# 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:** 419
**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:** [August 29, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8361 "2026-08-29T04:05:20Z")
[The Felon-in-the-Oval is crowing over his “deal” with Venezuela.](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-says-us-entered-deal-230458000.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON (AP) — President [Donald Trump](https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump) on Friday said the U.S. has entered an agreement with [Venezuela](https://apnews.com/hub/venezuela) to take control of 65 billion barrels of the South American country’s oil reserves. > > Trump in a social media post announced the agreement he said was negotiated by Secretary of State [Marco Rubio](https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio), Defense Secretary [Pete Hegseth](https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio) and Venezuela’s interim President [Delcy Rodriguez.](https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-earthquake-rescue-delcy-rodriguez-trump-machado-097c0eab303b9b461419868c15fddecb) > > “The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!” Trump wrote. > > The Venezuelan government’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And just for good measure, he hinted at some questionable aspects of the so-called deal. (Same link.) > [@](#): > > Trump in his social media post Friday evening alluded to the Venezuela deal being part of a private partnership. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the private sector partners involved in the deal, and details on how the arrangement would work were not provided. [Oh, yeah. He’s going to be known as the Squatter-in-the-Oval.](https://www.aol.com/articles/exclusive-trumps-third-term-loophole-165357000.html) > [@](#): > > [Donald Trump](https://radaronline.com/t/donald-trump/) is reportedly giving serious thought to [four more years](https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-third-term-president-plot-stay-white-house-again/) in the [White House](https://radaronline.com/t/white-house/), _[RadarOnline.com](https://radaronline.com/)_ can report. > > Despite the 22nd Amendment clearly stating no person may be [elected to the presidency more than twice](https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-cannot-serve-more-than-two-presidential-terms-22-amendment/), legal scholars say there are always loopholes to exploit. > > Earlier this month, Trump [sent supporters and critics into a tizzy](https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-sparks-fury-trump-2028-meme-progressives-warn-third-term/) when he shared an image to his Truth Social platform wearing a “Trump 2028” hat, alongside the caption, “We are going to win.” > > “Call it what it is: Trump just announced his intention to run for a 3rd term in 2028,” one social media user declared. > > The president acknowledged that constitutional term limits prevent him from seeking a third stay in office, saying, “I’d love to run, but the law is very strong.” > > However, where there is a will, there’s always a way – in this case, a bombshell loophole that could open the door to a third term. In his new book, _Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term? My Nonpartisan Legal Analysis_, renowned Harvard Law School professor emeritus [Alan Dershowitz](https://radaronline.com/t/alan-dershowitz/) reveals there is a [legal roadmap Trump could potentially follow](https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-third-term-president-plot-stay-white-house-again/) to make it happen. [After a full term and more than a year into his undeserved second, there’s finally an election arrest.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-election-fraud-crackdown-lands-174952711.html) > [@](#): > > The first arrest in what a Trump administration prosecutor says will be a broader election fraud crackdown was announced Friday in Los Angeles, and the White House seized on the case to hit back at longtime critics. > > First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli announced a Honduran national was charged with two felony counts and could face deportation if convicted, while criticizing California’s current voter registration safeguards and renewing DOJ demands for a [voter roll audit](https://foxnews.com/politics/noncitizens-voter-rolls-democrat-run-state-exposed-rnc-chair-pledges-secure-elections). > > “Today’s arrest is the first of many to come. Unfortunately, because states like California allow non-citizens to easily register to vote and receive a ballot by mail, there’s no telling how many non-citizens are currently registered to vote,” Essayli said in a statement announcing the capture of Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores. > > Rivera Flores, of the Winnetka neighborhood west of Van Nuys, was charged with fraudulent voter registration and false claim of U.S. citizenship. He did not vote in an election, according to the DOJ. Wait. He didn’t vote? WTF? [He’s the narcoleptic necrophile!](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/donald-trump-makes-bizarre-dolly-072738863.html) (The formatting is from the link.) > [@](#): > > **Donald Trump** made a surprising claim about his relationship with Dolly Parton just one day after her death. The president revealed what he believes the country music icon secretly felt about him during a new interview. > > Donald Trump claimed Dolly Parton “really liked me” during an interview with Glenn Beck on Wednesday. The president made these remarks one day after the country music icon’s death sent shockwaves worldwide. He also stated that her passing feels like losing “a member of the family.” [Kurdistan? Nah, it’s “I don’t care about it-istan” now.