motherjones--2020-09-28--Why Donald Trump Is Facing a Financial Nightmare

Donald Trump has hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due in the next few years—a cash crunch that will leave him with few good options for paying off or refinancing his loans .
And the New York Times ’ blockbuster story on his tax returns has revealed a new twist : Depending on the results of an IRS audit , he could also be on the hook for at least another $ 100 million in taxes , interest , and penalties .
Together , these pending and potential liabilities suggest that Trump ’ s empire—with his core business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial pressure in the immediate future .
It ’ s not at all clear he has the available cash—or the ability to borrow more—to stave off disaster .
Trump entered the Oval Office with more conflicts of interest than any other president in history .
Unlike previous ultra-wealthy presidents and vice-presidents , such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller , the question wasn ’ t simply what he owned .
It was and remains what he owes .
For years , ethics experts have raised concerns about Trump ’ s various debts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German banking giant Deutsche Bank , hold unique leverage over the president .
If Trump defaults , they have the power to seize many of his most beloved properties—Trump Tower , his Doral golf course , and his luxury hotel in downtown Washington , DC .
In some cases , they could even come after him personally .
In June , Mother Jones reported that Trump has nearly a half-billion dollars in loans coming due during a theoretical second term .
How Trump plans to handle these debts poses a very real , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even before he took office , Trump ’ s history of corporate bankruptcies and infamous litigiousness made him radioactive to many big banks .
If anything , his time in office has made him more toxic .
Before he was a mere credit risk ; now he is a reputational one .
As one banking expert told Mother Jones , this means that Trump might be forced to rely on less traditional sources of capital : Nancy Wallace , a real estate finance professor at University of California , Berkeley ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrutiny that Deutsche Bank has faced may scare off other banks .
“ I think any bank I can think of in the United States would have exactly the same response : He is toxic .
Exposing yourself to that kind of oversight under the current regulatory reality , for lenders who are large enough to provide capital to him , is just a nonstarter.
” “ The world has changed a lot since 2012 , and I think the Trump Organization is ill-suited for this new world , ” Wallace says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s not some private equity firm out there that would be very tempted if he was willing to pay a very high coupon.
” Private equity firms specialize in taking advantage of bad situations—buying properties and debt that most Wall Street firms won ’ t touch .
It ’ s not that they ’ re unaware of the risks ; the terms of the deals they strike are often designed to ensure they get their money back , one way or another .
And they will not hesitate to come after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are plenty of other people with money—foreign oligarchs , state-owned banks around the globe , or just wealthy conservative billionaires—who could probably help Trump refinance .
But what would they want in return ?
As far as reputable lenders go , the US president has very few options .
If he can ’ t refinance , he needs to pay off the loans , and it ’ s not clear whether he has anywhere near the amount of cash needed to settle his debts .
An analysis of Trump ’ s most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of 2019 ) found that he had anywhere between $ 46.7 million and $ 156.6 million available in checking or money-market accounts .
If Trump can ’ t pay , he could face the prospect of losing his properties .
Having a president face foreclosure is obviously completely uncharted territory .
To make matters worse , the New York Times story reports that Trump is confronting another looming threat to his cash situation—the possibility that he could be forced to pay a whopping $ 100 million in federal taxes , interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times : [ C ] onfidential records show that starting in 2010 he claimed , and received , an income tax refund totaling $ 72.9 million — all the federal income tax he had paid for 2005 through 2008 , plus interest .
The legitimacy of that refund is at the center of the audit battle that he has long been waging , out of public view , with the I.R.S… The dispute may center on a single claim that jumps off the page of Mr. Trump ’ s 2009 tax return : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in business losses that he had not been allowed to use in prior years .
Unleashing that giant tax-avoidance coupon enabled him to receive some or all of his refund… A partner who walks away from a business with nothing — what tax laws refer to as abandonment — can suddenly declare all the losses on the business that could not be used in prior years .
But there are a few catches , including this : Abandonment is essentially an all-or-nothing proposition .
If the I.R.S .
learns that the owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losses are reduced to just $ 3,000 a year .
And Mr. Trump does appear to have received something .
When the casino bankruptcy concluded , he got 5 percent of the stock in the new company .
The materials reviewed by The Times do not make clear whether Mr. Trump ’ s refund application reflected his public declaration of abandonment .
If it did , that 5 percent could place his entire refund in question .
If the auditors ultimately disallow Mr. Trump ’ s $ 72.9 million federal refund , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with interest , and possibly penalties , a total that could exceed $ 100 million .
And that doesn ’ t appear to include money he would owe the state or city of New York .
Nor does it factor in fines , back taxes , or other financial penalties that could result from the ongoing investigations by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance related to the Trump Organization .
Taxes aside , 2020 is likely going to be a historically bad year for Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recent personal financial disclosure , nearly three-quarters of Trump ’ s revenue ( which , as the Times piece reminds us , is not the same as profit ) comes from the hospitality industry—his golf courses , hotels , and resorts .
And that ’ s a sector that all but ground to a halt this year , due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Many of Trump ’ s properties have reopened , but at nowhere near their previous capacity .
In just one example of how the pandemic is afflicting Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf resorts , already big money-losers , lost virtually all of their international clientele this summer .
A few weeks ago , it was reported that Trump was seriously trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the fundraising game and was considering pouring as much as $ 100 million into his own presidential campaign .
It ’ s becoming increasingly difficult to see how he could afford to do that .

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Donald Trump has hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due in the next few years—a cash crunch that will leave him with few good options for paying off or refinancing his loans. And the New York Times’ blockbuster story on his tax returns has revealed a new twist: Depending on the results of an IRS audit, he could also be on the hook for at least another $100 million in taxes, interest, and penalties. Together, these pending and potential liabilities suggest that Trump’s empire—with his core business already suffering from the pandemic—could face intense financial pressure in the immediate future. It’s not at all clear he has the available cash—or the ability to borrow more—to stave off disaster.
Trump entered the Oval Office with more conflicts of interest than any other president in history. Unlike previous ultra-wealthy presidents and vice-presidents, such as John F. Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller, the question wasn’t simply what he owned. It was and remains what he owes. For years, ethics experts have raised concerns about Trump’s various debts because Trump’s creditors, including German banking giant Deutsche Bank, hold unique leverage over the president. If Trump defaults, they have the power to seize many of his most beloved properties—Trump Tower, his Doral golf course, and his luxury hotel in downtown Washington, DC. In some cases, they could even come after him personally. In June, Mother Jones reported that Trump has nearly a half-billion dollars in loans coming due during a theoretical second term. How Trump plans to handle these debts poses a very real, very serious, and very immediate dilemma.
Even before he took office, Trump’s history of corporate bankruptcies and infamous litigiousness made him radioactive to many big banks. If anything, his time in office has made him more toxic. Before he was a mere credit risk; now he is a reputational one. As one banking expert told Mother Jones, this means that Trump might be forced to rely on less traditional sources of capital:
Nancy Wallace, a real estate finance professor at University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, says the scrutiny that Deutsche Bank has faced may scare off other banks. “I think any bank I can think of in the United States would have exactly the same response: He is toxic. Exposing yourself to that kind of oversight under the current regulatory reality, for lenders who are large enough to provide capital to him, is just a nonstarter.” “The world has changed a lot since 2012, and I think the Trump Organization is ill-suited for this new world,” Wallace says. “That’s not to say there’s not some private equity firm out there that would be very tempted if he was willing to pay a very high coupon.” Private equity firms specialize in taking advantage of bad situations—buying properties and debt that most Wall Street firms won’t touch. It’s not that they’re unaware of the risks; the terms of the deals they strike are often designed to ensure they get their money back, one way or another. And they will not hesitate to come after a delinquent borrower—perhaps even a president.
There are plenty of other people with money—foreign oligarchs, state-owned banks around the globe, or just wealthy conservative billionaires—who could probably help Trump refinance. But what would they want in return? As far as reputable lenders go, the US president has very few options. If he can’t refinance, he needs to pay off the loans, and it’s not clear whether he has anywhere near the amount of cash needed to settle his debts. An analysis of Trump’s most recent financial disclosure (which covered through the end of 2019) found that he had anywhere between $46.7 million and $156.6 million available in checking or money-market accounts.
If Trump can’t pay, he could face the prospect of losing his properties. Having a president face foreclosure is obviously completely uncharted territory.
To make matters worse, the New York Times story reports that Trump is confronting another looming threat to his cash situation—the possibility that he could be forced to pay a whopping $100 million in federal taxes, interest, and penalties. According to the Times:
[C]onfidential records show that starting in 2010 he claimed, and received, an income tax refund totaling $72.9 million — all the federal income tax he had paid for 2005 through 2008, plus interest. The legitimacy of that refund is at the center of the audit battle that he has long been waging, out of public view, with the I.R.S… The dispute may center on a single claim that jumps off the page of Mr. Trump’s 2009 tax return: a declaration of more than $700 million in business losses that he had not been allowed to use in prior years. Unleashing that giant tax-avoidance coupon enabled him to receive some or all of his refund… A partner who walks away from a business with nothing — what tax laws refer to as abandonment — can suddenly declare all the losses on the business that could not be used in prior years. But there are a few catches, including this: Abandonment is essentially an all-or-nothing proposition. If the I.R.S. learns that the owner received anything of value, the allowable losses are reduced to just $3,000 a year. And Mr. Trump does appear to have received something. When the casino bankruptcy concluded, he got 5 percent of the stock in the new company. The materials reviewed by The Times do not make clear whether Mr. Trump’s refund application reflected his public declaration of abandonment. If it did, that 5 percent could place his entire refund in question. If the auditors ultimately disallow Mr. Trump’s $72.9 million federal refund, he will be forced to return that money with interest, and possibly penalties, a total that could exceed $100 million.
And that doesn’t appear to include money he would owe the state or city of New York. Nor does it factor in fines, back taxes, or other financial penalties that could result from the ongoing investigations by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance related to the Trump Organization.
Taxes aside, 2020 is likely going to be a historically bad year for Trump’s businesses. According to Trump’s most recent personal financial disclosure, nearly three-quarters of Trump’s revenue (which, as the Times piece reminds us, is not the same as profit) comes from the hospitality industry—his golf courses, hotels, and resorts. And that’s a sector that all but ground to a halt this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of Trump’s properties have reopened, but at nowhere near their previous capacity. In just one example of how the pandemic is afflicting Trump’s bottom line, his Scottish golf resorts, already big money-losers, lost virtually all of their international clientele this summer.
A few weeks ago, it was reported that Trump was seriously trailing Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the fundraising game and was considering pouring as much as $100 million into his own presidential campaign. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how he could afford to do that.


