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[Sciz]

Ah, yes, Nixon. Another candidate who famously didn't release his returns during the campaign. Yes, let's draw some more comparisons to him, shall we?

People keep saying this, but isn't the counterpoint that if you can lose a billion dollars and still be in business 20 years later, you might be sort of good at business?

I don't think losing a lot of money at once necessarily means you're a bad businessperson. I'm not saying this proves Trump is good at business by any means, but one colossal loss doesn't disprove it. His successes and failures over time would be a much better indicator of his skill, IMO.

The Times already did a report on the various shifty ways he used to bail his own ass out of his failure in Atlantic City.

 

[JABEE]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And who lets these rich assholes off-the-hook? The combined force of Congress and the Executive Branch for the last 35 years.

 

[Apollo]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

 

[WedgeX]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandels and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Serioulsy think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

People running for President of the United States get their background vetted. Their past helps us see what kind of leader they might be when all the pressure of the world is upon them.

It has been this way since the third presidential election.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Trump campaign response.

First alleged, then illegal.

Alleged means without proof of it being real which if it not real means illegal is unnecessary. But the fact that they used illegal invalidates the alleged...

Wow

 

[RustyNails]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

Hi. What did Hillary Clinton bring up from the 90's that made you note vote her?

 

[Basileus777]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

This isn't just about the 90s, it's about the 18 years that followed 1995.

 

[newshinycd]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

You don't give a shit that Trump LOST nearly a billion dollars in a year? And then subsequently didn't pay taxes for the next eighteen years?
K. Bye Felicia.

 

[royalan]

It's not that big of a news in Trump standard.

I was hoping some serious October surprise, like Putin gave Trump a 500 million check.

No, this is different. This is a big fucking deal.

Think about it. Democrats, Republicans, the media...EVERYONE has been asking for Donald Trump's tax returns since the primaries. The demand for them has been one of the few things uniting the three aforementioned groups, and Donald Trump has spent the last year going from one flimsy excuse, to the next, to the next, only driving up the assumption that SOMEONE bad must be in his returns...

This is the golden goose. The end-of-season reveal.

If this were Game of Thrones, we just hit episode 8.

For certain the media is going to descend on this like a pack of Ramsey's dogs.

 

[Breads]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

He didn't do it in the 90s.

He did it in 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10... until now. Maybe. Or well into the future. I don't know. This "dumb crap" is billions of dollars in losses througout multiple business endeavors in multiple cities. The 960 million is just his own personal loss.

This is a guy people want in office. But then again with that last line who cares what you think. There is plenty of issues and policy being discussed out there. If you're still undecided you have your own share of problems.

 

[rjinaz]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

Well unless you can say for sure Clinton released this herself, why would it make you not vote for her? But seeing as how you are usually (always?) a Clinton detractor on GAF, I don't think people should really bother convincing you otherwise.

Two things though. One, past does matter, it speaks of character. Two, it matters if it's responsible for him not releasing his taxes this year. That makes it relative to today.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

No, this is different. This is a big fucking deal.

Think about it. Democrats, Republicans, the media...EVERYONE has been asking for Donald Trump's tax returns since the primaries. The demand for them has been one of the few things uniting the three aforementioned groups, and Donald Trump has spent the last year going from one flimsy excuse, to the next, to the next, only driving up the assumption that SOMEONE bad must be in his returns...

This is the golden goose. The end-of-season reveal.

If this were Game of Thrones, we just hit episode 8.

For certain the media is going to descend on this like a pack of Ramsey's dogs.

The question is will there be more? It's still early.

 

[HerbertBirdsfoot]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

It's not just that he pays less tax than you or me. It's that he's been a tremendous business failure and is likely up to his eyeballs in debt to Russian oligarchs.

It cuts to the part of the core of his appeal and raises red flags about his current obligations.

 

[sonicmj1]

The only news here is that the more than 20 year-old alleged tax document was illegally obtained, a further demonstration that the New York Times, like establishment media in general, is an extension of the Clinton Campaign, the Democratic Party and their global special interests.

How does the New York Times obtaining this "alleged" document "illegally" demonstrate that they're an extension of the Clinton campaign? This is nonsense.

 

[Saganator]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

In case this isn't a troll post...

Have you ever applied for a job before or had an interview? Employers like to know about previous history, as the best way to to get a bead on how someone might act is to look at their history. This is what America is doing right now, interviewing our next president. This is why it does matter what Trump and Hillary did in the 90's.

 

[Already Torn]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

Let's talk about the dumb crap the third party candidates do every day then.

