# 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:** 469
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9361 "2026-10-09T04:18:19Z")
It’s another feature of the current regime: the company we keep. The other countries that have public executions are North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9362 "2026-10-09T04:32:55Z")
I _think_ it refers to the plot to commit mass murder at Mall of America. The would be shooter is Somali, so it only makes sense to kill 'em all. When I heard the breaking news, before any details were given, I thought “please don’t let it be an immigrant; please don’t let it be any person of color”. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9363 "2026-10-09T08:47:45Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > No he doesn’t, actually, because in WWII our mentality was **opposed** to the fascist Nazi thugs. It depends on which side he meant by “we”. We seem to be edging closer to the plot of _[Whoops Apocalypse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoops_Apocalypse_(film))_. In that, the insane British Prime Minister has disloyal party members crucified at Wembley and solves the unemployment problem by pushing people off a cliff. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9364 "2026-10-09T10:36:09Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Me, THE ENEMY? OK, I’ll accept that. It’s alright with me. The con’s enemy is just alright with me! > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I guess this is true then… What platform do they plan on livestreaming that barbarism? I would venture there isn’t an platforms at all which would permit it under their terms of service. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > From the [New York Times article](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/us/politics/fort-hood-execution-streamed-public.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVE.dr0z.A3oWZIZKv1L8&smid=url-share) on this abomination: > > > … > > Mr. Hegseth said that the decision to shoot Major Hasan by a firing squad, as well as other details of the execution, were chosen for their symbolism. > > > > “Of course we’re going to do it at Fort Hood,” Mr. Hegseth said. “And do it on a Thursday and we’re going to do it at 1 o’clock — which is when he did it — and it’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad. It hadn’t been since World War II since we’ve done that.” > > > > He continued, “Well I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II.” I bet he was drooling while he was reciting his revenge fantasy. Whom do I kid? I bet he was orgasming. I’m also curious how he plans to get those soldiers on the firing squad. Those who either volunteer for it or accept assignment to it are evidencing, to quote Mork, a Catch 44 (It’s like a Catch 22, but twice as bad). Their mentality is not what one would want in a memer of the military. And he’s frothing over the execution of [Private Eddie Slovik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik)? I think that’s all you need to know about his view of justice. > [@Odesio](#): > > He describes the governor of Minnesota as wanting to “get out of town with as much as he can steal, and then, lead a quiet life.” Every accusation really is an admission for Trump. Has anyone asked Tan the Conman how many felonies the governor’s been convicted of? > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Next time: burning at the stake. **That** will pull in a lot of viewers. At Easter, crucifixion. People will love it. Crucifixion would be on Good Friday. And you know how into the gory details a certain failed officer is. > [@jsc1953](#): > > This seems so random. What did minnesota do to piss him off today? One or more of the following: - Had non-Christians in the state. - Had non-Whites in the state. - Had non-Republicans in the state. - Had people who did not vote for him in the state. > [@jsc1953](#): > > It’s another feature of the current regime: the company we keep. The other countries that have public executions are North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia. And each one with the exact same guarantees to the accused that the secretary of war crimes wants in our country. Come to think of, now I’m wondering how he performed when he had to conduct non-judicial proceedings for the soldiers unfortunate enough to be under his command. This just occurred to me. Doesn’t the execution protocol in every state, district, territory, and military branch require the presence of a doctor? Doctors should unite and simply refuse to be particpate in this barbarism. > [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > I _think_ it refers to the plot to commit mass murder at Mall of America. The would be shooter is Somali, so it only makes sense to kill 'em all. > When I heard the breaking news, before any details were given, I thought “please don’t let it be an immigrant; please don’t let it be any person of color”. It does not matter if they were or not. The magaflatearthers would still accuse them of it. Just like what I think is going to happen when the felon finally croaks. > [@Gyrate](#): > > We seem to be edging closer to the plot of _[Whoops Apocalypse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoops_Apocalypse_(film))_. In that, the insane British Prime Minister has disloyal party members crucified at Wembley and solves the unemployment problem by pushing people off a cliff. Close enough. The felon is pushing the entire country off a cliff. [The Cankler really cannot let go of a grudge.](https://www.aol.com/articles/grand-jury-probing-jan-6-182135000.html) > [@](#): > > WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into ex-Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson for [allegedly lying to Congress in testimony](https://nypost.com/2025/12/31/us-news/cassidy-hutchinson-ruled-out-as-credible-witness-in-trump-jan-6-case-jack-smith/) about