# Trump Really is Stupid **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266 "2020-06-08T20:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/81 "2020-06-12T19:08:59Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > A line from Neal Stephenson’s _Fall; or, Dodge in Hell_: Stupidity is power. > > Trump is stupid. Trump is in power. Statement is proven true. Trump supporter : “He’s hurting the wrong people”. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/82 "2020-06-12T19:14:29Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#): > > No way! He’s at the very bottom of every bell curve that describes human behaviour. He’s repulsive in every way. I agree. Charisma? Huh? Obama had charisma. JFK had charisma. Trump is just a turd in the punch bowl. Just because he lies constantly and gets idiots to support him doesn’t qualify as charisma. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/83 "2020-06-12T20:13:04Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I agree. Charisma? Huh? Obama had charisma. JFK had charisma. Trump is just a turd in the punch bowl. > > Just because he lies constantly and gets idiots to support him doesn’t qualify as charisma. He’s a bullshitter. That requires a bit more charisma than average. I’m not saying he’s Obama. I’m saying, that say, Mnuchin saying the same words as Trump would get absolutely nowhere. He’s obviously a buffoon, but people some people do like his unearned smug confidence. That said, his [limited] charisma isn’t why he’s where he is. It’s the fact that the GOP base is as stupid, delusional, angry, and generally evil as he is. ---
**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:** [June 12, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/84 "2020-06-12T22:49:35Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > He’s a bullshitter. That requires a bit more charisma than average. I’m not saying he’s Obama. I’m saying, that say, Mnuchin saying the same words as Trump would get absolutely nowhere. > > He’s obviously a buffoon, but people some people do like his unearned smug confidence. > > That said, his [limited] charisma isn’t why he’s where he is. It’s the fact that the GOP base is as stupid, delusional, angry, and generally evil as he is. No. A bullshit artist is just that, an artist. A bullshit artist practices their craft knowingly and with an end in mine, an end the artist knows their bullshit will lead to. Trump, on the other hand, is not a bullshitter although every single thing that comes out of his mouth is either bullshit (when he’s speaking) or is a greenhouse gas (when he’s simply exhaling). Trump’s bullshit is simply lies because he is pathologically incapable of telling the truth. Being a pathogen does not equate to being an artist of any kind, not even to being a bullshit artist. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/85 "2020-06-13T04:49:43Z")
Trump doesn’t need any skill to fool people. He just latched onto a population of people who by training and inclination are predisposed to believe anything as long as it’s hateful right wing bigotry. He’s a parasite who latched onto a Republican hate machine that was built by _other_ people. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/86 "2020-06-13T06:39:29Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > No. A bullshit artist is just that, an artist. A bullshit artist practices their craft knowingly and with an end in mine, an end the artist knows their bullshit will lead to. Trump, on the other hand, is not a bullshitter although every single thing that comes out of his mouth is either bullshit (when he’s speaking) or is a greenhouse gas (when he’s simply exhaling). Trump’s bullshit is simply lies because he is pathologically incapable of telling the truth. Being a pathogen does not equate to being an artist of any kind, not even to being a bullshit artist. I disagree that a bullshit artist needs to practice their craft knowingly. The bullshiters I’ve known have just talked, and said shit to win in the singular moment they’re talking. It’s not an art, it’s a skill learned through repetition and not having any consequences. Trump can tell the truth. The reason he doesn’t is that he constantly has to bullshit to mask some terrible mistake, ignorance, or failure. He’s weak. And instead of accepting a negative outcome he lies that it’s actually not negative at all to preserve his self image. He’s utter worthless trash, but as I said, Mnuchin saying the same words would have gotten exactly zero votes. What is the difference between Trump speaking and Mnuchin reading Trump’s words if not a tiny bit of charisma? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/87 "2020-06-13T06:47:09Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Trump doesn’t need any skill to fool people. He just latched onto a population of people who by training and inclination are predisposed to believe anything as long as it’s hateful right wing bigotry. He’s a parasite who latched onto a Republican hate machine that was built by _other_ people. True. He’s stupid, ignorant, lazy, and angry at liberals because of RW media. The garbage GOP voters are just like him. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2020, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/88 "2020-06-13T07:34:31Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Trump can tell the truth. Facts not in evidence. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2020, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/89 "2020-06-13T12:19:25Z")
