# 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:** 350
**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, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6981 "2026-07-06T19:44:19Z")
I’m just shocked that he remembered something factually accurate. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6982 "2026-07-06T21:08:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > they’d say, 'Sick ‘em up. Give me your money.’ The whole restaurant is handing them money.” I wish these folks wouldn’t exaggerate shit about Trump. It isn’t necessary. He clearly says “Stick’em up”. That is fake news. Stop it. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6983 "2026-07-06T21:24:36Z")
To be fair, that’s as likely to be a Rupar typo as anything. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6984 "2026-07-06T21:42:56Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > But Musk got his hands on a lot of data, which I believe was the entire purpose of the thing. It was never about saving money for the American public. Which most Americans (except the hands-over-ears right-wing bubble-folk) KNEW at the time. We knew why Musk was doing it, and we knew it would do nothing positive (and quite a lot negative) for Americans. > [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Plus Musk wasn’t actually an official. Doge was never actually established by Congress and Musk was never confirmed as a department head. No impeachment possible. But it SHOULD be part of the Articles of Impeachment for Donald. He knew he was authorizing something that would harm the nation. He saw advantage for himself, so he didn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6985 "2026-07-06T22:31:09Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > He knew he was authorizing something that would harm the nation. I don’t think Trump has this kind of self-awareness. He does not do things that harm the nation, he does things that will benefit him, either financially or his ego. I think that most of what this maladministration is doing is not particularly directed by him, at least not unless it is something he wants. He likes having lines he can say to get a great cheer at his rallies, so if his administration does one of those things, it benefits his ego. `//i\\` ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6986 "2026-07-06T23:07:24Z")
> [@icon](#): > > He does not do things that harm the nation, he does things that will benefit him, either financially or his ego. I think all those things are the same thing. He does things that harm the nation that also benefit him. He isn’t doing things that benefit him that also benefit the nation. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6987 "2026-07-06T23:38:00Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > “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.” We have really got to take away that one copy of Pulp Fiction that is bouncing around the White House. Having said that, I would find it somewhat hilarious if Trump decided to copy Tarantino’s attitude about white people using the n-word, shouting it from the rooftops to “take the power away” from it. That is exactly the kind of thing I could see Trump doing and every time someone called him out on it he’d double down. But it is probably for the best if he refrains from saying it because if he does it, his followers will do it too and America doesn’t need that on top of everything else right now. ---
**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:** [July 6, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6988 "2026-07-06T23:40:22Z")
> [@icon](#): > > He does not do things that harm the nation, he does things that will benefit him, either financially or his ego. Yes, this is the entirety of his awareness. > [@wguy123](#): > > I think all those things are the same thing. They would be the same thing for a normal person, i.e., someone who can keep two thoughts in their head at the same time. Trump sees something that will benefit HIMSELF and that’s as far as he sees. He cannot see outside that box and doesn’t want to. If he could see outside the box of self-interest, he wouldn’t be interested. > [@](#): > > He does things that harm the nation that also benefit him. True, but if that happens, it’s just a coincidence. > [@](#): > > He isn’t doing things that benefit him that also benefit the nation. If something that benefits him also benefits the nation, that’s also a coincidence. Only one thing matters: does it benefit him in some way, usually financially. Nothing else is in his sights. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6989 "2026-07-07T00:32:11Z")