the 45th president’s actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, The Post has learned. > > A federal grand jury was empaneled earlier this week to hear evidence and witness testimony about Hutchinson’s alleged false statements to lawmakers, sources familiar with the probe said. > > The investigation, under the auspices of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, was first reported by Punchbowl News, which also claimed Hutchinson has not yet received a subpoena to appear. > > It’s unclear what testimony is under scrutiny. Hutchinson, 29, served as a “star” witness for the House Select January 6th Committee that probed President Trump and his allies for actions leading up to the Capitol riot. > > That investigation later fed into special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump in 2023 and 2024 for making knowingly false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and seeking to overturn Joe Biden’s victory. > > Smith testified to a House panel last December that Hutchinson only provided “[secondhand hearsay](https://nypost.com/2025/12/31/us-news/cassidy-hutchinson-ruled-out-as-credible-witness-in-trump-jan-6-case-jack-smith/)” and wouldn’t have been a reliable witness for his purposes. > > Hutchinson had previously testified in a made-for-TV hearing in June 2022 that Trump had screamed, “Take me up to the Capitol now!” and lunged at the wheel of his Secret Service-driven SUV, known as “the Beast,” on Jan. 6, 2021. [Judge grills the DOJ attorneys about why their statements to the court contradict the felon’s public statements.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/judge-presses-justice-department-justifications-002327590.html) > [@](#): > > Washington — The Justice Department and lawyers for CNN, MS NOW and Politico were back in court Thursday in the legal battle over President Trump’s decision to ban reporters from the three news outlets from the White House over what he said is their negative coverage of his administration. > > U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly is considering whether to grant the news outlets longer-term relief after issuing an order last month that temporarily blocked Mr. Trump’s bans and required the White House to reinstate the reporters’ access to the complex. > > During the hearing, Kelly expressed skepticism about the Trump administration’s justification for banning the reporters, repeatedly questioning why the government’s arguments in court appeared to differ from Mr. Trump’s public statements centered on negative news coverage. > > Kelly’s temporary restraining order was set to expire Thursday, but will remain in place through Tuesday. As a result, reporters for the three news outlets will continue to have access to the White House into early next week. The judge said he will issue his decision on the journalists’ request for a preliminary injunction no later than Tuesday. > > During the hearing, Ted Boutrous, who argued on behalf of the trio of news organizations, urged Kelly to impose a preliminary injunction preventing the White House from depriving the news outlets and their reporters of White House access while the case proceeds. The president’s ban impacts 78 credentialed journalists across the three media organizations, he said. > > Mr. Trump, Boutrous said, has been making “nasty” comments about the press for many years and has made clear that his ban against CNN, MS NOW and Politico was a result of reporting that he dislikes. It appears the president “got up on the wrong side of the bed” and declared a ban on the three news organizations, he said. > > But Michael Velchik, senior counsel of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said the president determined that reporters for the outlets failed to meet minimum professional journalistic standards and published articles that put national security at risk. > > Still, Kelly, who Mr. Trump appointed, said the president “seems to have said publicly and on several occasions” that he was taking action “because of X and Y, and now the government is coming to court saying no, it was actually Z.” > > That fact pattern, he said, “is a hard one to find.” Kelly said it will be an “uphill climb” for the government to identify cases where the decisionmaker says on-the-record he is taking specific action for reasons that differ from what is then laid out in court. [The felon’s war on migrants hits Microsoft.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-admin-freezes-green-card-152414764.html) (The **bolding** is mine.) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration has halted new and pending green-card applications involving Microsoft, Adobe and six IT services companies, widening its crackdown on skilled-worker immigration. > > Vice President JD Vance announced the move Thursday at a press conference, accusing Microsoft of abusing the visa system and prioritizing foreign workers over Americans. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling said the suspension covers permanent labor certification applications involving all eight companies. > > Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Capgemini will be barred from the program, Sonderling said at the press conference. > > “Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” Vance, who leads the administration’s [anti-fraud task force](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/13/republicans-vance-fraud-trump-reconciliation-midterms-01035806), said at the press conference. > > The announcement is the result of an administrationwide effort to crack down on alleged abuse of work visa systems. Vance on Thursday accused tech giant Microsoft of fraud, citing the company’s decision to eliminate thousands of workers earlier this year. > > U.S. tech companies often rely on H-1B visas to hire foreign-born workers with specialized technical skills. > > **“For every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one-and-a-half foreign indentured servants,” Vance said.