# Trump's Cabinet of Curiosities **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 10, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367 "2016-11-10T16:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 38
**Author:** ![BrerRobert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@BrerRobert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrerRobert)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/741 "2016-12-24T22:41:39Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > So, by your lights, he was sufficiently disdainful? No need to overdo it, then? And you don’t think the prospect of losing some votes had anything to do with it? And we just aren’t grateful? Grateful? Huh? I guess you should be grateful that he managed to win if that’s what you wanted, but it’s obviously not, so…wtf do you mean? The prospect of losing votes had something to do with it, of course it did, but not in the way that you guys are trying to claim. Again, he was fighting the media’s desperate attempt to associate Trump with KKK. If he was trying to pander to Duke supporters the policy positions he would be borrowing from the far left would concern Israel before trade. The people who should be apologizing are outlets like NPR and CNN who shamelessly name dropped David Duke and Stormfront in their efforts to smear Trump. The racialist hate cults get a large portion of their followers come from people who discover them when they are given exposure in this manner. Which is the precise reason why Duke endorsed Trump to begin with, he was baiting the media into giving him free coverage, and they went right along with it because the non-story is sensational and drives ratings. If Duke really wanted to help Trump he would not have endorsed him at all, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![BrerRobert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@BrerRobert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrerRobert)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/742 "2016-12-24T22:43:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Exactly how many bridges do you own by now, anyway? Ah yes, a snide implication that you are so much smarter and less gullible than those who disagree with you. How original! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/743 "2016-12-25T00:37:14Z")
> [@BrerRobert](#): > > Ah yes, a snide implication that you are so much smarter and less gullible than those who disagree with you. How original! There was no implication that anyone who disagrees with him his less smart or more gullible than he is. There is the clear implication that he views your opinion on this particular topic to be either naive or gullible. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/744 "2016-12-25T00:38:10Z")
> [@BrerRobert](#): > > He had already disavowed the endorsement at that point, the only reason it was even brought up was to try to associate Trump with nearly universally reviled persons and ideologies. At that point he responded appropriately by refusing to let the implication that he was familiar with and approving of Klan nonsense go unchallenged. The question was asked in the spirit of a “when did you stop beating your wife” type of gotcha moment, at which point the interviewer was entitled to the swift rhetorical kick in the shins that he got in return. Cite for Trump disavowing the endorsement prior to this? ---
**Author:** ![BrerRobert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@BrerRobert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrerRobert)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/745 "2016-12-25T00:55:06Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Cite for Trump disavowing the endorsement prior to this? [http://www.weeklystandard.com/trump-disavows-endorsement-of-white-supremacist-david-duke/article/2001301](http://www.weeklystandard.com/trump-disavows-endorsement-of-white-supremacist-david-duke/article/2001301) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/746 "2016-12-25T01:16:28Z")
> [@BrerRobert](#): > > Wrong. > > This sort of explicitly racially inclusive patriotism is kryptonite to the propaganda of David Duke. And then there is the strong support for Israel, and holding the rainbow flag on stage at his rally, and praising MLK. The very sorts of things that are the most likely to alienate the very marginal American white racial separatist movement. Meh, I have seen many white supremacist guys, nativists and racists to tell reporters that Trump had to say those things to win, but that “they knew better”. And the Henchmen of Trump, like Joe Arpaio made moves to show that that they were “correct” about Obama and Clinton. Of course a lot of what they want will never become reality, like finally getting Obama for “not being a citizen”. But as I pointed before, there are no good pickings for extremists so people who wink at them and will set policy that will help their bigotry to continue to move around will do. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/747 "2016-12-25T02:12:02Z")