motherjones--2020-09-28--Why $750 Is a Satisfyingly Specific, Enraging Rallying Call

$ 750 .
As a blockbuster investigation from the New York Times revealed on Sunday , that ’ s how much President Trump paid in federal income taxes in 2016 and then again in 2017 during his first year in the White House .
The report , which relied on more than two decades of tax-return records , yielded a number of explosive findings , including the staggering losses endured by Trump ’ s businesses and clear evidence that those businesses are directly profiting from his presidency .
But amid the avalanche of takeaways , somehow the $ 750 figure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shorthand for exactly how corrupt this president is .
For many , including myself , it landed sharply after endless exposure to the scandals and abominations that flow daily from Trump ’ s White House .
The precision of this number was strangely even more appalling than the investigation ’ s other striking revelation that Trump paid no federal income taxes at all in ten of the previous 15 years .
That ’ s because average Americans simply know what $ 750 looks like .
Maybe it ’ s substantially less than what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an entry-level journalist fresh out of college with significant loans .
It might be the exact amount you ’ re shelling out for a tax adviser to correct a mistake made during the same year you earned a $ 31,000 salary .
It ’ s certainly cheaper than the cheapest rent I ever paid to live in New York— $ 800—and that was while still attending college and racking up student debt in 2009 .
While a number like zero—the amount Trump paid in federal income taxes for a decade—risks sagging into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and enraging .
It also encapsulates the hypocrisy of a political ideology that demeans low-income Americans as the perpetrators of institutional theft , when in fact , it ’ s the Republican president that appears to bilk the system , through his personal finances and the implementation of a self-serving tax reform plan .
Meanwhile , the Trump administration cavalierly issues dramatic cuts to SNAP , the critical food assistance program where the average beneficiary receives about $ 125 a month to afford meals priced at $ 1.39 .
Such comparisons , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ varying degrees of injustice .
But they also point to a potentially powerful rallying call as the country careens toward the likely nightmare of a chaotic November election .
Democrats have already pounced on the $ 750 figure—Rep .
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the president as a “ walking scam—and the Times report is all but certain to play a prominent role during the first presidential debate on Tuesday .
But some have questioned whether the new findings , as damning and reprehensible as they are , will make a dent with voters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s relentless corruption already existed .
That cynicism may risk ignoring a significant portion of the electorate—as much as 11 percent of eligible voters—who remain undecided less than 40 days till an election that could very well “ break America.
” As Trump and his Republican allies rely on a conservative Supreme Court , virulent conspiracy theories , and ballot obstacles to deliver his victory , what better way to cut through that toxic morass than a clear cut shorthand that sums up nearly everything wrong with him ?
At the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scam is an explosion more than a crack to eviscerate the narrative that our president is a self-made man—if , that is , you still believe that sort of thing .

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$750. As a blockbuster investigation from the New York Times revealed on Sunday, that’s how much President Trump paid in federal income taxes in 2016 and then again in 2017 during his first year in the White House. The report, which relied on more than two decades of tax-return records, yielded a number of explosive findings, including the staggering losses endured by Trump’s businesses and clear evidence that those businesses are directly profiting from his presidency.
But amid the avalanche of takeaways, somehow the $750 figure has gained special power as a convenient shorthand for exactly how corrupt this president is. For many, including myself, it landed sharply after endless exposure to the scandals and abominations that flow daily from Trump’s White House. The precision of this number was strangely even more appalling than the investigation’s other striking revelation that Trump paid no federal income taxes at all in ten of the previous 15 years.
That’s because average Americans simply know what $750 looks like. Maybe it’s substantially less than what you’ve been paying in taxes as an entry-level journalist fresh out of college with significant loans. It might be the exact amount you’re shelling out for a tax adviser to correct a mistake made during the same year you earned a $31,000 salary. It’s certainly cheaper than the cheapest rent I ever paid to live in New York—$800—and that was while still attending college and racking up student debt in 2009.
I have spent more on US visa fees and costs than Trump has paid taxes — Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) September 28, 2020
$750 is the exact amount I am paying a tax accountant to fix a mistake I made in 2016, when I earned $31,000 total. — Eric McDaniel NPR (@ericmcdanieldc) September 28, 2020
While a number like zero—the amount Trump paid in federal income taxes for a decade—risks sagging into sheer incomprehensibility, $750 is familiar and enraging. It also encapsulates the hypocrisy of a political ideology that demeans low-income Americans as the perpetrators of institutional theft, when in fact, it’s the Republican president that appears to bilk the system, through his personal finances and the implementation of a self-serving tax reform plan. Meanwhile, the Trump administration cavalierly issues dramatic cuts to SNAP, the critical food assistance program where the average beneficiary receives about $125 a month to afford meals priced at $1.39.
Such comparisons, which have flooded social media, all illustrate varying degrees of injustice. But they also point to a potentially powerful rallying call as the country careens toward the likely nightmare of a chaotic November election. Democrats have already pounced on the $750 figure—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed the president as a “walking scam—and the Times report is all but certain to play a prominent role during the first presidential debate on Tuesday.
Teachers paid $7,239
Firefighters paid $5,283
Nurses paid $10,216 Donald Trump paid $750 pic.twitter.com/5YE1cbYsBN — Team Joe (Text JOE to 30330) (@TeamJoe) September 28, 2020
But some have questioned whether the new findings, as damning and reprehensible as they are, will make a dent with voters. After all, abundant evidence of Trump’s relentless corruption already existed. That cynicism may risk ignoring a significant portion of the electorate—as much as 11 percent of eligible voters—who remain undecided less than 40 days till an election that could very well “break America.” As Trump and his Republican allies rely on a conservative Supreme Court, virulent conspiracy theories, and ballot obstacles to deliver his victory, what better way to cut through that toxic morass than a clear cut shorthand that sums up nearly everything wrong with him? At the very least, Trump’s apparent tax scam is an explosion more than a crack to eviscerate the narrative that our president is a self-made man—if, that is, you still believe that sort of thing.


