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President Donald Trump Comically Claimed His Tax Returns Are Unknowable and Got Torn Apart for it

 

A day after an Election Day that saw the Republican Party lose ground in the House of Representatives, President Donald Trump presided over a wild press conference.

Now that the House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats, more and more attention is being paid to the fact that subpoena power is also controlled by the Democrats. In light of this, ABC News White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl brought up the subject of Trump’s tax returns again. 

When asked about them, the president said, “Look, as I’ve told you they’re under audit. They’re extremely complex. People wouldn’t understand them.” You may recall that the New York Times made an effort to explain Trump’s wealth in ways the people would understand: “Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father.”

Trump even argued shorthand that the Times had made a rookie mistake: They simply don’t get the concept of “time value of money.”

In any case, the president said Wednesday that “[P]eople don’t understand tax returns.” And, as the New York Post noted, Trump is the first president in decades not to release his tax returns. Nor is there an IRS regulation preventing him from doing so.

Let’s just say some skeptical Twitter users weren’t about to let a good burn opportunity go to waste. Here is a sampling of that smorgasbord:

Why Bother Making a Big Deal About FISA Warrants, Then?

https://twitter.com/AshaRangappa_/status/1060226544369655809

The American People Are Simply Too Dumb to Know?

Every Working Adult Files Taxes Returns.

https://twitter.com/LincolnsBible/status/1060221731044974592

Somebody, Anybody, Call in the Tax Nerds.

Not One Person in America Can Understand Your Tax Returns?

https://twitter.com/MsMollyRachael/status/1060221754524737539

The Coup de Grâce.

[Image via ABC News screengrab]

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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Matt Naham is the Senior A.M. Editor of Law&Crime.