> [@BrerRobert](#): > > [http://www.weeklystandard.com/trump-disavows-endorsement-of-white-supremacist-david-duke/article/2001301](http://www.weeklystandard.com/trump-disavows-endorsement-of-white-supremacist-david-duke/article/2001301) Ok. At that link, “Trump responded to being asked about the comments by telling the press, ‘I didn’t even know he endorsed me. David Duke he endorsed me, OK? I disavow. OK?’” In this statement, he clearly knows who David Duke is. So when Trump said this a few days later(my bold)… [QUOTE] > [@](#): > > ([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19874718&postcount=722](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19874718&postcount=722)):"Well, just so you understand, **I don’t know anything about David Duke. okay?** I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don’t know. > > "I don’t know, did he endorse me or what’s going on, because, you know, **I know nothing about David Duke.** I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you’re asking me a question that I’m supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about. … > > **“I don’t know any – honestly, I don’t know David Duke. I don’t believe I have ever met him. I’m pretty sure I didn’t meet him. And I just don’t know anything about him.”** …he was being disingenuous at best and lying at worst. Your “explanation” that he was simply refusing to apologize on demand, doesn’t hold water. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/748 "2016-12-25T02:23:24Z")
Maybe he forgot. Just as you said, it _was_ a couple days later. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/749 "2016-12-25T03:12:57Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Cite for Trump disavowing the endorsement prior to this? Fair enough. I didn’t have the timeline correct in my head. Thanks for fighting my ignorance. I _do_ have to wonder, however, how Trump can quickly disavow the endorsement on February 26, then two days later say he knows nothing about white supremacy and David Duke. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/750 "2016-12-25T03:48:16Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > … > I _do_ have to wonder, however, how Trump can quickly disavow the endorsement on February 26, then two days later say he knows nothing about white supremacy and David Duke. Well: > [@elucidator](#): > > Maybe he forgot. Just as you said, it _was_ a couple days later. That, or he just lies. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/751 "2016-12-25T22:10:34Z")
> [@BrerRobert](#): > > Wrong. > > This sort of explicitly racially inclusive patriotism is kryptonite to the propaganda of David Duke. And then there is the strong support for Israel, and holding the rainbow flag on stage at his rally, and praising MLK. The very sorts of things that are the most likely to alienate the very marginal American white racial separatist movement. What it is is a bunch of horseshit. Let’s look to his choices to see how well this “explicitly racially inclusive patriotism” is playing out in his administration, shall we? Vice President: Mike Pence, White Guy Secretary of Commerce: Wilbur Ross, White Guy Secretary of Defense: James Mattis, White Guy Secretary of Education: Betsy DeVos, White Gal Secretary of Energy: Rick Perry, White Guy Secretary of Health & Human Services: Tom Price, White Guy Secretary of Homeland Security: John Kelly, White Guy Secretary of Housing & Urban Development: Ben Carson, African American Secretary of the Interior: Ryan Zinke, White Guy Secretary of Labor: Andrew Puzder, White Guy Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson, White Guy Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao, Asian American Secretary of the Treasury: Steve Mnuchin, White Guy Attorney General: Jeff Sessions, White Guy White House Chief of Staff: Reince Preibus, White Guy Ambassador to the UN: Nikki Halley, White Gal Administrator of the EPA: Scott Pruitt, White Guy Office of Management and Budget: Mick Mulvaney, White Guy Administrator of the Small Business Administration: Linda McMahon, White Gal So, that’s who he’s picked so far. Do you see any patterns? I do, and it’s not, by any stretch of the imagination, one of “explicitly racially inclusive patriotism”. Anyone can name-drop MLK (while having been sued in the past for discrimination against African Americans), hold a rainbow flag (while your second-in-command is vehemently anti-homosexual), or support Israel (despite, not because of, its Jewish population). His actions to date demonstrate nothing of this alleged “inclusiveness”. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/752 "2016-12-28T18:25:54Z")
I guess this is fake news, too: [The Wall Street Journal says President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services traded medical company stock while supporting legislation affecting such firms.](https://www.genomeweb.com/scan/trading-and-legislating) > [@](#): > > **Trading and Legislating** > Dec 28, 2016 > > Representative Tom Price (R-Ga.), President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, traded more than $300,000 in shares of medical companies while considering legislation that could affect stock prices, the Wall Street Journal reports. > > Since 2012, Price has bought and sold stock in 40 healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biomedical companies, according to the Journal’s analysis. These trades included companies like Aetna, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. At the same time, the Journal notes that Price sponsored nine and co-sponsored 35 health-related bills. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/753 "2016-12-30T15:18:44Z")
In other news, [Michigan just banned banning plastic bags](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/30/yes-this-is-real-michigan-just-banned-banning-plastic-bags/?utm_term=.be4cb322ff29). :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/754 "2017-01-01T11:45:54Z")
