:27:33Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > > [@bobot](#): > > > > And they needed to drive cars on it because… > > Because Trump wanted to see it, and he can’t walk that far. At least when that came up with FDR he sent Eleanor to scope out whatever needed a look. But then… the Roosevelts were competent and actually gave a damn about the US. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6979 "2026-07-06T19:25:19Z")
Highlights from today’s unscripted dementia ramble; “They used to go in and rob the restaurants. You wouldn’t feel safe in a restaurant. It was like the old Wild West – they’d say, 'Sick ‘em up. Give me your money.’ The whole restaurant is handing them money.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpyidl6qlg25)** > > Trump on Washington DC: "They used to go in and rob the restaurants. You wouldn't feel safe in a restaurant. It was like the old Wild West -- they'd say, 'Sick 'em up. Give me your money.' The whole restaurant is handing them money." “Should we put on a little music? Yes? This way you don’t have to talk to each other. We’re gonna put on a little music – the Trump Playlist.” _YMCA starts playing_ > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpyjbizslc2v)** > > Trump: "Should we put on a little music? Yes? This way you don't have to talk to each other. We're gonna put on a little music -- the Trump Playlist." > > > \*YMCA starts playing\* “You have a couple of guys who went short. Those poor bastards – they’re in big trouble. They’re being wiped out. The short guys. I never liked short guys because they’re betting against the country.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpyi4y7o7s2g)** > > Trump: "You have a couple of guys who went short. Those poor bastards -- they're in big trouble. They're being wiped out. The short guys. I never liked short guys because they're betting against the country." “The best thing and the biggest thing we’re doing is we’re building a ballroom,and a tremendous military center. That was supposed to be to top secret, but it’s no longer topic secret, because whatever you do you get sued.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpyhngkfiv2b)** > > Trump: "The best thing and the biggest thing we're doing is we're building a ballroom,and a tremendous military center. That was supposed to be to top secret, but it's no longer topic secret, because whatever you do you get sued." “Glass windows that can withstand any form of shot, rifle, drone, nothing gets through. Steel walls. Steel ceiling. Extra strength. It’s really an amazing thing. And yet all of that security made it more beautiful. We’ve actually taken security and made it a beautiful thing.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpyhuc7ojg2v)** > > Trump on his ballroom: "Glass windows that can withstand any form of shot, rifle, drone, nothing gets through. Steel walls. Steel ceiling. Extra strength. It's really an amazing thing. And yet all of that security made it more beautiful. We've... “Every question is a kill! You know that, right? Every question is a kill” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpydmzvxx224)** > > Trump, ranting on a hot mic: "Every question is a kill! You know that, right? Every question is a kill" > > > Michael Dell: "Sir, we don't have a helicopter, we have a Dell-icopter" “I always got helipads. Other people don’t. Very hard to get. The hardest thing to get is a helipad. There’s no harder zoning thing to get. And I had like 7 of them.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpydd6wzfr2y)** > > Trump: "I always got helipads. Other people don't. Very hard to get. The hardest thing to get is a helipad. There's no harder zoning thing to get. And I had like 7 of them." “You know who the number one person on Tic Tac is by far? Trump. Me. Taylor Swift was number 11.” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpycwbmjaj2g)** > > Trump: "You know who the number one person on Tic Tac is by far? Trump. Me. Taylor Swift was number 11." “I’m friends with many doctors because of what I’m doing as president. They’re great – as long as they tell me I’m healthy. When they tell me I’m healthy – so far, so good. Where’s a piece of wood?”" > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpycfwdwnv2s)** > > Trump: "I'm friends with many doctors because of what I'm doing as president. They're great -- as long as they tell me I'm healthy. When they tell me I'm healthy -- so far, so good. Where's a piece of wood?"" “The famous Strait of Hormuz – nobody ever heard of it” > **[Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com)](https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mpybhu446a2o)** > > Trump: "The famous Strait of Hormuz -- nobody ever heard of it, but that is some big money machine, I'll tell you what" “She is a fantastic person and she is a woman that is respected by everybody and she has got real talent, Nicki Minaj. Nicki, stand up, please” > “They say now progressive. Liberal became so tarnished but now it’s communists, you know, they say social democrats, no, social Democrat is a communist” > “The girls are working to work. And the guys are walking to work. A lot of the guys here can’t walk but they’re rich as hell.” > “The only thing we have a hard time stopping is a crime of passion. Do you know what that is? Anybody? This is a group that probably knows something about crimes of passion” > “Windsor Castle. It’s the longest building I’ve ever seen. But I said to Charles, “Who built this? This place is incredible.” William the Conqueror. I said, “Oh, William the Conqueror—was he a nice man?” Charles said, “No, no, he was extremely strong and very tough.” I said, “I figured with a name like William the Conqueror, I would think… what do you think? I think you’d be tough.” I said we have to come up with a good name for you, maybe Charles the Conqueror.” > ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6980 "2026-07-06T19:42:05Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I said we have to come up with a good name for you, maybe Charles the Conqueror.” And _[Charles in Charge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_in_Charge)_ was sitting right there, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=348) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=350)