> [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](#): > > “[…]Mr. Pardel… is this the man that you saw committing all of those felonies…?” > [Imgflip](https://imgflip.com/i/44wxct) Looks pretty similar, but he had a different hue… ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/90 "2020-06-13T14:31:59Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Trump has a bit of Charisma, I’ll grant. > [@The\_Tooth](#): > > No way! He’s at the very bottom of every bell curve that describes human behaviour. He’s repulsive in every way. Too bad he didn’t also make a bad roll in Constitution. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/91 "2020-06-13T15:25:02Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Looks pretty similar, but he had a different hue… Why, that’s just the jaundice! If someone eats shit enough whether it be from FOX News, Alex Jones, Laura Ingram, Mark Levin, Steven Miller, or some lesser evil like Satan, they can catch jaundice… ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/92 "2020-06-13T15:42:11Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Too bad he didn’t also make a bad roll in Constitution. If anything, his constitution must be impressive. Dude is elderly, obese, doesn’t exercise, eats like shit, and hasn’t stroked out. Trump Stats: STR 11 (for the handshake yank) DEX 8 (physically inept, confounded by umbrellas) CON 12 (zero effort at maintaining health) INT 8 (general GOP stupidity) WIS 6 (I bet huffing bleach would work!) CHA 12 (he’s evil, stupid and lazy, but did have a personality driven TV show for years) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/93 "2020-06-13T16:36:01Z")
Y’know, I happen to hold him to be a bigoted dumbass sleaze and fool who’s just out to get whatever he can take. But he’s not incapacitated, he’s not in a coma, and he’s been getting away with grift and base assholery for 6 decades. I fail to understand the insistence on proclaiming that we MUST deny him even the capacity to be consciously criminal. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/94 "2020-06-13T17:25:44Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I agree. Charisma? Huh? Obama had charisma. JFK had charisma. Trump is just a turd in the punch bowl. > > Just because he lies constantly and gets idiots to support him doesn’t qualify as charisma. I don’t know if its charisma, but he’s got whatever quality it is that allows alpha bullies to collect a posse of sub-bullies. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/95 "2020-06-13T17:30:05Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Because his portrayal always seemed to be somewhat cartoonish. Surely the real man couldnt be as dumb as depicted. But it turns out the truth is even worse, he is willfully ignorant, lazy and perhaps a tad mentally challenged. This man should not be allowed to be President. He is incapable of carrying out the duties of the job. He is incapable of handling **any** job. Flunkies and fall guys have covered his stupid lazy ass for decades. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/96 "2020-06-13T17:32:15Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I find it very odd that you’re ignoring the massive impact of the conservative/russian propaganda mill in depressing support for Clinton. Trump didn’t walk a fine line; his opponent had weights tied to her ankles. (And still got more votes than him.) > > Which is not to say that the conservative/russian propaganda mill has gone anywhere in the meantime, and they may be able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat a second time. But that doesn’t change the fact that Trump’s so-called charisma would not have propelled him to the finish line if others hadn’t dragged the finish line backwards to meet him halfway. You can’t discount the damage done by Comey and the FBI either. No way it was “accidental”. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/97 "2020-06-13T17:35:53Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Y’know, I happen to hold him to be a bigoted dumbass sleaze and fool who’s just out to get whatever he can take. > > But he’s not incapacitated, he’s not in a coma, and he’s been getting away with grift and base assholery for 6 decades. I fail to understand the insistence on proclaiming that we MUST deny him even the capacity to be consciously criminal. Consciously? Don’t think he has that type of introspection. BUT, as you said he’s been doing it for 60 years. This is SOP. He thinks it’s normal to cheat and steal and screw over anyone because, well, that’s ALL HE HAS EVER KNOWN HOW TO DO. Screw the other person is his entire personal and business life. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/98 "2020-06-13T17:36:11Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I’m expecting soooooo many books and interviews with former WH staff talking about his stupidity after he’s out of there. I think that’s their plan. A staffer may look like an idiot for playing along with the doofus, **but hey, the book will make them rich** , so at least they’ll have that. They had ample time and chances to say something, to do something, to testify, to quit and tell why, anything. They chose not to. I hope none of them sell even a single copy of any book. I hope they never get a single cent for even one interview or TV appearance or magazine article. They deserve to be broke and ruined, and some (many?) deserve to be locked up. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/99 "2020-06-13T17:59:52Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Trump supporter : “He’s hurting the wrong people”. I think that’s the G-rated version. The one I saw from some MAGA-oid is: “He’s not hurting the people he needs to be”. Far more odious IMO. > **["He’s not hurting the people he needs to be": a Trump voter says the quiet...](https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/8/18173678/trump-shutdown-voter-florida)** > > A Trump voter hurt by the shutdown reveals the real reason the president attracts hardcore supporters. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266/100 "2020-06-13T18:02:57Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > I don’t know if its charisma, but he’s got whatever quality it is that allows alpha bullies to collect a posse of sub-bullies. This. And it’s a quality with which a large part of the US has long been enamored. FWIW, we’re not alone in this regard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-really-is-stupid/855266.md?page=6)