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Trump Calls 2005 Tax Return Release ‘Fake News’ Trump Calls 2005 Tax Return Release ‘Fake News’
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday denounced as “fake news” the release by journalists of a portion of his 2005 income tax form, just hours after his administration appeared to confirm the accuracy of the documents.WASHINGTON — President Trump on Wednesday denounced as “fake news” the release by journalists of a portion of his 2005 income tax form, just hours after his administration appeared to confirm the accuracy of the documents.
Two pages from the president’s 2005 tax returns were disclosed Tuesday evening by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow after being mailed to David Cay Johnston, a former New York Times reporter. They show Mr. Trump paid $38 million in federal income taxes on reported income of $150 million, an effective tax rate of 25 percent.Two pages from the president’s 2005 tax returns were disclosed Tuesday evening by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow after being mailed to David Cay Johnston, a former New York Times reporter. They show Mr. Trump paid $38 million in federal income taxes on reported income of $150 million, an effective tax rate of 25 percent.
The White House confirmed those numbers before the show and appeared to accept the document’s authenticity by criticizing a story “about two pages of tax returns from over a decade ago” and alleging that it is “totally illegal to steal and publish tax returns.” The White House confirmed those numbers before the show and appeared to accept the document’s authenticity by criticizing a story “about two pages of tax returns from over a decade ago” and stating that it is “totally illegal to steal and publish tax returns.”
But in a Twitter message posted just before 7 a.m., the president appeared to backtrack from that acknowledgment.But in a Twitter message posted just before 7 a.m., the president appeared to backtrack from that acknowledgment.
“Does anybody really believe that a reporter, who nobody ever heard of, “went to his mailbox” and found my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!”“Does anybody really believe that a reporter, who nobody ever heard of, “went to his mailbox” and found my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!”
The news about Mr. Trump’s taxes from more than a decade ago comes as the president is struggling to push through his overhaul of the nation’s health care system and faces ongoing questions about connections between Russia and his advisers. Mr. Trump is to travel Wednesday to Detroit and Nashville to talk about his plans for the economy. During an appearance on Ms. Maddow’s show Tuesday night, Mr. Johnston speculated that Mr. Trump might have leaked the pages of his own tax returns even though he was the first modern presidential candidate to refuse to publicly release them.
“It’s entirely possible that Donald sent this to me,” Mr. Johnston said, though he added that he did not know whether that was the case. “It’s a possibility, and it could have been leaked by someone at his direction.”
Ms. Maddow trumpeted the returns as “breaking news” on Twitter an hour before her 9 p.m. show began, raising expectations that her report would reveal striking financial news about the president.
Instead, the two pages largely confirmed that Mr. Trump made a significant amount of money in 2005 and paid millions in taxes after writing off about $100 million in business losses that reduced the overall tax payment.
One of Mr. Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., made that point in a Twitter message shortly after the show ended, thanking Ms. Maddow for releasing the information.
“Thank you Rachel Maddow for proving to your #Trump hating followers how successful @realDonaldTrump is & that he paid $40mm in taxes! #Taxes,” it read.
The news about Mr. Trump’s taxes from more than a decade ago comes as the president is struggling to push through his overhaul of the nation’s health care system and faces continuing questions about connections between Russia and his advisers. Mr. Trump is to travel on Wednesday to Detroit and Nashville to talk about his plans for the economy.
And moments after the president’s Twitter message about the taxes, he also criticized a new music video by the rapper Snoop Dogg, in which the musician points a toy gun at a clown dressed as the president.And moments after the president’s Twitter message about the taxes, he also criticized a new music video by the rapper Snoop Dogg, in which the musician points a toy gun at a clown dressed as the president.
Mr. Trump alleged a double standard, suggesting that if the rapper had pointed a gun at a depiction of former President Barack Obama, the reaction would have been different. Mr. Trump suggested a double standard, suggesting that if the rapper had pointed a gun at a depiction of former President Barack Obama, the reaction would have been different.
“Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!”“Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!”