motherjones--2020-09-28--Why Donald Trump’s Tax Returns Matter

Why Donald Trump’s Tax Returns Matter

Shortly after the 2016 election , I tweeted : “ Today would be a good day for @ realDonaldTrump to release his tax returns.
” Then I repeated this tweet a few mornings in a row .
Each day , it received a bunch of retweets , the vital currency of that social media realm , indicating this simple poke at merely one of Donald Trump ’ s violations of good government norms resonated .
Since then , I ’ ve tweeted out this line almost every day .
That is , every weekday , skipping holidays sometimes , never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It became something of a mantra I would type out , often to start my day .
I ’ ve done it hundreds of times , and folks on Twitter seemed to enjoy the daily reminder .
Sometimes when I would forget , people would tweet at me and ask , “ What would today be a good day for ?
” On Sunday night , our collective wish kind of came true .
The New York Times published a blockbuster report based on Trump ’ s tax returns and other tax information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades .
Trump himself had not released the material , but this was the next best thing .
The story revealed that Trump paid no income taxes for 11 out of 18 years , that key Trump businesses lost huge amounts of money , and that Trump used all sorts of dodgy—and legally questionable—devices ( including paying his daughter Ivanka a consulting fee , even though she was an officer of the Trump Organization , and deducting the amount ) to skip out on his tax bill .
The article was so sweeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cheat sheet to the eye-popping revelations .
But the bottom line was clear : Trump was not a successful business genius , and he apparently had conned the US government .
( One year , he paid only $ 750 in income taxes to the United States but paid $ 15,598 to Panama . )
Though my Trump tweet had become a bit of a joke , the tax returns were always an appropriate focus for attention .
Trump ’ s steadfast refusal to release them was an early sign that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him .
( And the lack of criticism and pressure from Republicans on this front was an indicator that the GOP would give up on holding Trump accountable . )
For decades presidential candidates and president had routinely shared their tax returns with voters .
Though Trump had once promised that if he ran for the White House , he , too , would make public this information , he flip-flopped as a candidate .
He argued that because he was being audited , he could not reveal his taxes .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There was no rule saying that audited returns could not be disclosed .
It was up to him .
And he didn ’ t even bother to tell voters what years were being audited .
In the White House , he continued to keep his returns hidden , sticking with the phony-baloney audit excuse .
( By law , the tax returns of a president are audited , and still all the recent chief executives have released them . )
Trump ’ s trashing of this tradition was troubling , for , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , his tax returns were important for assessing his actual or potential conflicts of interest .
They were also important for evaluating his sales pitch .
He contended that because he was a super successful , deal-making billionaire , he was qualified to be president of the United States .
But the finances of the Trump Organization were opaque—Trump used literally hundreds of separate companies to do business—and voters had no way of knowing whether he was bullshitting them .
His tax returns were one of the few ways to objectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the corrective to his I-am-the-greatest propaganda .
They also could reveal a crucial element for any politician , let one seeking the highest office in the land : is he or she honest ?
The Times story proves that obsessing over the returns was justified .
These records don ’ t answer all the questions one might have about Trump and his business endeavors .
For instance , they do not tell us how much he is worth .
For decades , he has bragged about his wealth , claiming he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tim O ’ Brien when O ’ Brien wrote a book that reported Trump was worth only about $ 200 million and was far from the three-comma club .
And the tax returns do not outline the details of every deal or loan .
Yet Trump ’ s returns do disclose much about his ventures and his character .
As the Times reports , he engaged in a slew of shenanigans to short-change the government .
This included declaring a personal property as an investment property .
It included demanding a tax refund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has challenged .
It included claiming a series of questionable consultant payments as big deductions .
The returns show that some of his most famous properties—such as the Trump National Doral country club near Miami and his fancy hotel in Washington , DC—are big losers .
They indicate he has , as the Times put it , “ received more money from foreign sources and U.S. interest groups than previously known.
” His overseas take included $ 2.3 million in profit he received from a Putin-allied Russian billionaire named Aras Agalarov , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 Miss Universe contest held in Moscow .
Though Trump walked away from that enterprise with millions , Agalarov took a bath , losing about $ 10 million .
Trump , of course , can claim this is a testament to his business acumen .
But there ’ s another way to see it : a Putin ally lost a lot of money in order to put over $ 2 million in Trump ’ s own pocket .
The tax returns also show what Mother Jones has previously reported on : Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due in the next few years , and he has few obvious means for making good on all this debt .
This poses a gargantuan conflict-of-interest problem , with the American president in hock to a foreign bank ( Deutsche Bank ) and others .
Trump ’ s tax returns are not quite a Rosetta Stone .
Has he committed tax fraud or bank fraud by under- or over-valuing his assets , as his former attorney Michael Cohen has alleged ?
These records don ’ t confirm that , but this is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , Trump ’ s tax filings reinforce what ’ s already known about him : he is a dishonest huckster .
( See the 2018 New York Times investigation that showed how Trump and his family years earlier engaged in “ fraud ” to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes . )
After the Times story broke on Sunday , I appeared on a cable news show , and the host asked me and other guests whether this exposé would make any difference to Trump supporters .
The answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already pledged fealty to a self-proclaimed sexual assaulter , who paid off a porn star , who has lied thousands of times since taking office ( according to various fact-checkers ) , who has encouraged political violence , and who has botched the government ’ s response to a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans .
But in a close election , everything counts .
And this revelation underscores that Trump is a phony .
That he can not be trusted .
That he is not the success he claims to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never wanted pulled back .
With the assorted , immediate , and dire threats facing the nation—the coronavirus crisis , the economic downturn , social injustice , climate change , and more—the compelling question of the moment is whether the country can effectively confront these challenges with a scoundrel in the White House .
The tax returns were always one key to a more complete understand of Trump , his conflicts of interest , and his willingness to trample rules and eschew transparency .
Targeting this one misdeed of his—Trump ’ s defiance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both literal and symbolic .
It was meant to point out that he did not and would not adhere to fundamental rules that serve the public interest .
And now we know why he could not .
I ’ ve been asked what I will be tweeting now .
The Times notes that the cache of documents it obtained did not include Trump ’ s tax returns for 2018 and 2019 .
I think that answers the question .

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Shortly after the 2016 election, I tweeted: “Today would be a good day for @realDonaldTrump to release his tax returns.” Then I repeated this tweet a few mornings in a row. Each day, it received a bunch of retweets, the vital currency of that social media realm, indicating this simple poke at merely one of Donald Trump’s violations of good government norms resonated. Since then, I’ve tweeted out this line almost every day. That is, every weekday, skipping holidays sometimes, never programming the tweet to appear automatically. It became something of a mantra I would type out, often to start my day. I’ve done it hundreds of times, and folks on Twitter seemed to enjoy the daily reminder. Sometimes when I would forget, people would tweet at me and ask, “What would today be a good day for?”
On Sunday night, our collective wish kind of came true. The New York Times published a blockbuster report based on Trump’s tax returns and other tax information it had obtained that covers over two decades. Trump himself had not released the material, but this was the next best thing. The story revealed that Trump paid no income taxes for 11 out of 18 years, that key Trump businesses lost huge amounts of money, and that Trump used all sorts of dodgy—and legally questionable—devices (including paying his daughter Ivanka a consulting fee, even though she was an officer of the Trump Organization, and deducting the amount) to skip out on his tax bill. The article was so sweeping that the Times felt compelled to publish a cheat sheet to the eye-popping revelations. But the bottom line was clear: Trump was not a successful business genius, and he apparently had conned the US government. (One year, he paid only $750 in income taxes to the United States but paid $15,598 to Panama.)
Though my Trump tweet had become a bit of a joke, the tax returns were always an appropriate focus for attention. Trump’s steadfast refusal to release them was an early sign that Trump believed rules and norms do not apply to him. (And the lack of criticism and pressure from Republicans on this front was an indicator that the GOP would give up on holding Trump accountable.) For decades presidential candidates and president had routinely shared their tax returns with voters. Though Trump had once promised that if he ran for the White House, he, too, would make public this information, he flip-flopped as a candidate. He argued that because he was being audited, he could not reveal his taxes. That was, of course, a lie. There was no rule saying that audited returns could not be disclosed. It was up to him. And he didn’t even bother to tell voters what years were being audited. In the White House, he continued to keep his returns hidden, sticking with the phony-baloney audit excuse. (By law, the tax returns of a president are audited, and still all the recent chief executives have released them.)
Trump’s trashing of this tradition was troubling, for, as a business owner with interests around the world, his tax returns were important for assessing his actual or potential conflicts of interest. They were also important for evaluating his sales pitch. He contended that because he was a super successful, deal-making billionaire, he was qualified to be president of the United States. But the finances of the Trump Organization were opaque—Trump used literally hundreds of separate companies to do business—and voters had no way of knowing whether he was bullshitting them. His tax returns were one of the few ways to objectively judge this novice politician. They could be the corrective to his I-am-the-greatest propaganda. They also could reveal a crucial element for any politician, let one seeking the highest office in the land: is he or she honest?
The Times story proves that obsessing over the returns was justified. These records don’t answer all the questions one might have about Trump and his business endeavors. For instance, they do not tell us how much he is worth. For decades, he has bragged about his wealth, claiming he is a billionaire. He even sued journalist Tim O’Brien when O’Brien wrote a book that reported Trump was worth only about $200 million and was far from the three-comma club. And the tax returns do not outline the details of every deal or loan.
Yet Trump’s returns do disclose much about his ventures and his character. As the Times reports, he engaged in a slew of shenanigans to short-change the government. This included declaring a personal property as an investment property. It included demanding a tax refund of $72.9 million that the IRS has challenged. It included claiming a series of questionable consultant payments as big deductions. The returns show that some of his most famous properties—such as the Trump National Doral country club near Miami and his fancy hotel in Washington, DC—are big losers. They indicate he has, as the Times put it, “received more money from foreign sources and U.S. interest groups than previously known.” His overseas take included $2.3 million in profit he received from a Putin-allied Russian billionaire named Aras Agalarov, who was Trump’s partner for the 2013 Miss Universe contest held in Moscow. Though Trump walked away from that enterprise with millions, Agalarov took a bath, losing about $10 million. Trump, of course, can claim this is a testament to his business acumen. But there’s another way to see it: a Putin ally lost a lot of money in order to put over $2 million in Trump’s own pocket.
The tax returns also show what Mother Jones has previously reported on: Trump has over $400 million in loans coming due in the next few years, and he has few obvious means for making good on all this debt. This poses a gargantuan conflict-of-interest problem, with the American president in hock to a foreign bank (Deutsche Bank) and others.
Trump’s tax returns are not quite a Rosetta Stone. Has he committed tax fraud or bank fraud by under- or over-valuing his assets, as his former attorney Michael Cohen has alleged? These records don’t confirm that, but this is now being probed by New York investigators. Still, Trump’s tax filings reinforce what’s already known about him: he is a dishonest huckster. (See the 2018 New York Times investigation that showed how Trump and his family years earlier engaged in “fraud” to avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes.)
After the Times story broke on Sunday, I appeared on a cable news show, and the host asked me and other guests whether this exposé would make any difference to Trump supporters. The answer is, probably not. They have already pledged fealty to a self-proclaimed sexual assaulter, who paid off a porn star, who has lied thousands of times since taking office (according to various fact-checkers), who has encouraged political violence, and who has botched the government’s response to a pandemic that has killed over 200,000 Americans. But in a close election, everything counts. And this revelation underscores that Trump is a phony. That he cannot be trusted. That he is not the success he claims to be. This is the curtain that Trump never wanted pulled back. With the assorted, immediate, and dire threats facing the nation—the coronavirus crisis, the economic downturn, social injustice, climate change, and more—the compelling question of the moment is whether the country can effectively confront these challenges with a scoundrel in the White House.
The tax returns were always one key to a more complete understand of Trump, his conflicts of interest, and his willingness to trample rules and eschew transparency. Targeting this one misdeed of his—Trump’s defiance of the traditional release of such records—was both literal and symbolic. It was meant to point out that he did not and would not adhere to fundamental rules that serve the public interest. And now we know why he could not.
I’ve been asked what I will be tweeting now. The Times notes that the cache of documents it obtained did not include Trump’s tax returns for 2018 and 2019. I think that answers the question.


