# 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:** 382
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7621 "2026-08-03T13:54:56Z")
Because reason has left the building? ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7622 "2026-08-03T14:09:19Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Please don’t make the mistake of NOT going to YouTube and searching out Paula White speaking in tongues. Here, I went ahead and searched it in incognito mode so as not to pollute my normal YouTube feed, so you all don’t have to. The actual speaking in tongues doesn’t happen until around the 50 second mark-- she chants in English a lot as well, and the English chanting is pretty nutty all by itself. I swear, if, pre-President trump, someone had written a satirical book or made a movie about a crazy Presidency, ‘Idiocracy’ style, and had predicted the trump Presidency and all its attendant madness, it would have been panned as overly ridiculous, over-the-top nonsense, even as absurdist comedy. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TjMnWG1qllg/hqdefault.jpg "Trump's Presidential Spiritual Adviser Paula White Speaking in Tongues") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjMnWG1qllg) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7623 "2026-08-03T14:20:15Z")
WOW. Where are the big guys in white coats with nets. I mean WOW. That person is clearly insane. And agree. 'White House Office of Faith" Nobody there understands how completely wrong that is??? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7624 "2026-08-03T14:22:15Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Which begs the question: why does the White House have a “Faith Office”? One of Project 2025’s many baubles. Doesn’t Kegsbreath have something similar in the Pentagoon? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7625 "2026-08-03T14:26:26Z")
Once again, I must apologize. It is becoming more and more obvious that my grand theory of life is correct, towit: I was in a horrible car accident in 2016 and I’ve been in a coma ever since and this ridiculous shit is the best my brain could come up with to approximate reality. Guys, I smoked a lot of weed before the accident. Sorry. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7626 "2026-08-03T14:30:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m sure the response from the present congress will be an impotent shrug Hey, maybe Canada will pay pennies on the dollar for them, on the used icebreaker market. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7627 "2026-08-03T14:52:08Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > - The Ballroom > - The Arch These are the only two that could possibly get built. Shipbuilding in general, and specialized ships like icebreakers and warships even more so, is a long, expensive process, with a relatively limited number of companies and shipyards that can do the work. And that pool is even more limited by US security concerns; they’re not going to ask China to build these things. But there are a lot more people who can build things like a ballroom and an arch. The ballroom is already happening, and the only difficulty is adding all the military stuff to it. But the US has built stuff like that before. And the hole in the ground is already there, and Trump will fill it with something, even if he has to half-ass it to get it done before he leaves office. The only limit on the arch is legal and political barriers to building the stupid thing. As soon as Trump can dispense with that, he can slap up a cheap arch that will look “good” for a couple of years before falling apart, so I’m predicting this will be the first thing to get built. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7628 "2026-08-03T14:58:14Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Which begs the question: why does the White House have a “Faith Office” > [@enipla](#): > > And agree. 'White House Office of Faith" Nobody there understands how completely wrong that is My assumption is that Paula White is effectively the Secretary of “How Do We Wrest The Votes And Life Savings From The Uber-Faithful,” and nothing more. She has Trump’s ethics, and clearly speaks the language (“tongue,” if you will) of the pious red state folks. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7629 "2026-08-03T15:07:08Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > even if he has to half-ass it to get it done before he leaves office Which is his M.O. See: reflecting pool, Qatari jet. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7630 "2026-08-03T15:09:52Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > towit: I was in a horrible car accident in 2016 and I’ve been in a coma ever since and this ridiculous shit is the best my brain could come up with to approximate reality. Reminds me of the Lincoln Project’s [“Coma” ad](https://youtu.be/4TogbPPyQQM) back in 2020. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7631 "2026-08-03T16:10:59Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > These are the only two that could possibly get built. Shipbuilding in general, and specialized ships like icebreakers and warships even more so, is a long, expensive process, with a relatively limited number of companies and shipyards that can do the work. And that pool is even more limited by US security concerns; they’re not going to ask China to build these things. > [@jsc1953](#): > > > [@Horatius](#): > > > > even if he has to half-ass it to get it done before he leaves office > > Which is his M.O. See: reflecting pool, Qatari jet. He doesn’t have to actually build the things. Cf. “half-ass” above. He can get some old leftover buckets of bolts from China or someplace near a body of water, throw on some new paint and some techie-looking stuff sticking waaaay up in the air on top, name the “new state-of-the-art” vessels after himself and his offspring and _VOILA!_- **done!** ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7632 "2026-08-03T18:57:47Z")
And we’re back to the “THE DEAL IS FAKE NEWS” stage of Trump trying to manifest a victory over Iran through force of will. [![](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kjjhbsc3pp3vkqjsivk6z2yd/bafkreidkim7fvo3qiqcnrgom7bapitkkllrg32oeuyrctetnbqeb5cgvle) ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kjjhbsc3pp3vkqjsivk6z2yd/bafkreidkim7fvo3qiqcnrgom7bapitkkllrg32oeuyrctetnbqeb5cgvle) ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7633 "2026-08-03T19:08:31Z")
A couple of days ago, BBC news quoted a Persian source reacting to Trump’s announcements. In it, Iran clearly and succinctly identified Trump’s pattern of threatening major violence, saying they’d negotiate instead, unilaterally and falsely announcing that a deal had been struck, and then repeating. It was very clear that his “strategy,” such as it is, is transparent, counterproductive, and downright insulting. For somebody who claims to want to end the war, he’s sure doing everything he can to drag it out. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7634 "2026-08-03T19:17:41Z")
Senility and natural stupidity aside, it’s easy to see why he does it. It’s worked so far in his life, so they’re the odd ones for not providing some way out that allows him to save face. And it’s also the problem with picking loyalists over competent staffers. Back in the first term, things wouldn’t have been allowed to reach this point. But now, of all of them, only Rubio and possibly Vance might know better. But they have (probably correctly) calculated that playing sycophant will serve their own interests better than a likely futile effort to sway a mulish, doddering old fool ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7635 "2026-08-03T20:24:03Z")
Their own interests, not the interests of the United States or its people. Fuck 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7636 "2026-08-03T20:25:55Z")
From Trump’s tweet, above… “…duplicitous!” Thanks, Nat. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7637 "2026-08-03T20:44:25Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Which begs the question: why does the White House have a “Faith Office”? Because the Republicans are in charge, and ever since Reagan the Republican Party and American Christianity have effectively merged. So Trump is regarded as a Messiah, and pushing Christianity and destroying its rivals is an expected function of the government. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7638 "2026-08-03T21:43:45Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Iran clearly and succinctly identified Trump’s pattern of threatening major violence, saying they’d negotiate instead, unilaterally and falsely announcing that a deal had been struck, and then repeating. That’s all quite true, but all this is _ **inevitably** _ in a holding pattern until November 3. Trump can’t send in troops until after that (and sending in troops is likely the only thing that could work any kind of change in this stalemate). Iran has NO incentive to do anything toward a deal until Donald sends in the troops to maximize damage to the nation and its infrastructure. So we’re definitely in ‘rinse and repeat’ mode until November 4. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7639 "2026-08-03T21:55:11Z")
I also think it’s worth remembering that this is #8 of Lawrence Britt’s “**[14 Characteristics of Fascism](https://osbcontent.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/PC-00466.pdf)**:” > **Religion and Government are Intertwined** > Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and > terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies > or actions. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/7640 "2026-08-03T22:20:22Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > It’s worked so far in his life Because in his life, everyone sensible he ever tried to “Negotiate” with would just walk away, and he could try again with another mark. If the study of con men has taught us anything, it’s that eventually you’ll find a mark who will fall for it. But you really can’t do that with countries. There is no other Iran who might fall for his grift. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=381) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=383)