He’s coming for the Smithsonian Institution next. > The executive order directed Vice President J.D. Vance, in consultation with the president’s advisers on domestic policy, “to remove improper ideology” from Smithsonian institutions, arguing that materials that cast America in a “negative light” have no place in federal cultural institutions. > Overall, the report takes issue with materials addressing “white supremacy,” “racism” and the country’s history of “slavery,” “conquest” and “exclusion.” > “As it stands today, it would benefit most Americans, especially parents bringing their children for a tour, if the Smithsonian’s flagship history museum had a label at every entrance that reads: ‘Warning: the exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.’” > **[In scathing report, White House accuses Smithsonian of presenting 'a radical...](https://abcnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/abcnews.com/amp/Politics/scathing-report-white-house-accuses-smithsonian-presenting-radical/story?id=134515705&_js_v=0.1&_gsa=1#webview=1)** > > The White House released a scathing report accusing the Smithsonian of engaging in "extreme political activism" and presenting "a radical view of American history." ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6990 "2026-07-07T00:59:18Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Smithsonian Institution You mean… “Trump Smithsonian Institution” I hear they have some letters to move from another building. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6991 "2026-07-07T01:02:13Z")
Anybody want to hazard a guess at what DJT’s always-and-forever first Wordle guess is? And how hard he hammers the keyboard when it isn’t accepted?? “Failing New York Times,” indeed. It all makes sense now … as much as anything this POS says or does, that is. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2026, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6992 "2026-07-07T01:13:30Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > “Trump Smithsonian Institution” Don’t you mean “_Trump_tonian Institution”? Who the hell is _Smith_ anyway? ---
**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 7, 2026, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6993 "2026-07-07T01:15:37Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Who the hell is _Smith_ anyway? Even worse: who the hell is _[Smithson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Smithson)_? 😉 ---
**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 7, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6994 "2026-07-07T02:45:58Z")
[You just know the felon’s going to take this advice.](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-childhood-pal-pushing-him-151952000.html) > [@](#): > > A Florida lawyer who describes himself as [Donald Trump](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/donald-trump)’s boyhood “best friend” is pushing the president to declare a national emergency to enable him to take control of November’s midterms, according to a report. > > Peter Ticktin, 80, is a long-time believer in the claim that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from Trump by a vast [voter fraud](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/voter-fraud) conspiracy [told CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/politics/peter-ticktin-trump-election-fraud) in a new interview that the threat remains real. > > Ticktin believes that foreign states including China, Russia, Venezuela and Iran were involved in the plot to deprive Trump of victory six years ago by tinkering with voting machines and fears that the fix is in again at the upcoming midterms. > > He claims Democrats are this time plotting to steal enough House and Senate seats to be able to impeach Trump and Vice President [JD Vance](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/jd-vance), remove them from power and install the current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in their place, he having ascended to the speakership after the midterms in place of the incumbent Mike Johnson. > > “The machines are still in play,” Ticktin warned CNN, insisting that, because of Republicans’ failure to get the [SAVE Act](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/what-is-save-america-act-senate-b2939928.html) passed by Congress, Trump declaring an emergency and empowering himself to take charge of voting is the only way to secure a fair outcome. [The felon claims he got Walmart to lower prices; Walmart ghosts him.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-says-walmart-cut-prices-224834895.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday sought to take credit for recent price cuts by Walmart, but a statement by the retailer made no mention of the administration’s involvement in its decision. > > The president has faced public backlash over inflation rising during his watch, as prices climbed initially in the aftermath of his tariffs and later with the start of the Iran war in late February. Trump described a recent bipartisan measure to trim housing costs as [“a yawn”](https://apnews.com/video/trump-calls-bill-to-address-housing-affordability-a-yawn-and-says-he-doesnt-know-if-hell-sign-it-44b48d62ddd84996933ac12df9d1d633) and tried to blame the Democrats for inflation staying elevated. > > Going into the November midterm elections for control of Congress, Trump has sought to deride Democrats as communists who would have the government interfere with private companies. But in his social media post about Walmart, he said the business had trimmed prices at the specific request of his administration. > > “I have just been informed that one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request to celebrate our great Country’s 250th birthday,” Trump said. “Walmart will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products.” > > Walmart has benefited in part from higher inflation under Trump, as consumers have turned to its stores and website in search of lower prices, according to its [quarterly earnings released in May](https://apnews.com/article/walmart-firstquarter-earnings-inflation-a90b333a38bbba37847cfc8b5b2c7e8a). > > The company, in a statement issued Monday after the president’s post, said its price rollbacks at Walmart and Sam’s Club “are designed to help customers and members make the most” of the summer season. There was no mention of any interaction with the administration and the company did not publicly comment on Trump’s claims. [And now he’s chucking Apples instead of ketchup.