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/us-plans-cut-off-military-194544469.html) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration is planning to cut off military aid to a key Middle East ally that helped the US defeat the Islamic State group (IS) and is now facing punishing attacks from Iran, according to four sources familiar with the matter. > > The US Department of Defense has told leaders of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in recent meetings that the administration is not planning to renew an expiring agreement that provides security assistance to the Peshmerga, the Kurdish security force. > > The BBC spoke to two officials who participated in the talks and two other sources with direct knowledge of the issue. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the talks, details of which have not been previously reported. > > Kurdish officials fear the funding cut would create a power vacuum and embolden Iran, which has fired hundreds of missiles and drones into Iraqi Kurdistan since US President Donald Trump started the war with Tehran. > > Ending the Peshmerga’s security assistance would undermine a longtime partner in Iraq, analysts said, and send the message that the US cannot be trusted to back its allies in the region. > > “The US would be cutting off the Kurds, who shed so much blood to help the Americans achieve their goals in Iraq and the wider Middle East,” Yerevan Saeed, the director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at American University, said. > > “This is going to be a big win for Iran, China, and Russia if the Kurds are left so exposed.” [Now the Pentagon has a new tool to spy on Americans in America.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/pentagon-employee-launches-dsa-explorer-183244957.html) > [@](#): > > A [Defense Department](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/department-defense) employee known online as the conservative influencer “DataRepublican” has launched a website mapping the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and a broader network of [left-wing activist organizations](https://www.newsweek.com/political-violence-left-wing-extremism-donald-trump-gaza-deportation-riots-2083162), raising new questions about political targeting, government ethics, and the [Trump administration](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/trump-administration)’s increasingly confrontational stance toward some activist groups. > > The website, called DSA Explorer, was launched Friday and describes itself as an interactive map showing organizations and individuals connected to the DSA and what it calls a wider “anti-imperialist solidarity network.” The site says it draws from publicly available information and includes a disclaimer warning that some relationships shown are based on analytical inferences rather than established affiliations. > > Its debut comes just days after reports identified the woman behind DataRepublican, Jennica Pounds, as a special government employee at the [Pentagon](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/pentagon). > > A Pentagon official confirmed to _Newsweek_ that Pounds works for the department as “a Special Government Employee,” and said the department had nothing further to add. Special government employee? Yeah, right. [Federal judge tells the convict he’s still a convict.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-still-convicted-criminal-judge-173804452.html) > [@](#): > > A [federal](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/federal) [judge](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/judge) on Friday again rejected President [Donald Trump](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/donald-trump)’s attempt to erase his [New York](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/new-york) hush‑money conviction, refusing to move the case into federal court or dismiss it on presidential‑immunity grounds. This leaves Trump’s felony conviction fully intact as he continues to challenge the case while serving as president. > > U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein said Trump’s renewed arguments were “neither new nor legally sufficient,” adding that the president “has failed to show good cause and diligence.” > > It marks the third time Hellerstein has refused Trump’s bid to wrest control of the case away from the New York court where he was tried and convicted. Third time? Of couse. The felon’s a three-time (at least) loser! [Now the felon wants to take over two countries in the Pacific.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-eye-pacific-island-nations-211403712.html) > [@](#): > > A new Truth Social post from [President Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/) is raising eyebrows after it appeared to portray two Pacific island nations as U.S. territories, even though both are independent countries. > > The post adds [Micronesia and the Marshall Islands](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117170728106332198) to a growing list of places Trump has discussed bringing under U.S. ownership, control or influence. > > The White House has not explained the post, but it is the latest example of Trump’s interest in expanding U.S. influence beyond its current borders. Since returning to office, the president has revived [calls to acquire Greenland](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/07/07/trump-us-greenland-control-nato-summit/90836515007/), floated the idea of making [Venezuela the 51st state](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/05/13/trump-venezuela-51st-us-state/90064907007/) and suggested the United States could one day [claim control of the Strait of Hormuz](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/14/trump-straight-of-hormuz-territory-iran-war/91310185007/). & > [@](#): > > With Micronesia and the Marshall Islands now appearing in a post labeled “U.S. Territories,” Trump’s latest social media message is fueling fresh questions about how far those ambitions extend. [War on Transgender people continues in court.