By Vivian Kane | Politics | October 4, 2016 |
By Vivian Kane | Politics | October 4, 2016 |
Donald Trump is no stranger to questionable tweets, as anyone who followed his oddly strong opinions on the KStew/Robert Pattinson relationship drama of 2012 (and, sure, pretty much everything he’s ever tweeted before or since) knows.
But now that the NY Times has leaked an old tax document indicating that he probably spent the last few decades tax-free after running some of his enterprises into the ground. This revelation shines a new, ultra-harsh light on some of those old opinions, all of which are still available to us because, you know, the internet.
Some of Trump’s statements about taxes had already become pretty awkward, even before the leak. Like when he preemptively called Mitt Romney’s kettle super black.
Mitt Romney didn't show his tax return until SEPTEMBER 21, 2012, and then only after being humiliated by Harry R! A bad messenger for estab!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016
Or his criticism of Amazon’s tax practices.
If @amazon ever had to pay fair taxes, its stock would crash and it would crumble like a paper bag. The @washingtonpost scam is saving it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2015
I’m confused. If they found a way to avoid paying taxes to keep their business profitable, doesn’t that make them “smart”?
But then after we found out Trump probably didn’t pay taxes for about two decades, things got a lot more uncomfortable. (“Uncomfortable” if you’re maybe a nicer person than I am. I’m more in the “point and laugh” camp.)
Like that time he retweeted someone yelling at a Joni Mitchell fan account (okay), saying Trump pays the most taxes, such money, you wouldn’t believe.
"@conservativeJT: @bluejoni @realDonaldTrump Trump is an American that will pay more taxes in one year than you pay in your entire life.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2013
Apparently he does have a cap on how much money is enough money (for other people), and feels fine judging (other) people for avoiding paying taxes.
Facebook billionaire gives up his U.S. citizenship in order to save taxes. I guess 3.8 billion isn't enough for (cont) http://t.co/xaPBfxlm
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2012
Oh, look who momentarily cared.
The hedge fund guys (gals) have to pay higher taxes ASAP. They are paying practically nothing. We must reduce taxes for the middle class!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2015
Yup, it takes a lot of paper to find all those loopholes.
Signing a recent tax return- isn't this ridiculous? pic.twitter.com/UdwqF4iZIZ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
So, if he doesn’t pay taxes, which side does this put him on?
“We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork.” - Milton Friedman
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2013
This one is awful not only for its poor grammar (it’s “fewer” people, Trump. You’re trying to be president, for godssakes), but because shouldn’t, by this logic, Trump be hiring pretty much all humans alive at this point?
To the geniuses at 'Americans United for Change': the more you tax me the less people I employ. Get it?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2012
This one actually makes perfect sense now that we know the context. Trump, an American, thinks this country isn’t “great” anymore, and he makes fun of Obama constantly. That’s why he doesn’t want to give his beautiful dollars to the country that houses him.
We should immediately stop sending our beautiful American tax dollars to countries that hate us and laugh at our President’s stupidity!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2014