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-hurled-tablet-across-oval-135443268.html) > [@](#): > > [President Donald Trump](https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-freedom-250-july-4-speech-storm-b3009228.html) hurled a tablet across the Oval Office when technical difficulties prevented him from talking on a group call with [Canada’s then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/canadians-feel-renewed-sense-patriotism-233300450.html), according to a report. > > The incident allegedly took place during [French President Emmanuel Macron’s](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-admits-macron-recognized-weakness-001211120.html) visit to the White House in February 2025, about two weeks into Trump’s second term. The two leaders were using the electronic device to join a call led by Trudeau when they were met with tech issues. > > Trump became annoyed by the issue, which was preventing him from speaking on the call, and threw the device over the Resolute Desk and onto the floor, _[The Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/european-rupture-with-america-e3a9bb3c?mod=hp_lead_pos1)_ reported, citing an official who was present during the meeting. > > The president’s alleged temper tantrum was documented in an exposé published by the _Journal_ on Sunday, which revealed the lengths European leaders have gone to keep Trump at bay since he returned to the White House last year. Note he did this in the presence of another country’s leader. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6995 "2026-07-07T21:20:27Z")
> [@icon](#): > > I don’t think Trump has this kind of self-awareness. He does not do things that harm the nation, he does things that will benefit him, either financially or his ego. Probably not worth arguing about. But if I were to prepare an argument, it would include as supportive evidence the fact that _he has done **so little** that benefited the nation_. By the law of averages, if he were utterly unaware of the difference (between actions that harm and actions that benefit the nation), some would have shown up by now. I agree with you that he prioritizes his own ego and/or financial benefit. But I believe he derives some of the ego benefit **from the knowledge that he is harming** Americans. It makes him feel powerful. Also, if he is harming classes of Americans who can’t fight back (seniors; trans kids; Spanish-speakers; women in general), he gets the additional benefit of pleasing his fans. So, yes: I think he IS aware that he’s doing harm, and he’s pleased about 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:** [July 7, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6996 "2026-07-07T21:42:35Z")
Except he has an overwhelming need for external validation. That’s why he’s trying to name everything after himself and build monuments and so on. He’s just really bad at it. He wants everybody to love him. And insists they already do, because he’s always thought repeating something enough times and with sufficient insistence will make it true. And it’s why he can’t let go of the 2020 election or anything he sees as a popularity contest. And for marginalized folks? He’s never really seen them as actual human beings. Or at least not equals, so harming them doesn’t really “count” to him. Trump literally cannot comprehend how any idea he has backfires. It’s always somebody else’s fault because his ideas must be brilliant. He’s sociopathic and worse, as a wealthy person, out of touch with the average person, so it never strikes him that what is good for him can possibly be bad for the country. And since he’s doing so well for the country, he should be remembered eternally and with gratitude by erecting statues and monuments, and naming everything under the sun after him. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6997 "2026-07-08T00:28:26Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > But if I were to prepare an argument, it would include as supportive evidence the fact that _he has done **so little** that benefited the nation_. By the law of averages, if he were utterly unaware of the difference (between actions that harm and actions that benefit the nation), some would have shown up by now. I think this is highly dubious becase it assumes that (a) actions that benefit the nation are as likely as those that don’t and (b) actions that benefit his own ego or finances (which are his focus as you say) are as likely to benefit the nation as not. Both these propositions seem unlikely or frankly simply wrong. As to (a) governing well to the benefit of a nation as a whole is _hard_ - it doesn’t happen by accident, and Trump is incompetent. Actions that fark things up are easy. Not to mention that because Trump only represents a certain minority segment of the US population any governing actions he does take tend to benefit only them - so those actions end up overall being harmful. As to (b) benefitting his ego or finances pretty obviously tends to be at the cost of the nation as a whole. ---