motherjones--2020-09-29--Biden Disinformation Is Ripping Across Facebook the Same Day It Brushed Him Off

In advance of the first presidential debate , disinformation about Joe Biden is going massively viral on social media , just one day after the former vice president sent Facebook a letter laying out his campaign ’ s concerns about political disinformation being spread on its platform .
“ Report : Joe Biden Has Been Given Tonight ’ s Debate Questions In Advance ” reads a headline on arch-paranoiac Alex Jones ’ site , Infowars , a notorious peddler of right-wing disinformation .
The “ report ” Infowars cited was from former Fox host Todd Starnes , who was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theorist with a history of spreading outright lies .
Corsi offered no proof that Biden had been given the questions , but Starnes ’ story on the baseless allegation reached over 1 million followers on Facebook and another million on Twitter , according to CrowdTangle , a social media analytics tool owned by Facebook .
Infowars published its story around noon .
By later that afternoon , more Biden disinformation was hurtling out of control on Facebook .
A New York Post story with a single anonymous source from the Trump campaign claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an earpiece before the debate , which the Biden campaign denied .
Regardless the story spread across Facebook , amplified by right-wing sites and posters .
NBC ’ s Ben Collins noticed that the claim predated the New York Post story ; it had been floating around online for weeks before the online poster at the center of the QAnon conspiracy theory , a user claiming to be Q , posted the theory on 8kun , the successor website to the 8chan forum .
Breitbart ‘ s story on the claim reached 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter .
The massive spread of disinformation about Biden came just hours after Facebook essentially blew off Biden ’ s concerns about disinformation being spread about him .
On Monday , the Biden campaign sent a letter to Facebook calling it “ the nation ’ s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process , ” and saying that “ Rather than seeing progress , we have seen regression , ” according to a copy of the letter published by Axios .
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone responded vaguely , saying that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Democrats and added that “ we have rules in place to protect the integrity of the election and free expression , and we will continue to apply them impartially .
”

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In advance of the first presidential debate, disinformation about Joe Biden is going massively viral on social media, just one day after the former vice president sent Facebook a letter laying out his campaign’s concerns about political disinformation being spread on its platform.
“Report: Joe Biden Has Been Given Tonight’s Debate Questions In Advance” reads a headline on arch-paranoiac Alex Jones’ site, Infowars, a notorious peddler of right-wing disinformation. The “report” Infowars cited was from former Fox host Todd Starnes, who was just citing Jerome Corsi, a right-wing conspiracy theorist with a history of spreading outright lies. Corsi offered no proof that Biden had been given the questions, but Starnes’ story on the baseless allegation reached over 1 million followers on Facebook and another million on Twitter, according to CrowdTangle, a social media analytics tool owned by Facebook.
Lots of disinfo ahead of tonight's debate. One case: InfoWars says Biden got questions in advance, citing former Fox host Todd Starnes. Starnes himself just heard it on local radio. And the radio station got it from conspiracy theory king and ex InfoWars employee Jerome Corsi. pic.twitter.com/O9g8OgZde6 — Will Sommer (@willsommer) September 29, 2020
Infowars published its story around noon. By later that afternoon, more Biden disinformation was hurtling out of control on Facebook. A New York Post story with a single anonymous source from the Trump campaign claimed Biden had agreed to be inspected for an earpiece before the debate, which the Biden campaign denied. Regardless the story spread across Facebook, amplified by right-wing sites and posters.
NBC’s Ben Collins noticed that the claim predated the New York Post story; it had been floating around online for weeks before the online poster at the center of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a user claiming to be Q, posted the theory on 8kun, the successor website to the 8chan forum.
The Biden earpiece conspiracy theory (which originated in a tweet from a single anonymous source to a NYPost reporter, and was instantly denied by the campaign) is everywhere on Facebook. Absolutely everywhere. pic.twitter.com/AIdXoy4ZIi — Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) September 29, 2020
Breitbart‘s story on the claim reached 5 million accounts on Facebook and 3 million on Twitter.
The massive spread of disinformation about Biden came just hours after Facebook essentially blew off Biden’s concerns about disinformation being spread about him.
On Monday, the Biden campaign sent a letter to Facebook calling it “the nation’s foremost propagator of disinformation about the voting process,” and saying that “Rather than seeing progress, we have seen regression,” according to a copy of the letter published by Axios.
Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone responded vaguely, saying that the company has received criticism from both Republicans and Democrats and added that “we have rules in place to protect the integrity of the election and free expression, and we will continue to apply them impartially.”


motherjones--2020-09-30--I Watched Three Old White Guys Talk About Race Tonight and Now I Am Dead Inside

On Tuesday night , with the election just five weeks away , President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in the first of three presidential debates .
Fox News anchor Chris Wallace , the moderator of the debate , lost control of the evening early on and only intermittently reclaimed his authority .
But in the end , nearly the entire evening consisted of the president shouting over and interrupting Biden , while Wallace attempted unsuccessfully to get the debate back on track .
Individually and collectively the segments were often maddening to watch , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a word in edgewise over the rants of the middle-school sandlot bully masquerading as president of the United States .
But even with the bar as low as it was , the segment on race and violence was especially infuriating .
Unsurprisingly , the three white men on the debate stage failed to meet the moment .
When Wallace announced the topics for the evening last week , my alarm bells went off .
Records , check .
SCOTUS , check .
COVID-19 , check .
The economy , fine .
And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with violence in cities .
This wasn ’ t going to be a conversation about the persistence of racial injustice in this country , nor would it be about any of the issues facing Black America , like income inequality , health disparities , or police brutality .
This would just give Trump a chance to lean into his racist narrative about this country and recite his greatest racist hits .
When Wallace announced it was time to discuss race and violence in the cities , he asked both candidates why Black people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House .
Biden gave an acceptable answer about racial equity—which Trump surprisingly didn ’ t interrupt—but when it became time for the president to answer , he focused on how much the police love him .
Just to be clear , Black people should vote for Trump because law enforcement loves him ?
Then , the president tried to paint Biden as The Real Racist .
It ’ s true , Biden ’ s history with race relations leaves a lot to be desired .
The 1994 Crime Bill , which he co-sponsored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black and Brown people behind bars .
But before anyone watching at home could begin to analyze why Trump was trying to attack Biden on criminal justice reform , the president engaged in one of his favorite indoor sports : Whenever someone mentions Black people , he takes a deep breath and starts screaming about “ law and order.
” Trump wanted Biden to profess his love for the phrase .
“ Are you in favor of law and order ?
” the president demanded .
In Trump ’ s mind , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law and order candidate while assailing Biden for being too tough on crime .
“ I ’ m in favor of it , ” Biden responded .
“ Law and order with justice where people get treated fairly.
” The ugly truth about “ law and order ” was revealed in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
Blake , a 27-year-old Black man , was shot in the back seven times for the crime of walking away from police .
A few days later Kyle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , crossed state lines and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters who were demonstrating in support of Blake .
Rittenhouse was revered as a hero on the right .
As I wrote last month , when conservatives talk about law and order , they ’ re really talking about maintaining the racial hierarchy : Unfortunately for the viewers at home , Trump was not done with the playlist of his greatest racism hits .
Wallace also brought up the Trump administration ’ s recent plan to cancel the teaching of critical race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They were teaching people to hate their country , ” Trump replied , adding that racial sensitivity training was “ racist ” and “ sick.
” The “ Race and Violence in our Cities ” segment moved to the suburbs when the president yelled that the suburbs would be “ ruined ” under Biden .
One of his talking points claims that Biden , with the help of Sen. Cory Booker ( D-New Jersey ) , would allow low-income people to invade the suburbs .
“ It ’ s not the 1950s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs are diverse and integrated .
The second part is definitely a reach , the suburbs remain segregated as ever , but it was the thought that counted .
As the segment wore on , it was easy to forget that somehow the candidates were supposed to be discussing race .
Thanks to Wallace conflating race with violence ( gee , no dogwhistle there ) , Trump was able to bellow about Antifa and blame Democratic governors and mayors for street violence , while not so subtly implying that everything would be just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their Blacks under control .
As Trump bloviated , whined , insulted , and outright lied his way through 90 minutes , it became clear that this wasn ’ t a debate intended to sway voters , and the race segment certainly was not about appealing to Black voters .
Trump ’ s talking points were familiar ones , essentially from his late night deranged tweet storms that usually appear after he ’ s overdosed on Fox News .
Everything Trump does , from his disastrous coronavirus response ( once he found out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog-whistling about suburbs , to his fixation on immigrants , is undergirded by race .
So , it ’ s no surprise that the segment on race , with an able assist by Wallace , produced the most truly alarming moment of the night .
Wallace pointed out that Trump often falsely accuses Biden of not condemning violence from the left and asks him if he is willing to condemn right-wing violence .
After Trump pretended that there is no such thing as violence from the right , Wallace name checked the Proud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Proud Boys…stand back and stand by , ” the president answered .
It was far from a condemnation .
In fact , it sounded an awful lot like an order .