Another [brilliant statement](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-computers-20161231-story.html) from Fearless Leader. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/755 "2017-01-01T15:43:49Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Another [brilliant statement](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-computers-20161231-story.html) from Fearless Leader. That is a **beaut**! > [@](#): > > “You know, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way. Because I’ll tell you what: No computer is safe,” Trump told reporters during his annual New Year’s Eve bash. “I don’t care what they say.” On the upside, if he decides to ban computers and conduct all government business by post-it, think of all the jobs that will create for people with who didn’t finish high school-- the new CCC, Civilian Courier Corps. And, of course, nothing can go wrong when everything is written on paper. It’s not like couriers can be bought or bribed or corrupted. He continues to astound with his monumental ignorance. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/756 "2017-01-01T18:12:31Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > In other news, [Michigan just banned banning plastic bags](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/30/yes-this-is-real-michigan-just-banned-banning-plastic-bags/?utm_term=.be4cb322ff29). :smack: Brilliant – this is more or less equivalent to “make the use of environmentally harmful substances mandatory”! Moves us one step closer to achieving the estimate that in a few more decades the amount of plastic in the oceans will outweigh the fish. Though marine life itself is becoming somewhat plastic because of the amount of plastic particulates in the food chain. This is the same level of wingnut mendacity that has caused some states to address the climate change problem by banning any reference to “climate change” or “sea level rise” in official publications. However, since parts of some of those states tend to be under water in increasing amounts and frequency, they have been persuaded to allow the use of the term “storm surges” – purely a weather phenomenon, you understand. King Canute, the role model for the modern Republican, dealt with a similar problem by commanding the tide not to rise. Fortunately, with the dawn of a new year and a new federal administration, this sort of state-level nonsense will be dealt with through enlightened federal policy making. I’m sure that even now the Orange Peril is consulting with the National Academy of Sciences on science-based policy guidance in these matters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/757 "2017-01-01T20:21:57Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Fortunately, with the dawn of a new year and a new federal administration, this sort of state-level nonsense will be dealt with through enlightened federal policy making. I’m sure that even now the Orange Peril is consulting with the National Academy of Sciences on science-based policy guidance in these matters. I suspect the Trump administration will do the same thing the Obama administration did when Idaho, Missouri and Arizona did the same thing-- absolutely nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/758 "2017-01-01T20:52:01Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I suspect the Trump administration will do the same thing the Obama administration did when Idaho, Missouri and Arizona did the same thing-- absolutely nothing. No, this is a relatively mundane thing to think about for a PotUS, so Trump will tweet incessantly in the early hours of the morning about how he’s the greatest and foremost plastic bags expert in the world. Then one of the Secret Service guys will accidentally drop a quarter while buying a Coke out of a vending machine, and Trump will bring himself to orgasm just picking it up. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/759 "2017-01-01T22:00:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I suspect the Trump administration will do the same thing the Obama administration did when Idaho, Missouri and Arizona did the same thing-- absolutely nothing. Politics is rife with statements like that that may be technically correct but hugely misleading. The fact that the Obama administration has clearly embraced science-based policy instead of denying basic facts to pander to commercial interests and political ideology has led to a huge difference in both public awareness and actual policy, completely aside from unrelated issues like greatly increased science funding a renewed respect for science in government. The Obama administration was responsible for fully embracing the Paris climate accord, enacting emissions reduction policies, and in the context of plastics, [banning plastic microbeads](http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/30/health/obama-bans-microbeads/). It was also responsible for the State Department’s [conference on oceans convened last September](http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/obama-protecting-5k-square-miles-new-england-ban-plastic-bags-also-expected), in which a plastic bag ban was discussed but didn’t advance as far as might have been hoped. If you want to argue that Obama didn’t do enough, I’d agree with that on many subjects. But it’s absolutely ridiculous to try to imply that the results will be in any way “exactly the same” from the mob of scientifically illiterate reality-denying imbeciles that Trump has appointed. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367/760 "2017-01-02T05:29:56Z")
Do you have a sense of impending doom in all of its totality? No? [Then read this](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/claiming-mandate-gop-congress-lays-plans-to-propel-sweeping-conservative-agenda/2017/01/01/9840338a-ceee-11e6-b8a2-8c2a61b0436f_story.html?utm_term=.4bc1140f21a2). Bwa ha ha ha ha … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367.md?page=37) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-cabinet-of-curiosities/771367.md?page=39)