**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 8, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6998 "2026-07-08T04:58:10Z")
[And we have more evidence it’s a cult.](https://www.aol.com/articles/michael-cohen-says-made-trump-152827000.html) > [@](#): > > [Michael Cohen](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-michael-cohen-b2987736.html), once Donald Trump’s [fiercely loyal fixer](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-trump-testimony-cult-b2545159.html) turned [star witness against him](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-trump-trial-testimony-b2544387.html), said he has mended fences with the president. > > In a Friday interview with _[77 WABC](https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dad84M2N-Ci/)_, Cohen cast the reconciliation as a response to his own political isolation, citing backlash from “the left” over his comments about [Democrats](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/israel-hamas-gaza-poll-democrats-b3010328.html) and [Jeffrey Epstein](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/melania-trump-epstein-speech-first-lady-b3008877.html). > > “We rekindled our relationship because of a shared experience of betrayal,” Cohen said. “It’s really all about betrayal.” > > He recounted how an intermediary contacted him earlier this year to convey Trump’s “genuine empathy” over how he had been treated, and that Trump himself later reached out to suggest they meet. > > “The ice between us, it didn’t just melt, it broke,” Cohen, 59, said. > > The truce closes the book on [a high-octane feud](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-trump-trial-twitter-nickname-b2533341.html) that defined much of Trump’s first term and left behind a trail of legal trouble. > > Cohen served for years as Trump’s personal attorney with such loyalty that he once said he would “take a bullet” for him. But, in 2019, he told Congress that Trump was a “con man” and a “[cheat](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-book-trump-us-2020-election-congress-b404620.html).” Later, he admitted in [Trump’s hush-money case](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/judge-trump-hush-money-case-b2914190.html) that he helped facilitate payments to adult film actress [Stormy Daniels](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/stormy-daniels-trump-trial-hush-money-b2541846.html) to conceal an alleged affair with Trump. The president was found guilty of [34 counts of falsifying business records](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-34-counts-convicted-felon-b2555303.html), though he has maintained his innocence. > > Cohen’s transformation won him admiration from many Democrats and contempt from Republicans, who denounced him as a turncoat. Trump labeled Cohen a “sleazebag” who is “fully discredited.” > > During his interview with _77 WABC_, Cohen, who [served three years in prison](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-new-york-karen-mcdougal-stormy-daniels-manhattan-b1962329.html) for lying to Congress and tax violations, spoke at length about his path back into Trump’s good graces. > > “If you want to understand how it all happened, well you do have to take a look at the facts, but more importantly, the timeline,” he said. [The Belgians have a word or two for the felon.](https://www.aol.com/articles/world-dancing-iran-mock-us-053345000.html) > [@](#): > > Belgium mocked Donald Trump and Fifa as they eliminated the United States from the World Cup, mimicking the US president’s signature dance and saying: “Overturn this.” > > The US crashed out of the tournament after being [thrashed 4-1 by Belgium](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2026/07/07/world-cup-belgium-win-usa-trump-favour-backfires/), whose players also appeared to have a little fun at Trump’s expense dancing his notorious jig. > > The official X account of the Belgium team also poked fun at Trump and Fifa with a post that read: “Overturn this,” a sarcastic reference to Folarin Balogun having his ban overturned. [The felon’s mini-me still doesn’t get it.](https://www.aol.com/articles/mike-johnsons-birthright-citizenship-threat-220611000.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON ‒ [House Speaker Mike Johnson](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/05/mike-johnson-birthright-citizenship-bill/90814782007/) is insisting that congressional Republicans are “looking at all angles” to slap limits on birthright citizenship after the [Supreme Court shielded](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/06/30/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-ruling-what-it-means/90755972007/)it from President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/)’s order to redefine who is an American. > > In a July 5 interview on “Fox News Sunday,” the Louisiana Republican said GOP lawmakers in the House of Representatives would move quickly to respond. > > “If there’s some legislative fix, we’ll advance that immediately,” Johnson said. “If it’s a constitutional amendment, as you know, it takes a little more time. But we’ve got to address this.” > > While that promise certainly isn’t hollow, the chances of Congress intervening in the near future to curb birthright citizenship are very low. > > Whatever the options Johnson has, they’re long shots ‒ especially in a midterm election year, when GOP leaders are dramatically struggling to capitalize on the little time they have left before November. [Just in case you somehow forgot the convicted felon is also a racist…](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-administration-puts-plan-harriet-205902261.