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-administration-asks-supreme-court-191555268.html) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration on Friday [asked](https://glad-org-wpom.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20260828_Talbott-USA_Writ-of-Certiorari.pdf) the Supreme Court to weigh in on whether a ban on transgender service members in the military violates the Constitution. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer called a decision by a federal appeals court that barred the government from enforcing the ban “gravely erroneous.” “If allowed to stand,” Sauer told the justices, the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit “would represent an ‘unprecedented intervention into military affairs,’ in contravention of this Court’s precedents requiring ‘defer[ence] to the political branches’ military judgments.” > > The Trump administration adopted the policy last year, shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration for his second term. Trump signed an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/prioritizing-military-excellence-and-readiness/) that required Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to put into effect a ban on “individuals with gender dysphoria.” > > On Feb. 26, the Department of Defense [issued that ban](https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Spotlight/2025/Guidance_For_Federal_Policies/Prioritizing_Military_Excellence_and_Readiness_P&R_Guidance.pdf), which generally disqualifies anyone who either has gender dysphoria or has undergone medical interventions to treat gender dysphoria from serving in the military. The department explained that “the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.” [US ambassador to Belgium summoned for acting like his boss.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/belgium-summons-u-ambassador-over-213853719.html) > [@](#): > > Aug. 28 (UPI) – Belgium’s foreign minister on Friday summoned U.S Ambassador Bill White over an Instagram story the U.S. diplomat posted targeting the country’s health minister. > > White posted an AI-generated image of Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke on a cigar box, apparently mocking the minister’s efforts to change how alcohol companies display health warnings on products. > > The box read, “Damages every form of joy in life,” while White captioned the image, “Who’s the biggest loser in Belgium?” > > “It is unacceptable that an ambassador uses such insulting language against a member of government,” Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said in a statement to [Politico](https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-maxime-prevot-summons-us-ambassador-bill-white-again-over-jibe-at-health-minister-frank-vandenbroucke/). [The felon’s war on the environment hits the third-oldest US national park.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-govt-mulls-deal-away-211905972.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump’s administration is considering giving away a section of the renowned Yosemite National Park to a private developer. > > An investigation published Friday by NOTUS, a news outlet, said the government has spent over a year quietly working to transfer a roughly quarter-mile strip of the park to a company linked through a web of other entities to Nevada-based Kingsbarn Realty Capital. > > It is the latest move by the Trump administration to roll back conservation protections of public lands. > > In July, the president slashed two Utah national monuments by more than 90 percent, and this month his administration moved to end a rule barring logging and road-building in national forests. > > A Kingsbarn-controlled limited liability company purchased an 83-acre plot just outside the park in 2024, and Kingsbarn CEO Jeff Pori wants to build a road connecting the property to one of Yosemite’s thoroughfares – giving the land “exceptionally rare private access,” NOTUS said, citing people familiar with the discussions. [Holy cow!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-looks-ease-beef-processing-145243200.