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On Tuesday night, with the election just five weeks away, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in the first of three presidential debates. Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, the moderator of the debate, lost control of the evening early on and only intermittently reclaimed his authority. But in the end, nearly the entire evening consisted of the president shouting over and interrupting Biden, while Wallace attempted unsuccessfully to get the debate back on track. Individually and collectively the segments were often maddening to watch, as the former vice president struggled to get a word in edgewise over the rants of the middle-school sandlot bully masquerading as president of the United States.
But even with the bar as low as it was, the segment on race and violence was especially infuriating. Unsurprisingly, the three white men on the debate stage failed to meet the moment.
When Wallace announced the topics for the evening last week, my alarm bells went off.
Among the topics tentatively set to be covered in the first presidential debate next week between @JoeBiden and @realDonaldTrump: The Trump and Biden Record
The Supreme Court
Covid-19
The Economy
Race and Violence in our Cities
The Integrity of the Election pic.twitter.com/MoA5bNTcL4 — Molly Nagle (@MollyNagle3) September 22, 2020
Records, check. SCOTUS, check. COVID-19, check. The economy, fine. And then, there it was: Race coupled with violence in cities. This wasn’t going to be a conversation about the persistence of racial injustice in this country, nor would it be about any of the issues facing Black America, like income inequality, health disparities, or police brutality. This would just give Trump a chance to lean into his racist narrative about this country and recite his greatest racist hits.
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When Wallace announced it was time to discuss race and violence in the cities, he asked both candidates why Black people should support their bid for the White House. Biden gave an acceptable answer about racial equity—which Trump surprisingly didn’t interrupt—but when it became time for the president to answer, he focused on how much the police love him. Just to be clear, Black people should vote for Trump because law enforcement loves him?
Then, the president tried to paint Biden as The Real Racist. It’s true, Biden’s history with race relations leaves a lot to be desired. The 1994 Crime Bill, which he co-sponsored, helped create laws that disproportionately put Black and Brown people behind bars. But before anyone watching at home could begin to analyze why Trump was trying to attack Biden on criminal justice reform, the president engaged in one of his favorite indoor sports: Whenever someone mentions Black people, he takes a deep breath and starts screaming about “law and order.” Trump wanted Biden to profess his love for the phrase. “Are you in favor of law and order?” the president demanded. In Trump’s mind, it is perfectly logical to bill himself as the law and order candidate while assailing Biden for being too tough on crime.
In Trump’s mind, it is perfectly logical to bill himself as the law and order candidate while assailing Biden for being too tough on crime.
“I’m in favor of it,” Biden responded. “Law and order with justice where people get treated fairly.” The ugly truth about “law and order” was revealed in the aftermath of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Blake, a 27-year-old Black man, was shot in the back seven times for the crime of walking away from police. A few days later Kyle Rittenhouse, an armed white 17-year-old from Illinois, crossed state lines and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters who were demonstrating in support of Blake. Rittenhouse was revered as a hero on the right. As I wrote last month, when conservatives talk about law and order, they’re really talking about maintaining the racial hierarchy:
Throughout history, we have seen how what is “law and order” for the dominant culture doesn’t apply to everyone. But as this era of pervasive corruption, state-sanctioned violence, and a pandemic that’s killed nearly 180,000 people makes abundantly clear, the harshest punishments for violating “law and order” are only doled out to certain people in certain places. When Trump and other right-wingers say they want “law and order,” they’re really sending a signal—less a dogwhistle than a bullhorn—to the other people guided by white supremacy: Break any law you want to maintain the current order.
Unfortunately for the viewers at home, Trump was not done with the playlist of his greatest racism hits. Wallace also brought up the Trump administration’s recent plan to cancel the teaching of critical race theory in the federal government. “They were teaching people to hate their country,” Trump replied, adding that racial sensitivity training was “racist” and “sick.”
The “Race and Violence in our Cities” segment moved to the suburbs when the president yelled that the suburbs would be “ruined” under Biden. One of his talking points claims that Biden, with the help of Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), would allow low-income people to invade the suburbs. “It’s not the 1950s,” Biden responded, saying that the suburbs are diverse and integrated. The second part is definitely a reach, the suburbs remain segregated as ever, but it was the thought that counted.
As the segment wore on, it was easy to forget that somehow the candidates were supposed to be discussing race. Thanks to Wallace conflating race with violence (gee, no dogwhistle there), Trump was able to bellow about Antifa and blame Democratic governors and mayors for street violence, while not so subtly implying that everything would be just fine if those liberals could finally get their Blacks under control.
As Trump bloviated, whined, insulted, and outright lied his way through 90 minutes, it became clear that this wasn’t a debate intended to sway voters, and the race segment certainly was not about appealing to Black voters. Trump’s talking points were familiar ones, essentially from his late night deranged tweet storms that usually appear after he’s overdosed on Fox News.
Everything Trump does, from his disastrous coronavirus response (once he found out who was dying), to his dog-whistling about suburbs, to his fixation on immigrants, is undergirded by race. So, it’s no surprise that the segment on race, with an able assist by Wallace, produced the most truly alarming moment of the night. Wallace pointed out that Trump often falsely accuses Biden of not condemning violence from the left and asks him if he is willing to condemn right-wing violence. After Trump pretended that there is no such thing as violence from the right, Wallace name checked the Proud Boys, an extremist organization. “Proud Boys…stand back and stand by,” the president answered. It was far from a condemnation. In fact, it sounded an awful lot like an order.


motherjones--2020-09-30--At the Debate, Biden and Trump Showed America Who They Really Are. That’s a Win for Biden.