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON, July 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department is no longer planning to put anti-slavery crusader Harriet Tubman on a $20 bill, Treasury ‌Secretary Scott Bessent has told Spectrum News. > > “We are not at present,” Bessent said when ‌asked in a Monday interview if Treasury was still planning to move ahead with the decade-old plan. Bessent did not ​elaborate, and a Treasury spokesperson declined to comment beyond Bessent’s remark. > > The Obama administration announced in 2016 that Tubman, who was born into slavery in the early 1820s and went on to help hundreds of slaves escape, would replace seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. > > Then-Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said ‌the decision was the result of ⁠thousands of responses received from Americans. > > Tubman would have been the first African American on the face of U.S. paper currency. > > During his first presidential campaign, Donald ⁠Trump, who has since sought to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusioninitiatives, called the move to replace Jackson with Tubman “pure political correctness.” [Q: Is he lying? A: He’s breathing.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-told-interesting-stories-george-121424901.html) > [@](#): > > Last week, President Donald Trump’s annual financial disclosure [showed](https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/30/politics/trump-cryptocurrency-millions-disclosures?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo) he made more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures in 2025. On Monday, after a reporter asked him a question related to crypto, he eventually pivoted to a colorful anecdote about the nation’s first president. > > Trump [said](https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-remarks-trump-accounts-launch-event-oval-office-july-6-2026/#208) George Washington “had two desks in his pre-White House.” He continued: “And they were right next to each other. One was for business and one was for the presidency. He had two desks, in the same room. And so you’re allowed to. But I choose not to. I don’t talk to my kids about, you know, this stuff.” > > An interesting story about Washington. Unfortunately, it’s a fictional story about Washington. > > Washington [did conduct](https://www.politifact.com/article/2019/oct/30/did-george-washington-run-businesses-president/) some personal business while he was president, but he didn’t have separate desks for business matters and official matters. Historians debunked the two-desks tale when Trump delivered it more than six years ago; one historian [told CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/21/politics/fact-check-trump-cabinet-meeting-20-false?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo) it was “utter nonsense,” one said it was “an absurd allegation,” and one said, “I don’t know what he’s talking about.” & > [@](#): > > During his July 4 [speech](https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-speech-250th-birthday-united-states-national-mall-july-4-2026/) marking the nation’s 250th birthday, Trump spoke of Americans’ role in building the Panama Canal, the vital waterway he has previously [said](https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-remarks-executive-orders-sovereign-wealth-fund-february-3-2025/#57) the US should not have ceded to Panama last century. “And by the way,” Trump added, “38,000 Americans died to give us one of the greatest engineering feats of all time: Panama Canal.” > > That number is [not close to true](https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/politics/fact-check-trump-address-congress?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo). > > While the century-old records are imprecise, [they show](https://pancanal.com/en/end-of-the-construction/#:~:text=According%20to%20hospital%20records%2C%205%2C609,on%20an%20estimate%20by%20Gorgas.) [about 5,600 people died](https://books.google.com/books?id=uVaeIXMxJpQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Path+Between+the+Seas+david+mccullough+americans+died&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjwrmrra-LAxU_K1kFHZE9BuQQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=%22the%20number%20of%20white%20americans%22&f=false) during the canal’s American construction phase between 1903 and 1914 – and “of those, the vast majority were Afro-Caribbeans,” such as workers from Barbados and Jamaica, [Julie Greene](https://history.umd.edu/directory/julie-greene), a