Twitter received a jump-start Saturday night when the New York Times published a report with a particularly Harry Reid-sounding headline: it seems the Times received Donald Trump’s tax records, which revealed that he could have avoided paying taxes for nearly 20 years.
Trump Tax Records Obtained by The Times Reveal He Could Have Avoided Paying Taxes for Nearly Two Decades https://t.co/hwMEhLjEv7
— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) October 2, 2016
Trump's 1995 taxes show a $916 million loss, suggesting he could have paid no federal taxes for up to 18 years https://t.co/kedGabJpxe
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 2, 2016
He could have avoided paying taxes, or he did avoid paying taxes?
https://twitter.com/dmartosko/status/782390180200189952
More Accurate Headline Would Be "Trump Declared a $916 Million Loss on 1995 Taxes" pic.twitter.com/YXIYObnKec
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 2, 2016
Some reporters and pundits were downright giddy at the thought of a terrible week for Trump capped off by a bombshell like this, but … it’s complicated.
First of all, we’re back in 1995, those giddy days when Miss Universe was still skinny. And these aren’t federal returns. And how did the Times obtain them anyway? Someone mailed them.
That time someone mailed me Donald Trump's tax returns https://t.co/ZiAlRaF6tP
— Susanne Craig (@susannecraig) October 2, 2016
Snail mailed 'em, out of nowhere ? https://t.co/jHGFJy9sI8
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 2, 2016
Honest reporter to reporter question. Is this legal? https://t.co/A5StidR13w
— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) October 2, 2016
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Trump’s taxes exist in files of numerous lawyers, accountants, regulators etc. Was only a matter of time before leakers started mailing
— Mike Rosenwald (@mikerosenwald) October 2, 2016
@rickklein aren't they putting themselves at legal risk by doing so?
— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) October 2, 2016
I would think so. But paper copies anonymously mailed – tough to catch
— Rick Klein (@rickklein) October 2, 2016
Anonymously mailed, but from where?
The return address for the person who sent Trump’s tax returns to the New York Times is Trump Tower. pic.twitter.com/GVv8ZgFbc3
— Anthony DeRosa? (@Anthony) October 2, 2016
Check it out. This is the mail slot on the 3rd floor of @nytimes where Trump tax records were sent to @susannecraig pic.twitter.com/VADWy9omK9
— carolynryan (@carolynryan) October 2, 2016
Whoa, see it before they rope it off with red velvet cord and charge admission.
may end up in the Smithsonian…
— Stephanie Nolen (@snolen) October 2, 2016
@brianstelter @nytimes @susannecraig Gonna get it on the historical registry?
— Dufus Rigamaroll (@DufusRigamaroll) October 2, 2016
@brianstelter @nytimes @susannecraig I wonder how many others will speak out as patriotic duty to stop him?
— Kathy (@KathyStillWater) October 2, 2016
Hold that Pulitzer …
I will say two words about a mysterious envelope in October before a national election:
Dan Rather
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 2, 2016
More than one might think. Remember how Dan Rather relied on a decades-old document that could be perfectly reproduced by firing up Microsoft Word and typing the words without changing a single default setting?
Trump lost so much money that his tax preparer had to use a typewriter to manually add the -91 at the beginning of the -915,729,293. Wow. pic.twitter.com/SbnsEKImnT
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 2, 2016
That is weird, actually, how the numbers line up perfectly in the boxes, except for the ones indicating those gigantic losses that set up Trump to not pay taxes for nearly two decades. Just a glitch? Or did someone alter the return? Or — wait for it — did someone in the Trump camp alter the return?
https://twitter.com/ItsRobertOchoa/status/782392174918848512
Is the document is bogus, though, why wouldn’t the Trump camp say so immediately? The campaign did respond Saturday night by punting it back to Hillary; there’s no suggestion here any of the information was faked.
Here's the Trump campaign's response to the NY Times' Trump tax return scoop: pic.twitter.com/dJJae5l1JE
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) October 2, 2016
The Trump campaign didn't deny the substance of the Times report, but it threatened to sue the paper if it published. pic.twitter.com/Pqxs2fKl46
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 2, 2016
Donald Trump’s catch-22: To sue the New York Times for publishing his tax returns, he’d have to admit they’re his https://t.co/9v1qJnrbmG
— Quartz (@qz) October 2, 2016
And here’s the Clinton campaign on the New York Times’ bombshell report:
Clinton camp on NYT story pic.twitter.com/AjqNbdBAq0
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 2, 2016
There’ll be plenty of time on the Sunday shows to evaluate any craters left by this bombshell. Worst businessman ever? Best tax avoider ever? Sloppiest reporting ever?
Most people voting for Trump thinks he’s a hero for not paying taxes, so I am not sure there’s much impact.
— Anthony DeRosa? (@Anthony) October 2, 2016
Best case scenario for Trump is everyone is talking about Alec Baldwin tomorrow
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) October 2, 2016
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