Donald Trump was talking at Joe Biden , and Joe Biden was talking to America .
That ’ s what happened Tuesday night during the first presidential debate of 2020 .
Trump was focused on smearing his opponent , and Biden was trying to connect with voters .
Throughout the evening , Trump kept his sneering look fixed upon Biden , as he heaped abuse on Biden ( and Biden ’ s son , Hunter ) .
Trump rarely addressed voters .
It was as if he was only bent on creating content for Sean Hannity .
Biden , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the camera and attempted to speak directly with viewers .
At one point , Biden , while responding to yet another Trump assault on Hunter Biden , brought the debate straight to those watching : “ This is not about my family or his family .
It ’ s about your family.
” It was clear that the two men viewed their tasks rather differently .
Trump ’ s goal was to bully and soil Biden .
He constantly interrupted and talked over Biden , insulting him as much as he could ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , Joe ” ) and practically turning moderator Chris Wallace , the Fox News host , into road kill .
He acted like a pathetic narcissist : Biden is the threat to his existence , destroying Biden is his only priority .
He could not imagine a strategy beyond a DEFCON-1 personal attack .
Reaching voters who were not already die-hard Trump devotees was not on his to-do list .
Trump doesn ’ t give a damn about that .
He only cares about the Fox-watching cultists who are already in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to expand his vote count beyond FoxWorld .
He needs some of those suburban “ housewives ” he has been trying to scare with his racist demagoguery .
But many of those voters are not with Trump or have left him because of his divisiveness , his lack of decency , and his penchant for chaos .
Trump ’ s historic ( in not a good way ) performance is likely to alienate these folks further .
He did absolutely nothing to change minds , to persuade , to coax , to win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Biden ’ s best lines of the night , when the former veep slammed Trump ’ s callous remark about the COVID-19 deaths and said to him , “ ‘ It is what it is ’ because you are who you are.
” This was Biden ’ s main attack on Trump ; he ’ s a self-obsessed jerk who can not act as a responsible adult during a national crisis .
At the debate , Trump proved him right .
But Biden did all he could to pull out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cray-cray .
He often refrained from taking the bait .
And when he could , he tried to escape the vortex and tell voters what he would do to help them .
On health care .
The economy .
Climate change .
Systemic racism .
Sure , he got in his licks against Trump , calling him a “ clown ” and a “ racist ” —telling Trump to “ shush ” and “ shut up , ” as Trump repeatedly violated the debate rules he had agreed to .
But Biden saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a normal , caring guy who would go to work for you .
He was aiming to appeal to voters , especially those not decided .
He is an old-fashioned pol who does believe that trope that success in politics is about addition—adding voters to your coalition .
More than once , Biden sought to forge a heartfelt bond with voters .
“ Millionaires and billionaires ” like Trump have done very well during the pandemic , he said .
“ But you folks at home…how well are you doing ?
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those Americans who have lost loved ones during the pandemic and shared their pain .
Trump not once referred to the devastating losses caused by the pandemic .
Trump was given plenty of chances to act…well , like not an asshole .
When asked to condemn white supremacists and right-wing militias , he could not do it .
“ Stand back and stand by , ” he eventually muttered .
That was no ringing denouncement .
( One of these groups , the Proud Boys , immediately adopted Trump ’ s words as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he is a human being without an iota of grace when he refused to acknowledge Beau Biden ’ s military service and his tragic death .
Asked about racial inequity , Trump ranted about the support he gets from cops .
With this horrible performance—full of lies and bluster—Trump reaffirmed that he doesn ’ t give a damn about norms and that all that matters for him is the turmoil that he can create .
He encouraged his followers to flood into voting places ( to challenge voting they deem unfair ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results that don ’ t favor him .
That is , he vowed to instigate more chaos .
It is tough to see all this as a productive course for Trump .
He is throwing red meat to his loyal carnivores , and his chops-lickers will relish the raw flesh .
But others will view this meal as a disgusting mess and ask , “ Do we really want four more years of this ?
” ( Side note : Any commentary about how awful these 90 minutes were is incomplete if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Trump . )
In the end , though , this debate was a success .
It provided voters accurate impressions of these two men .
Trump was about as Trumpy as he could be .
He did not take responsibility for a pandemic response that has led to tens of thousands of preventable deaths .
He could not rise above his egotistical pettiness and brutal psychopathy .
Yet again , he proved he has no capacity to heal or help a nation experiencing a horrific plague and other crises .
Though Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few opportunities to lay Trump low , he came across as a competent fellow who generally wanted to talk about issues in a productive manner .
Nothing too exciting .
Nothing too wild .
But if Biden is correct , if the election this year is about the soul of the nation , then this debate highlighted that the choice is a damn clear one between a conventional , normy soul and one that is dark and ugly .
And that ’ s a win for Biden .

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Donald Trump was talking at Joe Biden, and Joe Biden was talking to America.
That’s what happened Tuesday night during the first presidential debate of 2020. Trump was focused on smearing his opponent, and Biden was trying to connect with voters. Throughout the evening, Trump kept his sneering look fixed upon Biden, as he heaped abuse on Biden (and Biden’s son, Hunter). Trump rarely addressed voters. It was as if he was only bent on creating content for Sean Hannity. Biden, in a stark comparison, often peered into the camera and attempted to speak directly with viewers. At one point, Biden, while responding to yet another Trump assault on Hunter Biden, brought the debate straight to those watching: “This is not about my family or his family. It’s about your family.”
It was clear that the two men viewed their tasks rather differently. Trump’s goal was to bully and soil Biden. He constantly interrupted and talked over Biden, insulting him as much as he could (“there’s nothing smart about you, Joe”) and practically turning moderator Chris Wallace, the Fox News host, into road kill. He acted like a pathetic narcissist: Biden is the threat to his existence, destroying Biden is his only priority. He could not imagine a strategy beyond a DEFCON-1 personal attack. Reaching voters who were not already die-hard Trump devotees was not on his to-do list. Trump doesn’t give a damn about that. He only cares about the Fox-watching cultists who are already in his pocket.
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The Trump campaign obviously needs to expand his vote count beyond FoxWorld. He needs some of those suburban “housewives” he has been trying to scare with his racist demagoguery. But many of those voters are not with Trump or have left him because of his divisiveness, his lack of decency, and his penchant for chaos. Trump’s historic (in not a good way) performance is likely to alienate these folks further. He did absolutely nothing to change minds, to persuade, to coax, to win over. And that set up one of Biden’s best lines of the night, when the former veep slammed Trump’s callous remark about the COVID-19 deaths and said to him, “‘It is what it is’ because you are who you are.” This was Biden’s main attack on Trump; he’s a self-obsessed jerk who cannot act as a responsible adult during a national crisis. At the debate, Trump proved him right.
But Biden did all he could to pull out of the black hole created by Trump’s cray-cray. He often refrained from taking the bait. And when he could, he tried to escape the vortex and tell voters what he would do to help them. On health care. The economy. Climate change. Systemic racism. Sure, he got in his licks against Trump, calling him a “clown” and a “racist”—telling Trump to “shush” and “shut up,” as Trump repeatedly violated the debate rules he had agreed to. But Biden saw his primary objective as selling himself as a normal, caring guy who would go to work for you. He was aiming to appeal to voters, especially those not decided. He is an old-fashioned pol who does believe that trope that success in politics is about addition—adding voters to your coalition.
More than once, Biden sought to forge a heartfelt bond with voters. “Millionaires and billionaires” like Trump have done very well during the pandemic, he said. “But you folks at home…how well are you doing?” In another moment, he spoke empathetically to those Americans who have lost loved ones during the pandemic and shared their pain. Trump not once referred to the devastating losses caused by the pandemic.
Trump was given plenty of chances to act…well, like not an asshole. When asked to condemn white supremacists and right-wing militias, he could not do it. “Stand back and stand by,” he eventually muttered. That was no ringing denouncement. (One of these groups, the Proud Boys, immediately adopted Trump’s words as its new slogan.) Trump demonstrated that he is a human being without an iota of grace when he refused to acknowledge Beau Biden’s military service and his tragic death. Asked about racial inequity, Trump ranted about the support he gets from cops.
With this horrible performance—full of lies and bluster—Trump reaffirmed that he doesn’t give a damn about norms and that all that matters for him is the turmoil that he can create. He encouraged his followers to flood into voting places (to challenge voting they deem unfair), and he signaled he would contest results that don’t favor him. That is, he vowed to instigate more chaos. It is tough to see all this as a productive course for Trump. He is throwing red meat to his loyal carnivores, and his chops-lickers will relish the raw flesh. But others will view this meal as a disgusting mess and ask, “Do we really want four more years of this?” (Side note: Any commentary about how awful these 90 minutes were is incomplete if it doesn’t pin all the blame on Trump.)
In the end, though, this debate was a success. It provided voters accurate impressions of these two men. Trump was about as Trumpy as he could be. He did not take responsibility for a pandemic response that has led to tens of thousands of preventable deaths. He could not rise above his egotistical pettiness and brutal psychopathy. Yet again, he proved he has no capacity to heal or help a nation experiencing a horrific plague and other crises. Though Biden stumbled through some answers and muffed a few opportunities to lay Trump low, he came across as a competent fellow who generally wanted to talk about issues in a productive manner. Nothing too exciting. Nothing too wild. But if Biden is correct, if the election this year is about the soul of the nation, then this debate highlighted that the choice is a damn clear one between a conventional, normy soul and one that is dark and ugly. And that’s a win for Biden.


motherjones--2020-09-30--Yes, Trump Wants to Take Away Your Health Care

It was hard to hear in the first twenty minutes of incessant cross-talk of Donald Trump repeatedly interrupting Joe Biden , but the takeaway of the start of the first presidential debate was clear : Yes , the president sees the recent vacancy on the Supreme Court as an opening to dismantle the Affordable Care Act .
When Fox News ’ Chris Wallace kicked off the debate with a question about the vacancy on the Supreme Court , Biden immediately pivoted to his comfort zone : The lawsuit before the Supreme Court that threatens to gut the ACA .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president has made it clear that he wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act , ” Biden said .
“ He ’ s in the Supreme Court right now trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.
” The former vice president added that Amy Coney Barrett , the conservative judge Trump nominated to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , had written she does not think the ACA is constitutional .
Trump ran for the White House on a promise to dismantle Obamacare , and he and his Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenure attempting to do so .
In the first year of his presidency , the House passed a bill to erase the ACA and it nearly passed the Senate before it failed by one vote .
But later that year , Congress passed Trump ’ s tax bill that repealed the ACA ’ s individual mandate—which Trump bragged about during a heated exchange with Biden .
That change is now the basis of the lawsuit now pending before the Supreme Court .
If the court does rule against the law , it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care immediately and would threaten the coverage of almost 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions .
Trump accused Biden of trying to “ extinguish ” private health care and replace it with “ socialist medicine.
” Biden countered by explaining that his health care plan , which proposes to expand and improve Obamacare while allowing people to keep their private insurance .
The heated cross-talk made both men ’ s arguments nearly impossible to decipher .
At one point , Biden , exasperated , said , “ Will you shut up , man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer in terms of what he ’ d put in place of the ACA .
When Wallace noted that Trump has not come up with a comprehensive plan to replace the ACA and asked him to define the Trump health care plan , the president dodged offering any details about his own proposal .
Instead , he attacked the moderator .
“ I guess I ’ m debating you , not him , ” Trump replied .