history professor at the University of Maryland and author of the book “The Canal Builders: Making America’s Empire at the Panama Canal,” told CNN after Trump [made](https://www.whitehouse.gov/remarks/2025/01/the-inaugural-address/) a similar claim in his inaugural address last year. > > The late historian David McCullough, author of another book on the building of the canal, [found](https://books.google.com/books?id=uVaeIXMxJpQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Path+Between+the+Seas+david+mccullough+americans+died&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjwrmrra-LAxU_K1kFHZE9BuQQ6AF6BAgKEAM#v=onepage&q=%22the%20number%20of%20white%20americans%22&f=false) that “the number of white Americans who died was about 350.” The 350 folks are the ones the felon would care about if he knew the race of the others. [Come get your Freedom ~~Fries~~ Fuel!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/white-house-launches-25-freedom-225817182.html) > [@](#): > > The [White House](https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2026/07/06/trump-unveils-white-house-helipad-project/90827495007/) launched 25 Freedom Fuel gas stations, all selling fuel at $3.47 a gallon. > > The White House [announced](https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2074499867989123417) the initiative on July 7 on X with a video of customers thanking President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/) for lowering gas prices. The gas stations are located in the greater Philadelphia area, the White House told USA TODAY in an email on Tuesday, July 7. > > In the video, one customer claimed the gas station saved him money. “I thought gas was more expensive, but it’s not,” the man, who was not identified, said. “Thanks, Trump, for saving me some money.” And how much is he saving the cultist? > [@](#): > > But the price of Freedom gas is only slightly lower than the national average. > > According to [AAA data](https://gasprices.aaa.com/), the national average price of fuel was $3.79 on Tuesday, July 7. [Our disaster of a president is Saab’s benefit.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-hit-immediate-snub-overseas-150341834.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump has been hit with an immediate snub after arriving in Turkey for a NATO summit. > > He landed in the Turkish capital on Tuesday and was greeted with the news that the alliance had awarded a $4.5 billion contract to the Swedish defense firm Saab rather than to the U.S. planemaker Boeing. > > The alliance announced plans to buy up to 10 Saab GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to replace its aging Cold War-era Boeing AWACS planes. The move is an embarrassment for Trump, who has made buying American weapons a central demand of his NATO policy. [The felon just lost another battle in his war on the press.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/judge-tosses-trump-media-3-020311493.html) > [@](#): > > Another one of President Donald Trump’s lawsuits against a news organization has fizzled out. > > This time, it is a defamation lawsuit that the Trump Media and Technology Group brought against The Washington Post in 2023 over a [story](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/13/trump-truth-social-loan-questions/) titled “Trust linked to porn-friendly bank could gain a stake in Trump’s Truth Social.” > > A federal judge in Florida has thrown out the suit, saying that Trump Media “failed to present evidence that would allow a jury to find by clear and convincing evidence” that The Post “published the allegedly defamatory statements with actual malice.” > > US District Judge Thomas Barber’s conclusion came during the summary judgment phase of the case, when a judge can evaluate evidence and make a determination before proceeding to trial. > > The Post’s lawyers argued that Trump Media could not prove “actual malice,” the high legal standard that public figures must meet to prevail in a defamation case. It means that the defendant either knew a claim was false or displayed “reckless disregard of whether it was false or not.” [And just in case you think the United States isn’t a unitary entity under the felon.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gov-greg-abbott-directs-state-223623346.html) > [@](#): > > AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the state’s health and human services commission to investigate whether a South Texas medical facility is advertising to attract international patients who want to give birth in the U.S. > > “American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism,” Abbott [said in the letter](https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/Stephanie_Muth_HHSC_Birth_Tourism_FINAL.pdf) addressed to Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Commission. > > The commission has referred the matter to the agency’s inspector general, said spokesman James Rivera. > > Birth tourism is the idea that pregnant women are traveling to the U.S. to give birth so their children receive U.S. citizenship. > > The letter asks the commission to look into Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas, after reports surfaced on social media last week that the medical facility ran advertisements in Spanish showing how much it would cost to deliver a baby at the hospital. The horror! Advertising, in Spanish yet, how much the hospital charges for its services. Tsk, tsk, tsk. (Why don’t we have the “shame on you emoticon”? [No, no, no. Dictators go over _here_.