There has been great controversy regarding Donald Trump and his tax returns. Will he make them public? What’s in them? When, or under what conditions, will he make them public? He has constantly said that he is under audit and that he would release them after that is done. I call BS on that, as I believe that even if the audit did close, he’d just come up with another excuse… like he did during the first debate with Hillary Clinton by going back and forth between the audit status and her releasing her emails.
So, it came as no real shock to anyone when, according to the New York Times, Trump “…declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns, a tax deduction so substantial it could have allowed him to legally avoid paying any federal income taxes for up to 18 years…”. This has caused quite the brouhaha. In the debate, Hillary Clinton implied that he was cheating the American taxpayers by not paying taxes (prior to the NYT story coming out). Since the story, many others have been claiming the same thing, and these people are wholly wrong.
Now, I am no fan of Mr. Trump. In fact, if you remember in my blog post of June 11, 2016, I clearly stated…
From Day One I have not understood Trump’s appeal. He’s a buffoon. He’s an opportunist. He’s a divider. HE HAS NO SUBSTANCE!!! He’s the proverbial “snake oil salesman”… and so many people are just lapping it up.
…and…
If you are a Trump supporter, you are an idiot. You are gullible. You are easily led. Bottom line: You are a low-information voter! If, at one time, I trusted your political opinion, I no longer do. You have shown yourself to lack discernment.
…and not only do I stand by that assessment, I feel more strongly than ever.
Be that as it may, provided that Trump’s deductions and paying zero in taxes was legal… and said presumed legality is key to this… there is nothing wrong here. Not only that, but it is what the tax system was designed to do. If anything, it is an indictment of the tax system itself, not Mr. Trump. If you want people like that to pay their “fair share” of taxes, whatever that is, then change the system. Don’t act like he’s a tax cheat because he didn’t pay extra, like a charitable donation. Would you do that? I doubt it, and I know I wouldn’t.
It should also be noted then-Senator Hillary Clinton was part of the Congress that sets tax law, and I do not recall this type of tax reform being a burning issue of hers. She did nothing. This makes her comments and attitude over Trump’s lack of taxes paid hypocritical.
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