# 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:** 81
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1601 "2026-01-16T04:48:39Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > He does want that prize. Have you seen the Oval Office? It is absolutely festooned with gold plated doo-dads and this is yet another doo-dad he can add. And probably the most important gold-plated doo-dad to this peacenik president. Check what I wrote. I didn’t say he didn’t want it. He just wants it for the wrong reasons, chiefly the money. He certainly doesn’t want it on merit because, let’s face it, he’s never earned anything other than scorn. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1602 "2026-01-16T04:51:17Z")
I hear he has also won his 5th prestigious “Michigan Man of the Year” award in a row. > [@Monty](#): > > Check what I wrote. I didn’t say he didn’t want it. He just wants it for the wrong reasons, chiefly the money. He certainly doesn’t want it on merit because, let’s face it, he’s never earned anything other than scorn. Sorry, wasn’t trying to dismiss what you wrote. He does want it for all the wrong reasons. Being a gold-plated shiny thing to add to his gaudy oval office is #1. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1603 "2026-01-16T05:06:19Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > The White House said Trump’s plan would codify his efforts to lower drug prices by tying prices to the lowest price paid by other countries. Whenever there are trade discussions between Australia and the US, one of the first demands made by the US negotiating team is that our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) be discontinued. It’s a world’s best practice scheme and the locals have never conceded on it’s ongoing operation. So if 45/47 is going to set parity pricing for US medications, that’s a wonderfully socialist approach. Did he steal the idea off Bernie Sanders? > [@](#): > > Under the PBS scheme, the federal government, with the help of experts on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), negotiates set prices for particular prescription medicines with drug makers. > > By effectively buying in bulk for the whole country, the government gets medicines cheaper and can deliver more medicines to everyone at an affordable cost. > > For expensive medicines, it subsidises the cost by covering the majority of the price and only asking patients to pay a small co-payment. > > The PBAC also decides if listing a medicine is value for money for taxpayers. For example, it might decide not to subsidise an expensive cancer drug that only has limited evidence about whether it helps treat the cancer, or if it decides the proven benefit to patients isn’t enough to justify the cost to taxpayers. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1604 "2026-01-16T06:37:15Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **Two years ago, they laughed at us.** They thought we were fools, they thought we were stupid people. [Quoting Trump] Truest thing he ever said, to be fair ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1605 "2026-01-16T08:22:05Z")
Yep. And every time, every single time, he’s managed to tell the truth, it’s been totally accidental. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1606 "2026-01-16T11:40:19Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > He just wants it for the wrong reasons, chiefly the money. > [@wguy123](#): > > Being a gold-plated shiny thing to add to his gaudy oval office is #1. I disagree that either of those is the main reason he wants a Nobel Peace Prize. I would say that the main reason is that Obama got one. He has to do better, so he really wants two. Or more, how many wars has he ended? ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1607 "2026-01-16T11:44:04Z")
The Board of Peace??? Somewhere out there, Kevin Bacon says, “Thank You Sir, may I have another…?” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1608 "2026-01-16T12:04:55Z")
Hahaha. Thank you for that. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1609 "2026-01-16T12:39:16Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Noem was asked why Americans were being asked to prove citizenship and whether she was advising Americans to carry proof of citizenship. What constitutes “proof of citizenship” to these chucklefucks? Because I suspect that answer varies with skin color, accent, gender, etc. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1610 "2026-01-16T12:40:46Z")
And let’s not forget how they are trying to remove citizenship even from people born in America. That means nothing is acceptable proof for them. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1611 "2026-01-16T13:02:23Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > And let’s not forget how they are trying to remove citizenship even from people born in America. That means nothing is acceptable proof for them. Isn’t that what Nero did? Or was it Caligula? ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1612 "2026-01-16T13:05:18Z")
When it comes to that, there are several more contemporary examples. None of them very good ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1613 "2026-01-16T13:22:51Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **Two years ago, they laughed at us.** They thought we were fools, they thought we were stupid people. Now we are seeing that they are not the smart ones — we are. Two years ago was Biden. Of course, he’s got the laughter wrong - none then, some now - but more of the nervous “is he serious” variety. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1614 "2026-01-16T13:57:43Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > > [@Monty](#): > > > > And let’s not forget how they are trying to remove citizenship even from people born in America. That means nothing is acceptable proof for them. > > Isn’t that what Nero did? Or was it Caligula? A more recent example is the Vichy government of France in WWII. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1615 "2026-01-16T15:09:56Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > > By effectively buying in bulk for the whole country, the government gets medicines cheaper and can deliver more medicines to everyone at an affordable cost. Several countries do that, like Canada, and up until now, the Republican party has opposed doing this with everything they have. Trump suddenly deciding to try it is probably the best idea he’s ever had, but of course, he’s going about it in a ham-handed manner that will probably make everything worse. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1616 "2026-01-16T18:01:14Z")
I’ve decided the phrasing I liked from before is wrong. It should be “Holder of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize _medal_” to make sure everyone knows that he didn’t earn any honor; he just has a hunk of alloy. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1617 "2026-01-16T18:04:13Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > to make sure everyone knows that he didn’t earn any honor; he just has a hunk of alloy. … between his ears … Also, there is this > **[Trump Aides Panic After Finding Out How Much Americans Hate ICE Carnage](https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-aides-panic-after-finding-out-how-much-americans-hate-ice-carnage/)** > > One senior adviser admits that “it looks bad.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1618 "2026-01-16T18:17:31Z")
OK, he has the Peace Prize. Now he get back to work on the important things, like threatening to invade Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1619 "2026-01-16T18:47:58Z")
So the fact that ICE is behaving in a manner that’s illegal (or at least extralegal), unjustified, violent and downright unAmerican is okay, but the fact that it looks bad is making them anxious. Why am I not surprised? The pig is looking for lipstick. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298/1620 "2026-01-16T18:58:13Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > So the fact that ICE is behaving in a manner that’s illegal (or at least extralegal), unjustified, violent and downright unAmerican is okay, but the fact that it looks bad is making them anxious. It says something about their mindset that this came as a surprise to them. They really did believe that Americans would rally behind them in support of all these abuses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=80) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-administration-the-clusterfuck-continues-part-2/1025298.md?page=82)