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/wandering-trump-80-guided-frail-143914087.html) The link is to a video. Here’s the beginning of the blurb. > [@](#): > > A fellow aging NATO leader had to grab Donald Trump by the arm and physically steer him into position at a welcome ceremony for this week’s alliance summit in Turkey. Both Trump, 80, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 72, are under sustained scrutiny over the state of their physical and mental health. [ICE agent thinks he’s a cowboy from the Wild West.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/attack-completely-unprovoked-video-ice-162850028.html) > [@](#): > > A video on X, originally posted to Instagram by @[tucofuentes](https://www.instagram.com/p/DabcKEvssks/), showed a moment when an ICE agent, from a moving vehicle, fired at protesters, striking one in the abdomen. > > According to the account, the vehicle was exiting the Broadview ICE Processing Center in Illinois and passing protesters when a pepper-ball launcher struck one in the abdomen during a weekly demonstration. > > The protester who was shot received first aid at the scene before being taken to a hospital. > > > ICE shoots protester in stomach with “less than lethal” bullets—had to be rushed to hospital. > > > > Agent leans out of moving car to shoot with one hand—while driving with other. > > > > Injures protester in abdomen at point blank range. > > > > Car was not blocked—attack was completely unprovoked.… [pic.twitter.com/oBYRTMB22c](https://t.co/oBYRTMB22c) > > > > — LongTime?FirstTime?‍? (@LongTimeHistory) [July 6, 2026](https://x.com/LongTimeHistory/status/2074088720282886363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > The X account @LongTimeHistory, which reposted the video, claimed that the agent was leaning out of the moving car to fire with one hand while driving with the other. > > “Car was not blocked, attack was completely unprovoked. Video clearly shows every other ICE vehicle exiting the driveway unobstructed. Protesters were just holding signs on the public sidewalk,” the user wrote. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/6999 "2026-07-08T05:37:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Last week, President Donald Trump’s annual financial disclosure [showed](https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/30/politics/trump-cryptocurrency-millions-disclosures?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo) he made more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency ventures in 2025. Trump’s coins made more than cryptocurrency exchanges. > **[Trump Made More From Crypto Than Coinbase Did](https://thewolfden.substack.com/p/trump-made-more-from-crypto-than)** > > The president’s 2025 financial disclosure released Tuesday shows him personally earning more from crypto than any publicly traded US crypto company. [![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RmD7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff5dc55ef-7e5f-49a0-b1a3-5f677e9db5db_960x777.png) ](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RmD7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff5dc55ef-7e5f-49a0-b1a3-5f677e9db5db_960x777.png) > [How Trump made more than $1 billion on crypto when most of his coin's investors lost money - ABC7 San Francisco](https://abc7news.com/story/how-trump-made-more-1-billion-crypto-when-most-coins-investors-lost-money/19457452/) > > $TRUMP was an instant success, catapulting to a $15 billion market valuation, according to CoinMarketCap. It’s now worth just $400 million - a 97% implosion. > … > Trump stands to gain from his memecoin’s market value. But irrespective of whether $TRUMP rose or fell, he earned transaction fees each time $TRUMP was bought or sold. > … > Investors in $TRUMP may have been attracted because they wanted to support the president. They may have done it for the novelty or because they believed it would be lucrative . > > But some big-pocketed investors poured money into the memecoin to gain access to Trump. > > Last May, Trump hosted a black-tie dinner as a special reward for the top 220 holders of $TRUMP. Attendees contributed millions of dollars in investments in his crypto token. The 25 biggest investors gained access to a small VIP reception with the president. > > So the $TRUMP memecoin may have been a lousy investment over the past year. But some of its investors still gained something. Trump certainly did. Don’t even think of asking exactly who bought $TRUMP and how upset they are about putting literal _quid_ directly into Trump’s pocket for who knows what _pro quo_. ---
**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 8, 2026, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7000 "2026-07-08T08:41:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > He’s coming for the Smithsonian Institution next. Of course - it’s a building full of facts and evidence of the truth. It must be destroyed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=349) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=351)