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration will seek changes to allow farmers and ranchers to slaughter and process their own products in response to calls to loosen the grip of the big companies that dominate U.S. meat processing. > > “I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD,” Trump said in [a post on Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117173109426335170). “This should move quickly.” > > The president’s announcement follows [his proclamation earlier this week](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/26/trump-signs-controversial-beef-import-plan-despite-ranchers-backlash-01051730) allowing an increase in beef imports over the next three months as part of a broader effort to bring down food prices ahead of the midterms. Trump also signaled his interest in addressing ranchers’ concerns about the so-called Big Four meat processors during an interview Wednesday with conservative commentator Glenn Beck. > > The Trump administration had already been weighing industry-friendly policies to quell ranchers’ backlash against the beef import plans after a previous proposal was shelved earlier this year amid similar complaints. > > Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins [said Friday in a post on X](https://x.com/SecRollins/status/2093321349439631591) that “big announcements” are coming starting next week, including “expanding truth in labeling,” prioritizing “real support for small processors (funding and deregulation)” and fighting consolidation. Any of y’all planning now on joining me in being vegetarian? ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8362 "2026-08-29T05:56:30Z")
> [@Monty's link](#): > > He also stated that her passing feels like losing “a member of the family.” I am sure it was exactly like losing a member of the family: the emotionally stunted idiot feels exactly nothing about anyone else but himself. He’d feel exactly the same - nothing - if one of his own children died. But he would layer on the grift for “funeral expenses” and use the platform to draw attention to himself. That is a cause he does care about. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8363 "2026-08-29T08:57:33Z")
I’ll take a wild guess and say that the headquarters will be called the President Donald J. Trump Space Academy Complex. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQ0wOKiWUAAOLRP?format=jpg&name=medium) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HQ0wOKiWUAAOLRP?format=jpg&name=medium) ---
**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:** [August 29, 2026, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8364 "2026-08-29T10:51:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > In his new book, _Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term? My Nonpartisan Legal Analysis_, renowned Harvard Law School professor emeritus [Alan Dershowitz](https://radaronline.com/t/alan-dershowitz/) \< spit take \> ---
**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:** [August 29, 2026, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8365 "2026-08-29T11:14:29Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Any of y’all planning now on joining me in being vegetarian? Well, I’m hoping my Michigan friends have a good deer-hunting season but… let’s just say I’m adding to my repertoire of legume-based recipes this year, and going forward. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2026, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8366 "2026-08-29T12:24:18Z")
@aurora_maire I’m honestly surprised te felon-who-painted-himself-into-a-corner-in-the-oval hasn’t ordered the Department of the Navy to also have a Marine Corps academy. ---
**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 29, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8367 "2026-08-29T14:10:11Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump is skipping the 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony in NYC because they won’t let him be the center of attention. Well, thank god for that, but really, how hard is it to imagine what he’d say? “We’re here to remember these people who died because Woke Leftists didn’t Protect the America they hate. But at least I had the tallest building in New York again, right? The Leftists had so much Trump Derangement Syndrome over that! By the way, I could have prevented 9/11 with one perfect phone call.” ---
**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 29, 2026, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8368 "2026-08-29T14:15:23Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Well, the exit wound is probably in the chest, so _technically_ he was shot there as well. Well, at some point there, the bullet was _in_ his chest, so it’s technically the truth… ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8369 "2026-08-29T14:20:57Z")
If the statement had just said “torso” (instead of “chest”), they probably would have gotten away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8370 "2026-08-29T16:46:29Z")
This situation reminds me of the German saying “von hinten durch die Brust ins Auge”: he was shot from behind in the eye through the chest. Strange they are not claiming suicide. > [@Monty](#): > > > Ending the Peshmerga’s security assistance would undermine a longtime partner in Iraq, analysts said, and send the message that the US cannot be trusted to back its allies in the region > > . Why should the USA be trusted to back its allies in Kurdistan of all places? > [@Monty](#): > > Any of y’all planning now on joining me in being vegetarian? I heard great things about lettuce recently. And not just that it outlasts British Prime Ministers when the tabloids need it. ---