** > > A spokesperson for Microsoft in a statement to POLITICO said the company would provide the Trump administration with further information about the immigration status of its employees: “Of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. These were not to hire new people.” > > The spokesperson added that the company “only files H-1B petitions for those who meet the rigorous standards of this visa category” and **H-1B visa holders are paid the same as other employees doing “comparable work.”** So, yet again, the felon and his flock of fools (we need a new mass noun for these mass criminals) are punishing people without proof. [The felon wants to know why he has to have a reason to kill people.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/not-workable-trump-admin-tells-202635442.html) > [@](#): > > The Trump administration is imploring a federal judge to reconsider a recent court order that requires the government to reveal its justification for fatal attacks on boats in the Caribbean. > > On Thursday, in a [15-page motion for reconsideration](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.654371/gov.uscourts.nysd.654371.76.0.pdf), the U.S. Department of Justice asked U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, a Barack Obama appointee, to let the government keep secret a list of people who are already privy to the relevant information. > > The information in question is a highly sought-after memorandum prepared by the [Office of Legal Counsel](https://lawandcrime.com/tag/olc/) (OLC) containing the legal analysis, or justification, undergirding the controversial boat attacks. The memo is also believed to contain what the judge terms “facts or factual premises” about the circumstances of the attacks. [89% of voters believe Tan the Conman is running yet another con.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-keeps-changing-gets-5-070500478.html) > [@](#): > > Politicians all over the world have been grappling with how to deal with low voter turnout, as it keeps falling in recent decades even as the number of countries holding elections (and the voters voting in them) has grown, according to [International IDEA](https://www.idea.int/publications/catalogue/voter-turnout-trends-around-world). Some jurisdictions have implemented paid holidays from work while political campaigns increasingly offer rides to the polls. Then the president of the United States recently began toying with another, arguably more enticing initiative: offering cash. > > Should the GOP sweep the midterms come November, President Donald Trump promised [every American](https://fortune.com/2026/09/10/trump-5000-dividend-national-debt-kent-smetters/?utm_source=search&utm_medium=suggested_search&utm_campaign=search_link_clicks) adult a $5,000 check in their mailbox. It’s not the first time the noted dealmaker offered such a deal, but what is fresh is new [details](https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/09/trump-dividend-america-is-winning-and-americans-should-win-with-it/) of who will actually get the check, which seemingly change with every passing day as the election draws closer. > > As a result, voters are taking Trump’s word with a grain of salt. An Economist and YouGov poll from September [found](https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/55566-2026-election-midterms-donald-trump-terrorism-september-11-14-2026-economist-yougov-poll) that only 21% of registered voters think Trump would “definitely or probably would” issue that $5,000 dividend if Republicans retain control of Congress, while more than half (57%) said he probably or definitely would not. Even among Republicans, less than half (45%) think Trump will follow through. [Secretary of war crimes is allergic to congressional oversight, evidently.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/senator-says-pete-hegseth-blocked-165204544.html) > [@](#): > > Democratic US Senator **Chris Murphy** recently said that Secretary of War **[Pete Hegseth](https://www.realitytea.com/2026/10/06/senator-thom-tillis-regrets-voting-pete-hegseth-pentagon/)** denied him access to the Pentagon’s major military base in the Persian Gulf. Murphy was visiting Doha, Qatar, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of a congressional delegation. > > US Senator Chris Murphy recently spoke with reporters during his visit to Riyadh. There, he said Pete Hegseth denied him entry to the Pentagon’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. > > He further accused the Donald Trump administration of attempting to hide the impact of the Iran-US war on the base. Murphy posted a video on his X account in which he said, “Something unprecedented happened during my trip to the Middle East, and that is this: I have been denied total access to US military facilities in the region, in particular in Qatar, the Al Udeid Air Base, which is one of our biggest and most important facilities in the region.” > > He described the restriction as a “coordinated, deliberate campaign” by Hegseth to hide the damage at the military base during the Iran war. [They’ve got your back, my honky!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-official-lauds-admin-protecting-164910499.html) > [@](#): > > Republicans are bracing for an electoral spanking in the upcoming midterms, but they can rest assured that the Trump administration is focused on the most important issue on voters’ minds: protecting white guys. > > On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials held a press conference touting efforts to curb alleged fraud in visa programs. The effort is part of the Trump administration’s transparent efforts to curb non-white immigration into the United States, and they said as much to the gathered audience. > > Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson, who is also the vice chair of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, touted the work of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to “protect white American men from discrimination,” and protect Americans from “national origin discrimination.” [The war criminal still thinks he deserves a peace prize.