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It was hard to hear in the first twenty minutes of incessant cross-talk of Donald Trump repeatedly interrupting Joe Biden, but the takeaway of the start of the first presidential debate was clear: Yes, the president sees the recent vacancy on the Supreme Court as an opening to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
When Fox News’ Chris Wallace kicked off the debate with a question about the vacancy on the Supreme Court, Biden immediately pivoted to his comfort zone: The lawsuit before the Supreme Court that threatens to gut the ACA. “What’s at stake here is the president has made it clear that he wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act,” Biden said. “He’s in the Supreme Court right now trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.” The former vice president added that Amy Coney Barrett, the conservative judge Trump nominated to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, had written she does not think the ACA is constitutional.
Trump ran for the White House on a promise to dismantle Obamacare, and he and his Republican colleagues have spent the entirety of his tenure attempting to do so. In the first year of his presidency, the House passed a bill to erase the ACA and it nearly passed the Senate before it failed by one vote. But later that year, Congress passed Trump’s tax bill that repealed the ACA’s individual mandate—which Trump bragged about during a heated exchange with Biden. That change is now the basis of the lawsuit now pending before the Supreme Court. If the court does rule against the law, it would leave nearly 30 million people without health care immediately and would threaten the coverage of almost 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions.
Trump accused Biden of trying to “extinguish” private health care and replace it with “socialist medicine.” Biden countered by explaining that his health care plan, which proposes to expand and improve Obamacare while allowing people to keep their private insurance. The heated cross-talk made both men’s arguments nearly impossible to decipher. At one point, Biden, exasperated, said, “Will you shut up, man?”
The president had nothing to offer in terms of what he’d put in place of the ACA. When Wallace noted that Trump has not come up with a comprehensive plan to replace the ACA and asked him to define the Trump health care plan, the president dodged offering any details about his own proposal. Instead, he attacked the moderator. “I guess I’m debating you, not him,” Trump replied.


motherjones--2020-09-30--Biden Tears Into Trump’s Pandemic Response

Joe Biden strongly condemned the Trump administration ’ s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic early in Tuesday ’ s presidential debate , using Trump ’ s infamous offhand remark about the disease ’ s death toll— ” It is what it is ” —against him .
“ It is what it is because you are who you are , ” Biden said , landing an early blow in a debate that was muddled from the start as Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and moderator Chris Wallace .
At one point , an exasperated Biden even asked , “ Will you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president has no plan , ” Biden said .
“ He hasn ’ t laid out anything .
He knew all the way back in February how serious this crisis was.
” Trump , who predicted in February that coronavirus cases would soon go down to zero , has repeatedly deflected blame for the pandemic that has now killed more than 200,000 Americans .
“ If we would have listened to you , ” Trump told Biden , “ the country would have been left wide open .
Millions of people would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jab at Trump ’ s frequent weekend golf trips , Biden urged him to “ get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap in your golf course ” and to “ fund what needs to be done now to save lives .
”

Joe Biden strongly condemned the Trump administration’s failed response to the coronavirus pandemic early in Tuesday’s presidential debate, using Trump’s infamous offhand remark about the disease’s death toll—”It is what it is”—against him.
“It is what it is because you are who you are,” Biden said, landing an early blow in a debate that was muddled from the start as Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. At one point, an exasperated Biden even asked, “Will you shut up, man?”
"It is what it is because you are who you are." –@JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/etRYkJWiaU — Mother Jones (@MotherJones) September 30, 2020
“The president has no plan,” Biden said. “He hasn’t laid out anything. He knew all the way back in February how serious this crisis was.”
Trump, who predicted in February that coronavirus cases would soon go down to zero, has repeatedly deflected blame for the pandemic that has now killed more than 200,000 Americans. “If we would have listened to you,” Trump told Biden, “the country would have been left wide open. Millions of people would have died, not 200,000.”
In a jab at Trump’s frequent weekend golf trips, Biden urged him to “get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap in your golf course” and to “fund what needs to be done now to save lives.”


motherjones--2020-09-30--Decrying Russian Disinformation, Lindsey Graham Cites Alleged Russian Disinformation

With barely a month to go before the 2020 presidential election , Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee spent Wednesday attacking Democrats ’ 2016 nominee using alleged Russian disinformation .
The GOP senators did so even as they blasted former FBI Director James Comey—who was testifying before the panel—for what they claimed was the bureau ’ s possible use of Russian disinformation .
In other words , Republicans spent a five-hour hearing Wednesday haranguing the FBI for advancing possible Russian disinformation , while busily doing the same thing themselves .
This might seem hypocritical , but it ’ s consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chair , Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) , and other GOP senators to aid President Trump ’ s efforts to discredit the federal investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal .
Wednesday ’ s hearing was nominally part of a review of the launch of the FBI ’ s Trump-Russia investigation , the one that started before special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s May 2017 appointment .
Republicans on the panel repeatedly asked Comey about the FBI ’ s reliance in 2016 on information compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents while Page was working as an adviser to Trump ’ s presidential campaign .
( Steele gathered this information as a subcontractor for an opposition research firm Democrats hired to investigate Trump ; he then turned findings over to the FBI . )
Republicans focused on a September 24 letter in which Attorney General Bill Barr told Graham that a key sub-source for Steele “ was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011 that assessed his/her documented contacts with suspected Russian intelligence officers.
” Never mind that Steele @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in contact with Russian intelligence .
And Page , who was never charged with a crime , has admitted to secretly meeting with a Russian official during a July 2016 trip to Moscow that occurred while he was advising the Trump campaign .
Still , Republicans at the hearing blasted Comey for the FBI ’ s inclusion of Steele ’ s findings in its successful applications for a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( FISA ) warrant to investigate Page .
But even as they complained that the FBI had put alleged Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sen. Chuck Grassley ( R-Iowa . )
, and Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-Mo . )
pressed Comey about “ an investigative referral ” that US intelligence agents apparently sent to Comey and other FBI officials in September 2016 regarding “ allegations that the Clinton campaign was going to create a scandal about Trump and Russia.
” The senators based this on a letter Graham received on Tuesday—on the eve of a presidential debate—from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe , a Trump loyalist and prominent critic of the Russia probe .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent at Graham ’ s request , states that “ in late July 2016 , U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis alleging that…Clinton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against…Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians ’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee.
” This means that Russian spies apparently claimed , in a forum monitored by US spies , that Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaign was going to criticize Trump ’ s openness to Russian meddling in the US election , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from her use of a private mail server.
” This is a weird claim to emphasize .
It has never been a secret that the Clinton campaign hoped to highlight Trump ’ s embrace of Russian aid .
Clinton attacked Trump publicly on that front .
And she was right : Trump ’ s campaign “ expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts , ” Mueller found .
In addition , the Ratcliffe letter and the GOP emphasis on it amounts to a far more public promotion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FISA application .
Ratcliffe admits in his letter that US intelligence can not vouch for the accuracy of the Russian analysis about Clinton , noting that it may “ reflect exaggeration or fabrication.
” This line seems to acknowledge that Russian intelligence agents may have deliberately tried to confuse Americans by planting the idea that their country ’ s well-documented interference in the 2016 election in support of Trump was actually a conspiracy theory concocted by his opponent .
Trump , for his part , was all too happy to boost this allegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ albeit in a line largely overwhelmed by his other lies and boorish conduct .
“ You saw what happened today with Hillary Clinton , ” he said .
“ It was a whole big con job.
” Having helped Trump level that charge , Graham said Wednesday that he did not “ know how accurate the underlying information ” Ratcliffe cited is .
But Graham claimed his concern was that the allegations were ignored .
“ Apparently , nobody looked at this , ” he said .
That too is false .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Senate Intelligence Committee have known of the information for years but discounted it as bogus , a Senate aide told Mother Jones Tuesday .
In a follow-up statement , Ratcliffe insisted that his letter was not based on Russian disinformation and vowed to share more information with Congress .
A Graham spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry .
Comey said Wednesday he didn ’ t recall receiving a referral about the supposed intelligence in 2016 and expressed confusion about why Ratcliffe shared a finding he acknowledged could be bogus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he ’ s doing there , ” Comey said .
Of all Comey ’ s many statements on Wednesday , that may be the hardest to believe .
It is pretty clear what Ratcliffe , Graham , and Trump are up to .

