The New York Times revealed on Sunday that they’d gotten their hands on President Donald Trump’s long-withheld tax returns.
Surprisingly, the news wasn’t great. The short version of the ambitious piece: His entire empire is a condensed latticework of money-losing businesses sustained up by tax grifts big and small, ready to crumble at any minute as soon as he leaves the White House.
However, surprise didn’t come to a number of details. The one that got most people more the piece’s lede, which comprised these damning words: “Donald J. Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750.”
There was more — a lot more. There were detailed attempts to untangle his Christmas tree lights ball that were his finances. There were shady transpirings. There were salacious details, such as that he had his administration hire his daughter Ivanka as a private consultant when she was already a White House employee, to reduce his taxable income, then deducted the fee “as a cost of doing business.” There was them labeling one of their frequented homes as an “investment property” for tax savings, which they would have gotten away with had Eric Trump not blabbed the truth to Forbes back in 2014.
But it was hard to get past that lede — that damning opening intel. Upon learning a self-proclaimed billionaire was paying almost nothing in taxes — and had paid actually nothing for many years — was not well received online.
Some asked if anyone had paid more than a purported business wiz in taxes.
Some pointed out that Joe and Jill Biden paid quite a lot more than that, despite allegedly not being as wealthy as the Trumps.
Some pointed out that he’d paid more in taxes in other countries where he’s not president.
Others tried to reason with his ride-or-die supporters.
Others noted that 750 bucks is still more than some places.
“Al Capone” started trending.
A reminder that Trump doesn’t know how to spell Al’s full name, “Alphonse,” despite weirdly trying to use it.
It’s enraging, upsetting news, but some tried to find gallows humor.
Or still make jokes.
One that was definitely both funny and angering was the $70,000 he pays for hair products. To maintain that.
Eventually #TrumpIsBroke started trending.
So maybe there’s a silver lining to all this. Sort of.
Election day is Tuesday, November 3, and many states are already sending out absentee ballots and allowing early voting.