**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 29, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8371 "2026-08-29T21:17:38Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > > [@Monty](#): > > > > In his new book, _Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term? My Nonpartisan Legal Analysis_, renowned Harvard Law School professor emeritus [Alan Dershowitz](https://radaronline.com/t/alan-dershowitz/) > > \< spit take \> Hey, as long as he’s got his underwear on… ---
**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 29, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8372 "2026-08-29T22:07:40Z")
Have you ever dreamed of joining the FBI but worried that that conviction for fucking a horse would disqualify you? Good news! > **[FBI Reportedly Loosens Hiring Rules So ‘Prostitution and Bestiality’ Are No...](https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/fbi-reportedly-loosens-hiring-rules-so-prostitution-and-bestiality-are-no-longer-automatic-disqualifiers/)** > > The FBI has reportedly relaxed hiring standards that previously automatically disqualified applicants who admitted to hiring prostitutes, engaging in bestiality, or stealing from an employer. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8373 "2026-08-29T22:19:22Z")
Fucking a horse shouldn’t disqualify you, but admitting to it should. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8374 "2026-08-29T22:28:47Z")
The crossed eyes make sense now. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8375 "2026-08-29T22:45:41Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > The crossed eyes make sense now Lol! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8376 "2026-08-30T01:17:42Z")
Do the FBI actually get a lot of horse-fuckers applying? I mean, how much of that actually goes on? Maybe…don’t tell me. ---
**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 30, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8377 "2026-08-30T01:21:40Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > The crossed eyes make sense now. Do keep in mind that out judicial system has affirmed that you have a Constitutional right to call Kash Patel a googly-eyed bitch. > **[Kash Patel Loses Lawsuit Against Man Who Called Him “Googly-Eyed” Chud](https://newrepublic.com/post/213675/kash-patel-loses-lawsuit-blogger-googly-eyed-kremlin-chud)** > > A federal judge has thrown out the FBI director’s lawsuit against a blogger who called him a “googly-eyed Kremlin bitch.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8378 "2026-08-30T02:41:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Have you ever dreamed of joining the FBI but worried that that conviction for fucking a horse would disqualify you? “No.” “…Neither have I. I was just asking.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8379 "2026-08-30T03:24:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Have you ever dreamed of joining the FBI but worried that that conviction for fucking a horse would disqualify you? > [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > “No.” Neigh… ---
**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:** [August 30, 2026, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/8380 "2026-08-30T05:02:11Z")
[They’re not wrong.](https://www.aol.com/articles/democrats-sound-alarm-us-venezuela-173945000.html) > [@](#): > > Democrats slammed Friday’s announcement by President Trump on a [new deal](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6058643-trump-says-he-secured-majority-u-s-control-of-large-slice-of-venezuelas-oil-reserve/) to acquire majority U.S. control of over 65 million barrels of Venezuelan oil. > > “Let’s be clear: this isn’t a win,” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D) wrote in a [social media post](https://x.com/ChrisVanHollen/status/2093712452990980560). > > “This is proof Trump put our service members at risk to get Venezuelan oil for his billionaire buddies,” he continued. “Putting our soldiers’ lives on the line for private profit is a gross dereliction of his constitutional duty.” [The felon-in-the-oval lost a battle in his war on the first amendment.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/judge-rules-against-trump-freedom-185625800.html) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration unconstitutionally threatened student journalists with [deportation for speaking out about the Israel-Palestine conflict](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-noem-rubio-gaza-student-protest-ruling-b2836814.html) and other hot-button issues, a California federal court ruled on Friday in a lawsuit from Stanford University’s student newspaper. > > “The government has offered a chilling message regarding protected speech — speak out against Israel or in support of Palestinians and we will revoke your visa and deport you,” District Judge Noël Wise, who was appointed by Joe Biden, wrote in her [ruling](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.454120/gov.uscourts.cand.454120.108.0.pdf). > > “Behave. Noncitizen students heard the warning and heeded,” she wrote. [You, too, can be a petulant toddler naming things after yourself.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/mapquest-navigates-lake-ontario-news-113646662.html) (The formatting is from the link.) > [@](#): > > MapQuest deftly found its way to internet gold with the news that President **Donald Trump** [had renamed Lake Ontario](https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-pitches-changing-name-of-lake-ontario-in-latest-salvo-of-canadian-tariff-tiff/) amid [a nasty trade war with Canada](https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/canadian-prime-minister-declares-we-got-attacked-after-u-s-levies-50-tariffs/), offering followers on X a “name generator” so they could share in the fun. > > Hours after Trump [signed an executive order to officially rename](https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-signs-executive-order-changing-name-of-lake-ontario-now-all-we-need-is-an-ocean/) the body of water Lake America, MapQuest — the tried-and-true 1990s pre-Google Maps favorite for everyday navigation — piped up on X. > > “We’re not changing it,” the company wrote, [scoring 3.1 million views on X](https://x.com/MapQuest/status/2093038963196117303). > > They followed up with a link to a name generator — urging folks to “name it whatever you want at your leisure” and “tag us in your work.” [Court puts ICE policy on ice.