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/im-not-bragging-trump-makes-211325601.html) > [@](#): > > President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/) is making a last-minute play for the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing that he should win the award that will be given out this week by a Norwegian organization for settling eight conflicts and intervening to keep Iran from [developing a nuclear weapon](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2026/09/22/trump-united-nations-general-assembly-2026-updates--live/91879521007/). > > Asked in the Oval Office about the prestigious prize that the Norwegian Nobel Institute will give out on Oct. 9, Trump alluded to the unsolved war between [Russia and Ukraine](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/10/05/trump-pneumonic-plague-russia/92108852007/) that his administration has been trying to stop and said he should win the award for getting Israeli hostages back from Hamas. > > “I’m not bragging. I’m just telling you the facts. No president probably has settled any wars. I settled eight wars, and big ones,” Trump told journalists. [Someone’s looking for the felon’s approval.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kash-patel-fbi-removes-video-184621451.html) > [@](#): > > With four weeks until Election Day, the FBI released [a campaign-season video](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-patel-election-video-midterms-abdul-el-sayed) to social media this week that was decidedly unsubtle in its glorification of Kash Patel, the bureau’s troubled director. That was not, however, what made the video controversial. > > Though the FBI is ostensibly apolitical, the two-minute clip, posted Tuesday, also condemned “democratic socialist leaders” and [called out a series of prominent Democrats by name](https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/fbi-patel-election-video-midterms-abdul-el-sayed), including Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, who just happens to be the Democratic nominee in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races. > > The bureau’s ad, which happened to be released as the early voting window started to open in several states, went on to condemn progressive policies on criminal justice as a “complete failure,” which is certainly in line with Republican Party talking points but isn’t exactly bolstered by evidence. > > [A report in The New Republic](https://newrepublic.com/post/216292/kash-patel-fbi-campaign-ads-donald-trump) added, “Federal law [clearly prohibits](https://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-action/legal-complaints/trumps-taxpayer-funded-propaganda-ads-violate-multiple-federal-laws/) the use of government funds for [campaign purposes](https://ethics.house.gov/manual/general-prohibition-against-using-official-resources-for-campaign-or-political-purposes/), partisan political messaging, and propaganda. A wildly inaccurate attack ad against a Democratic candidate would more than count under all three of these categories — and it’s more than a little ironic that the FBI’s latest video preaching law and order likely violated federal law.” > > And then something unexpected happened: Two days after the video was posted, the FBI took it down without explanation. [The conman says the Reflecting Sump is now vandal-proof.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/trump-says-reflecting-pool-totally-173007948.html) > [@](#): > > President **Donald Trump** said repairs to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are nearly finished, with the landmark expected to be refilled this week after infrastructure and landscaping work. > > On Tuesday, Trump spoke with reporters outside the White House about the Reflecting Pool in a video shared on **X** by the Rapid Response 47 account. > > “I think they’re going to fill it up this week. The Reflecting Pool is totally complete,” Trump said. > > The President said vandalism had prompted additional work to protect the landmark. > > “We had vandalism there and we have it about as vandal-proof as you can get,” he said. “But only sick people do that, and we have their pictures” Of course this is 100% in contradiction to verified facts of there being 0% vandalism to the thing. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9365 "2026-10-09T11:08:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > From the article: > > “The execution will be livestreamed, according to a Defense Department official, though it’s not yet clear on which platform.” Gee, I wonder. > Utterly disgusting, as is anyone who watches it. Reminds me of his scene from the first **Starship Troopers** movie > [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8Bn5lxZyNBI](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8Bn5lxZyNBI) Bonus Fun Fact - The condemned murderer is screenwriter Edward Neumeier (who also wrote the screenplay for _RoboCop_) ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9366 "2026-10-09T11:56:26Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Their mentality is not what one would want in a mem[b]er of the military. It’s exactly who Petey wants. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9367 "2026-10-09T12:01:45Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It’s exactly who Petey wants. Yeah, more the pity, isn’t it? [Guess who just got passed over for a legitimate Peace Prize!](https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/nobel-peace-prize-awarded-norway-040329869.html) > [@](#): > > OSLO, Norway (AP) — Navi Pillay, a South African-born jurist and former U.N. human rights chief whose career has spanned from defending the rights of an imprisoned Nelson Mandela to leading a panel that found that [Israel committed genocide in Gaza](https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-genocide-palestinians-c9d40ab3714b46957c5716132f9eb2a6), won the [Nobel Peace Prize](https://apnews.com/quiz/in-the-news-nobel-prize-peace) on Friday for her efforts to promote international law as it comes under attack. > > Her win is sure to be seen as a high-profile rebuke to [U.S. President Trump](https://apnews.com/article/trump-international-criminal-court-sanctions-lawsuit-8b71013c8a426582b5e5425d2b99e8e2) and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu](https://apnews.com/article/icc-israel-hamas-warrants-netanyahu-palestinian-arrest-73c854d072e0a1a41b19b2cb2cdd07fa), who have both rejected the findings of the U.N. commission she led on [Gaza](https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-genocide-palestinians-c9d40ab3714b46957c5716132f9eb2a6). The leaders also have been highly critical of the [International Court of Justice](https://apnews.com/article/israel-icj-court-gaza-palestinians-d372177d46cc3e21740631a1acb2169b) and the International Criminal Court; Pillay has worked at both. > > Pillay’s work “is a source of hope and inspiration to all those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world,” said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the [Norwegian Nobel Committee](https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes), in announcing her win in Oslo, Norway, as part of the peace prize’s 125th anniversary. > > The Norwegian committee said it sought to strengthen international law at a time of conflict, and Watne Frydnes said Pillay’s award was a message to those seeking to undermine “the international rules-based system and the institutions.” > > While her career has been global in scope, criticism often has been fiercely local, notably in [places like Israel](https://apnews.com/video/crime-israel-government-benjamin-netanyahu-law-enforcement-genocide-d92f50b74f494976976b368eca65d898) and in apartheid-era South Africa as she and peers took on some of the world’s most painful and sensitive legal issues and most vulnerable populations. > > Pillay, 85, received the news while attending a forum in Nuremberg, Germany, the location of the trials of Nazi war criminals that helped lay the foundations of international law. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9368 "2026-10-09T12:34:47Z")
Another event whose profile, IMHO, should be elevated a bit: > **[What’s behind the US decision not to invite OSCE election observers](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/global-elections/the-us-is-not-inviting-osce-election-observers-heres-why/92119305)** > > Ahead of November mid-term elections, the US has not invited any observers from the – currently Swiss-chaired – OSCE. > Ahead of its mid-term elections, the US has done something more typically associated with Russia: it has not invited any observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Here’s who we’re talking about: > **[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_for_Security_and_Co-operation_in_Europe)** > > The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and free and fair elections. It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna, Austria, and its institutions. It has observer status at the United Nations. T... > The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the promotion of human rights, freedom of the press, and free and fair elections. It employs around 3,460 people, mostly in its field operations but also in its secretariat in Vienna, Austria, and its institutions.[2] It has observer status at the United Nations.[3] It’s 50-ish years old. The two inveterate gadfly member states are Russia and Belarus. While I didn’t find much discussion of the OSCE on the Dope, there – of course – is some: > [@OSCE: Belarus election "not free, not fair." Now what?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osce-belarus-election-not-free-not-fair-now-what/349171): > > Yesterday’s presidential election in Belarus returned a purported 82% of the vote for incumbent Alexander Lukashenko, but observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe say the election did not meet international standards for a free and fair election. The opposition is calling for a new vote. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/20/belarus.poll.results/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/20/belarus.poll.results/index.html) In view of what happened in Ukraine in 2004 – the “Orange Revolution,” which succeeded with internation… This, to me, is a HUGE “shocked, but totally unsurprised” event, virtually lost in the Sturm and Drang of the Trump Administration. But a very, very bad sign. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9369 "2026-10-09T13:30:56Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > (not real - stolen from the internet) It is, but 15 minutes into the future. Someone out there in the betting world had the idea, and hey’re figuring out how to implement it. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9370 "2026-10-09T13:37:59Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I bet he was drooling while he was reciting his revenge fantasy. Whom do I kid? I bet he was orgasming. I saw the video clip of Kegsbreath talking about this on the _USS Lincoln._ Yes, he was way too enthused about the whole thing. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9371 "2026-10-09T13:47:58Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I saw the video clip of Kegsbreath talking about this on the _USS Lincoln._ Yes, he was way too enthused about the whole thing. That’s because he completely misunderstands the expression _cream of the crop_. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9372 "2026-10-09T13:51:03Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > > Ahead of its mid-term elections, the US has done something more typically associated with Russia: it has not invited any observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) I bet they have not invited any pesky observers from the nasty, woke EU either. Just for context: I happened to be in the EU’s Parliament’s elections observers delegation in Venezuela in 2006 as one of the delegation’s interpreters. That was Chavez’ Venezuela, FFS! Even they wanted to pretend that they were playing fair by the rules. The current US government (the word administration suggests some degree of competence I don’t see, only evil intent, so I will no longer use the word for this regime) does not care about that. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9373 "2026-10-09T13:51:48Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Even they wanted to pretend that they were playing fair by the rules. And were they? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9374 "2026-10-09T13:54:57Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The current US government (the word administration suggests some degree of competence I don’t see, only evil intent, so I will no longer use the word for this regime) And that’s exactly why I’ve been calling it _dysministration_. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9375 "2026-10-09T13:56:04Z")
_Maladministration_? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9376 "2026-10-09T13:59:56Z")
Yes and no. They did not give the oposition fair airing time in the state media, the regime gave out inorderly amounts of food and services to people making sure they knew where it was coming from and what they expected in return, the president (Chávez) held his interminably long press conferences aka unscripted TV talk shows (**[Alló Presidente!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al%C3%B3_Presidente)**), and, most importantly, they did not allow many opposition members to stand as candidates, often on spurious grounds. So no, the elections were not fair and equitable. But they seemed not to manipulate the counting of the votes cast, nor did they prevent people from voting, and they did not seem to stuff the votes. So tecnically, _ **on election day** _, it was quite fair. The process leading to election day, not so much. This, of course, is a very summarized version of the final report, which I did not write myself. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9377 "2026-10-09T14:03:55Z")
Interesting, thanks, the way I remembered it was that the elections were fair (which was correct) but I did not know about the process issues. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9378 "2026-10-09T14:27:02Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > _Maladministration_? Nope. VLADministration. After Canadians read this article, pretty sure there’ll be even less daring to venture south now. > **[Arrests and detentions of Canadians spike in the U.S. Travel registrations...](https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/arrests-and-detentions-of-canadians-spike-in-the-us-travel-registrations-surge-too/)** > > Global Affairs Canada says the number of arrest and detention cases involving Canadians citizens has jumped 60 per cent. > [@](#): > > “These are not people that live in Canada and come shopping down here. These are people like me who live here, who work here and who have green cards, and they’re concerned about their status now.” > [@](#): > > Global Affairs published its [annual report on consular cases Thursday.](https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2026/10/supporting-canadians-abroad-canadas-annual-consular-data-report-looks-back-at-2025-to-2026.html "https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2026/10/supporting-canadians-abroad-canadas-annual-consular-data-report-looks-back-at-2025-to-2026.html") It recorded 577 cases of Canadians arrested or detained in the U.S. between April 2025 and March 2026, up from 361 a year prior. > [@](#): > > Over that same period, the number of visits by Canadians to the U.S. dropped 25 per cent, from 26.8 million visits in 2024-25 to 20 million visits in 2025-26. > [@](#): > > He said Canadians might find themselves on a fast track to deportation because of decades-old sentences relating to assault, drug possession or drunk driving. Others, he said, have overstayed on temporary visas, sometimes for decades. Sure, despite the fact that: > [@](#): > > “A lot of Canadians are naive and don’t realize that as a permanent resident, they actually can’t vote in the United States,” he said. …should that really be justification for deportation? So, to wit: > [@](#): > > In the past, [Len Saunders, an immigration lawyer based in Blaine, Wash.] said, such people could seek American citizenship and sign a declaration acknowledging an illegal vote, expressing remorse and apologizing. “There would be no problem and they would naturalize them as Americans,” he said. Ultimately, the more Canadians leaving the the US - regardless of whatever their particular circumstances were - is increasingly fine by me. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9379 "2026-10-09T14:34:18Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > (EDIT: What’s up with no fucking quotebox, there?) You have to put both “[quote]” and “[/quote]” tags on their own line with no other text or characters on the line. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2026, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/9380 "2026-10-09T14:37:46Z")
Put the “[/quote]” tag on its own line - still not pretty. Not sure why I didn’t encounter that problem with all my other quotes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=468) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=470)