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With barely a month to go before the 2020 presidential election, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee spent Wednesday attacking Democrats’ 2016 nominee using alleged Russian disinformation. The GOP senators did so even as they blasted former FBI Director James Comey—who was testifying before the panel—for what they claimed was the bureau’s possible use of Russian disinformation.
In other words, Republicans spent a five-hour hearing Wednesday haranguing the FBI for advancing possible Russian disinformation, while busily doing the same thing themselves.
This might seem hypocritical, but it’s consistent with an overt bid by the committee’s chair, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and other GOP senators to aid President Trump’s efforts to discredit the federal investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal.
Wednesday’s hearing was nominally part of a review of the launch of the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation, the one that started before special counsel Robert Mueller’s May 2017 appointment. Republicans on the panel repeatedly asked Comey about the FBI’s reliance in 2016 on information compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele regarding contacts between Carter Page and Russian agents while Page was working as an adviser to Trump’s presidential campaign. (Steele gathered this information as a subcontractor for an opposition research firm Democrats hired to investigate Trump; he then turned findings over to the FBI.) Republicans focused on a September 24 letter in which Attorney General Bill Barr told Graham that a key sub-source for Steele “was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011 that assessed his/her documented contacts with suspected Russian intelligence officers.”
Never mind that Steele was hired to get information from people in contact with Russian intelligence. And Page, who was never charged with a crime, has admitted to secretly meeting with a Russian official during a July 2016 trip to Moscow that occurred while he was advising the Trump campaign. Still, Republicans at the hearing blasted Comey for the FBI’s inclusion of Steele’s findings in its successful applications for a secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to investigate Page.
But even as they complained that the FBI had put alleged Russian disinformation in a FISA application, Graham, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.), and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) pressed Comey about “an investigative referral” that US intelligence agents apparently sent to Comey and other FBI officials in September 2016 regarding “allegations that the Clinton campaign was going to create a scandal about Trump and Russia.”
The senators based this on a letter Graham received on Tuesday—on the eve of a presidential debate—from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist and prominent critic of the Russia probe. Ratcliffe’s letter, which was sent at Graham’s request, states that “in late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian intelligence analysis alleging that…Clinton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against…Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians’ hacking of the Democratic National Committee.” This means that Russian spies apparently claimed, in a forum monitored by US spies, that Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign was going to criticize Trump’s openness to Russian meddling in the US election, “as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.”
This is a weird claim to emphasize. It has never been a secret that the Clinton campaign hoped to highlight Trump’s embrace of Russian aid. Clinton attacked Trump publicly on that front. And she was right: Trump’s campaign “expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts,” Mueller found.
In addition, the Ratcliffe letter and the GOP emphasis on it amounts to a far more public promotion of suspected Russian disinformation than the Page FISA application. Ratcliffe admits in his letter that US intelligence cannot vouch for the accuracy of the Russian analysis about Clinton, noting that it may “reflect exaggeration or fabrication.” This line seems to acknowledge that Russian intelligence agents may have deliberately tried to confuse Americans by planting the idea that their country’s well-documented interference in the 2016 election in support of Trump was actually a conspiracy theory concocted by his opponent.
Trump, for his part, was all too happy to boost this allegation during Tuesday night’s debate, albeit in a line largely overwhelmed by his other lies and boorish conduct. “You saw what happened today with Hillary Clinton,” he said. “It was a whole big con job.”
Having helped Trump level that charge, Graham said Wednesday that he did not “know how accurate the underlying information” Ratcliffe cited is. But Graham claimed his concern was that the allegations were ignored. “Apparently, nobody looked at this,” he said.
That too is false. The intelligence community and both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee have known of the information for years but discounted it as bogus, a Senate aide told Mother Jones Tuesday.
In a follow-up statement, Ratcliffe insisted that his letter was not based on Russian disinformation and vowed to share more information with Congress. A Graham spokesperson did not respond to an inquiry.
Comey said Wednesday he didn’t recall receiving a referral about the supposed intelligence in 2016 and expressed confusion about why Ratcliffe shared a finding he acknowledged could be bogus. “I don’t fully understand what he’s doing there,” Comey said.
Of all Comey’s many statements on Wednesday, that may be the hardest to believe. It is pretty clear what Ratcliffe, Graham, and Trump are up to.


motherjones--2020-09-30--Trump Claimed at the Debate “You’ll Get to See” His Tax Info. Don’t Hold Your Breath.

When Chris Wallace pressed Donald Trump last night on the New York Times report that Trump had paid $ 750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 , the president gave a rambling response .
But he eventually declared that he had paid “ millions of dollars .
And you ’ ll get to see it.
” That raised the obvious question : When ?
We put the question to the White House , which offered its stock excuse for sidestepping decades of presidential precedent by shielding Trump ’ s tax info from public view : Trump will gladly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump claims has been underway for years is over .
“ He has said many times when the audit is concluded he would release them , ” White House spokesperson Judd Deere said .
( There is no reason an audit would prevent Trump—or any taxpayer—from releasing his returns .
In fact , by law , every president ’ s returns are audited annually . )
Last year , Donald Trump ’ s onetime lawyer and fixer , Michael Cohen , told Congress he didn ’ t know if there was really any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters during the 2016 campaign .
Cohen said he believed that Trump was frightened of having his tax returns scrutinized too closely .
“ Statements he made to me…what he didn ’ t want was to have an entire group of think tanks that are tax experts run through his tax return and start ripping it to pieces , and then he ’ ll end up in an audit and he ’ ll ultimately have taxable consequences , penalties , and so on , ” Cohen explained .
Trump has said he doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ releases his tax returns , noting that he won the 2016 election without releasing them .
Trump ’ s debate claim that he paid millions in taxes—not the pittance reported by the Times—seems dubious , and on Tuesday night , the Times released a detailed account explaining how it determined Trump had paid just $ 750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017 .
According to the paper , Trump paid no income tax at all in 10 of the last 15 years .
In some cases , he appears to have made savvy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Times reported Trump may have also taken improper deductions and may now owe the Internal Revenue Service as much as $ 100 million in back taxes and penalties .
Trump is already facing a huge cash crunch in the next few years , with more than $ 400 million in loans coming due in the early years of a theoretical second Trump presidential term .
The Times revelations come amid two ongoing investigations—one by New York Attorney General Letitia James , the other by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance—into potential bank and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump has bragged about sidestepping taxes before .
In the 2016 debates , Hillary Clinton tried cornering Trump about his taxes shortly after a bombshell news report revealed he had used nearly a billion dollars in losses in 1995 to avoid paying income taxes for years .
When asked if he used loopholes to avoid taxes , he responded , “ Of course I do .
Of course I do.
” Then Trump went on to lay the blame for his tax avoidance at Clinton ’ s feet , saying she helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like him .
“ She has given it to us , ” Trump said .
Trump employed similar tactics at last night ’ s debate , complaining that Biden hadn ’ t fixed the tax code when he was in office .
“ I don ’ t want to pay tax , ” he noted , adding that as a “ private developer ” he had gamed the tax system like any other businessman “ unless they ’ re stupid .
”

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When Chris Wallace pressed Donald Trump last night on the New York Times report that Trump had paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, the president gave a rambling response. But he eventually declared that he had paid “millions of dollars. And you’ll get to see it.” That raised the obvious question: When?
We put the question to the White House, which offered its stock excuse for sidestepping decades of presidential precedent by shielding Trump’s tax info from public view: Trump will gladly release his returns…when an IRS audit that Trump claims has been underway for years is over. “He has said many times when the audit is concluded he would release them,” White House spokesperson Judd Deere said. (There is no reason an audit would prevent Trump—or any taxpayer—from releasing his returns. In fact, by law, every president’s returns are audited annually.)
Last year, Donald Trump’s onetime lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, told Congress he didn’t know if there was really any audit, despite making this claim to reporters during the 2016 campaign. Cohen said he believed that Trump was frightened of having his tax returns scrutinized too closely.
“Statements he made to me…what he didn’t want was to have an entire group of think tanks that are tax experts run through his tax return and start ripping it to pieces, and then he’ll end up in an audit and he’ll ultimately have taxable consequences, penalties, and so on,” Cohen explained.
Trump has said he doesn’t think voters care if he releases his tax returns, noting that he won the 2016 election without releasing them.
I won the 2016 Election partially based on no Tax Returns while I am under audit (which I still am), and the voters didn’t care. Now the Radical Left Democrats want to again relitigate this matter. Make it a part of the 2020 Election! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2019
Trump’s debate claim that he paid millions in taxes—not the pittance reported by the Times—seems dubious, and on Tuesday night, the Times released a detailed account explaining how it determined Trump had paid just $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017. According to the paper, Trump paid no income tax at all in 10 of the last 15 years. In some cases, he appears to have made savvy use of the tax code. Yet the Times reported Trump may have also taken improper deductions and may now owe the Internal Revenue Service as much as $100 million in back taxes and penalties. Trump is already facing a huge cash crunch in the next few years, with more than $400 million in loans coming due in the early years of a theoretical second Trump presidential term.
The Times revelations come amid two ongoing investigations—one by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the other by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance—into potential bank and tax fraud by Trump and his company.
Trump has bragged about sidestepping taxes before. In the 2016 debates, Hillary Clinton tried cornering Trump about his taxes shortly after a bombshell news report revealed he had used nearly a billion dollars in losses in 1995 to avoid paying income taxes for years. When asked if he used loopholes to avoid taxes, he responded, “Of course I do. Of course I do.” Then Trump went on to lay the blame for his tax avoidance at Clinton’s feet, saying she helped create a tax code favorable to people like him.
“She has given it to us,” Trump said.
Trump employed similar tactics at last night’s debate, complaining that Biden hadn’t fixed the tax code when he was in office. “I don’t want to pay tax,” he noted, adding that as a “private developer” he had gamed the tax system like any other businessman “unless they’re stupid.”