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/federal-appeals-court-strikes-down-213710722.html) > [@](#): > > Aug. 28 (UPI) – A federal appeals court on Friday ruled against a policy by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that greatly expanded detention for migrants living in the country for years. > > Under the Trump administration, ICE has changed its policies to treat people with extensive ties to the United States as still “seeking admission.” > > That policy shift allows the agency to subject people who have lived in the country for years to mandatory detention without bond. > > On Friday, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the policy, marking the eighth time ICE has been rejected over this same issue in federal appeals court. > > In more than 13,000 cases challenging the policy, judges have ruled against ICE more than 90% of the time, [Politico](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/13/mandatory-detention-ice-cases-rulings-database-00913988) reported. > > The federal panel said ICE’s policy is incongruent with the law, which is to be applied differently depending on how recently a specific person entered the country. > > “Contrary to the Government’s view, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (‘IIRIRA’) retained two tracks for detention even though it overhauled the procedures for removing noncitizens from the United States,” the court [wrote in its decision](https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28587062/ca3-detention.pdf). > > “Before IIRIRA, noncitizens arriving in the United States were subject to ‘exclusion’ and those already in the country were subject to ‘deportation’ – the former were held in mandatory detention while the latter were afforded bond.” > > The appeals court also ruled that ICE’s policy violates the Constitution’s Due Process Clause. > > “The Supreme Court has recognized the Fifth Amendment’s ‘Due Process Clause applies to all ‘persons’ within the United States, including aliens, whether their presence here is lawful, unlawful, temporary, or permanent.’” [And how much of a failure is Killer Kennedy? I’m so happy you asked!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/massive-public-health-failures-under-120000061.html) > [@](#): > > We’re coming to the end of a summer of food safety crises. As an Aug. 20 New Republic piece [flagged](https://newrepublic.com/post/214580/food-safety-keeps-getting-worse-trump-robert-f-kennedy-jr), in just one week, “the FDA has [discovered](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts) [salmonella in granola](https://newrepublic.com/post/214466/salmonella-granola-maha), [salad dressing](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/recall-jalapeno-avocado-dressing-because-possible-health-risk), [jalapenos](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hardies-fresh-foods-recalls-jalapenos-because-possible-health-risk), and [animal food](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/updated-omas-pride-voluntarily-recalls-one-lot-woof-complete-canine-chicken-recipe-6-lb-bag-because); glass in fruit [popsicles](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/updated-dreyers-grand-ice-cream-inc-issues-voluntary-recall-select-outshine-fruit-bars-due-possible); and metal in [sourdough](https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/updated-grand-central-bakery-seattle-recalls-potato-sourdough-bread-due-possible-foreign-object),” recalling 12 products — “a rate four times higher than the same week a year ago.” Of course, there were also the bouts of [diarrhea lettuce](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-multistate-outbreak-cyclospora-illnesses-iceberg-lettuce-july-2026) and [E. Coli blueberries](https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-e-coli-o145h28-frozen-blueberries-july-2026). All the jarring headlines about foodborne illnesses are perhaps the most visible indicator of how our public health has been endangered by the Trump administration. Turns out imposing sweeping staff and budget cuts on the FDA, CDC and HHS may not have been the best idea. > > But the broader damage RFK Jr. has done during his tenure as HHS secretary is extraordinary. Below, we take a quick look at some of the massive failures of public health under his watch. Bad teeth > [@](#): > > Community water fluoridation “was long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the last century,” [as the Associated Press put it](https://apnews.com/article/fluoride-water-cdc-kennedy-02d931af8f025877a9e3d332bf215c69), noting that the American Dental Association “credits it with reducing tooth decay by more than 25% in children and adults.” Sounds pretty good, right? > > Not if you’re RFK Jr. The HHS secretary has [called](https://www.propublica.org/article/fluoride-drinking-water-rfk-jr-michigan-cdc-hhs) fluoride “industrial waste” and spread misinformation about its health risks, prompting states including Utah and Florida to ban communities from adding it to public drinking water. ProPublica [reported](https://www.propublica.org/article/fluoride-drinking-water-rfk-jr-michigan-cdc-hhs) last year that lawmakers in at least 21 states have proposed measures to prohibit or roll back the addition of fluoride to public water systems. Trots > [@](#): > > “Parasite monitoring” is probably not the place to cut back on government funding. Yet RFK Jr.'s CDC [did just that](https://www.congress.gov/119/meeting/house/119466/documents/HMKP-119-JU00-20260715-SD010.pdf) in 2025, and then 2026 saw a catastrophic outbreak of cyclosporiasis, with [more than 17,000 cases](https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/cases/index.html) documented as of Aug. 2026, including 922 hospitalizations and two deaths. The main culprit: iceberg lettuce. Safe reproductive choice endangered > [@](#): > > Women in the United States are [dying preventable deaths and losing out on essential, basic reproductive healthcare services](https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/03/06/us-abortion-restrictions-causing-preventable-deaths) thanks to state abortion bans and cuts to Medicaid and the VA. Post-_Dobbs_, the abortion pill mifepristone, which is used in some two-thirds of abortions in the U.S., has been a godsend for women looking to end unwanted or unsafe pregnancies, particularly in states that have restricted access to the procedure. War on vaccines > [@](#): > > In a classic addition to the “Do Not Trust What People Say During Confirmation Hearings” genre, RFK Jr. promised not to dismantle U.S. vaccine policy during his 2025 Senate confirmation hearings, helping him win the crucial vote of physician and Republican Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy. You’ll never guess what happened next. > > Indeed, Kennedy has slashed the number of vaccines children are scheduled to receive; cancelled some $500 million in funding for 22 mRNA vaccine research projects; replaced the CDC’s expert vaccine advisory panel with cranks; and continued to [promote discredited links between vaccination and autism](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-frustrations-drove-vaccine-order-maha-wants-more-2026-08-24/). Almost eradicated diseases back with a vengeance > [@](#): > > In extremely related news, preventable diseases, particularly measles, [are on the rise](https://www.propublica.org/article/measles-cases-vaccines). Two unvaccinated people died from measles in Pennsylvania just this week, some of the over 2,700 cases reported nationally this year — a 38-year high, [per the New Republic](https://newrepublic.com/post/214729/rfk-jr-resignation-calls-two-people-die-measles-vaccines). (RFK baselessly [claimed](https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/2092723195228909676?s=46&t=G6D1OoYklEVF3UCZEqHT9A) that “hopeful staffers” in Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office “altogether fabricated” the two deaths, which is pretty repugnant.) [Falklands? Islas Malvinas? Trumislandia?](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/us-threatens-britain-over-falklands-193710753.html) > [@](#): > > The United States has threatened to oppose Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands if Andy Burnham does not increase defence spending, The Telegraph can reveal. > > The proposal is among measures being drawn up by [senior defence officials at the Pentagon](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026/04/24/pentagons-falklands-threats-misguided/) as an incentive to hit Nato’s 5 per cent spending pledge. > > A senior US official told The Telegraph that Britain was likely to receive “special attention” in Washington’s review of its allies’ commitment to Nato, which will examine whether member nations have credible paths toward the target. > > Officials in Washington believe that while Britain has the potential to be a leading defence partner, the defence investment plan, announced by Sir Keir Starmer in June, was not enough of a “step in the right direction”. > > “I would expect the UK to receive special attention because it has so much potential,” the official said of the review. “We will therefore continue efforts to incentivise and enable the UK to step up in a major way.” > > Asked about the prospect of [the US changing its position on the Falklands,](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/05/13/furious-falkland-islanders-clear-message-milei-argentina/) they added: “I can say that they [conversations] are candid and nothing is being ruled out as far as options for encouraging the sort of burden-sharing that we seek.” [The racist-in-chief accidentally violates a treaty with the Seneca Nation.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/seneca-nation-requests-reversal-lake-115920835.html) > [@](#): > > Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca called Friday for President Trump to rescind his order to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” citing a 225-year-old treaty between Native Americans and the U.S. government. > > Seneca said in a statement that this name change, which President Trump authorized in a [Thursday executive order](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6055425-lake-america-executive-order/), violated the terms of the [1794 Treaty of Canandaigua](https://nysm.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/Treaty-of-Canandaigua_a.pdf). > > “The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action,” he said in a statement. > > President George Washington and leaders of the Haudenosaunee confederacy, which includes the Seneca Nation, signed the treaty to assert a shared commitment to peace. The document laid out the Seneca Nation’s boundaries as “beginning on Lake Ontario.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=418) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=420)