 

[Ponn]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

I'm not a die hard Hillary fan but I don't know how anyone can criticize her on not talking about her policies. Every other commercial she has running here in Florida is about one of her policies she is promoting, either helping children, how she is going to create jobs and energy policies. The last debate she was the only one on that stage actually laying out her policies with specifics. Trump was the one that kept dragging it into the mud and you can't blame her for sniping back once in awhile when appropriate. AT this point if you claim you don't know what her plans or policies are you are willfully ignoring everything she is saying.

 

[Stinkles]

If it's only alleged, it can't be illegally obtained, merely fictionalized. It's either true, or not true. Schrodinger is not a tax attorney. A collapsed wave state is not a surfing term.

And I would note that the NYT definitely has better attorneys than Trump (Bob Loblaw is his best representative and Lionel Hutz is second), so the legality of their method is likely stable.

 

[Joe]

Documents were sent anonymously by mail from Trump Tower

The three documents arrived by mail at The Times with a postmark indicating they had been sent from New York City. The return address claimed the envelope had been sent from Trump Tower.

 

[giga]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

You don't care that Trump refused to rent to black people? Scammed students with Trump U? May have raped a 13 year old? Refused to pay his employees despite contractual agreements? This is merely dumb crap to you?

 

[ThLunarian]

No one cares about legal consequences.

During the debate, the things the focus groups reacted to the most negatively were when he made the case that he didn't pay taxes.

People hate paying taxes. What people hate even more is when rich people don't pay taxes. A person working a job, making $30,000 a year pays their taxes, and now here's this rich asshole who hasn't paid taxes for 20 years? That shit leaves a mark on the electorate.

Well hell, if this somehow does take him down then I won't complain. I'm just saying that hes not going to be led away in handcuffs or anything. At least not for this.

 

[HylianTom]

Documents were sent anonymously by mail from Trump Tower

cross-posting my tinfoil theory from PoliGAF:

Team Clinton was the only entity with an opposition research department worth a damn this year (which, I'm still amazed at the malpractice from his GOP primary opponents.. how did they not research this guy?!)

Someone from her team went to Trump Tower with the envelope (with Trump Tower marked as the return address) and made the drop into the postbox.

 

[Stinkles]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

You should. Because vaccines are poison and Aleppo is a skin condition. And you're the only one smart enough to realize it. Also Republicans are Yang and Democrats are Yin. You are Aun.

 

[D1renegade]

Surely he avoided taxes so he could instead funnel his money directly into strengthening the military.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Ah, yes, Nixon. Another candidate who famously didn't release his returns during the campaign. Yes, let's draw some more comparisons to him, shall we?



The Times already did a report on the various shifty ways he used to bail his own ass out of his failure in Atlantic City.

I figured that evidence was out there. I just don't think this one piece of evidence makes or breaks the case. Thanks for the link!

 

[royalan]

Documents were sent anonymously by mail from Trump Tower

Hillary Clinton for America Headquarters
Trump Tower
725 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022

 

[User 463088]

Well hell, if this somehow does take him down then I won't complain. I'm just saying that hes not going to be led away in handcuffs or anything. At least not for this.

Of course he won't go to jail. He didn't break any laws. But, like, the public is really, really picky about some things. And politicians and taxes are one of those things.

I also think we need to define "take him down" a bit, because, like, I feel there's this expectation that we can find the right thing to nail him with and he'll get 30% of the vote. He's going to get his 40% of supporters no matter what. These dead enders will stay with him forever.

What we have to do is make him unelectable to that 5-10% of the soft electorate in the middle. Those people, by and large, are college educated white voters. And this type of thing? They hate it. A lot.

 

[HTupolev]

If it's only alleged, it can't be illegally obtained, merely fictionalized.

Clearly the Trump campaign is claiming that someone stole fraudulent tax documents from Trump,

 

[ZealousD]

His tax returns probably are like the holy grail for investigative journalists right now. I know we basically know what they say but anyone that can get them has such a great story.

Dude I can just imagine the look on the Times reporter's face when she realized what she had. Then the fist bumping that had to occur once they got confirmation from his old tax preparer.

 

[Mighty Chin]

You don't care that Trump refused to rent to black people? Scammed students with Trump U? May have raped a 13 year old? Refused to pay his employees despite contractual agreements? This is merely dumb crap to you?

 

[Toxi]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

Oh, now you're focused on policy. Guess a lot happened in the last two weeks.

Not voting for Clinton because of 2008 run against Obama made me not like her. Then to see Obama say this crap "Obama: Would be 'personal insult' to legacy if black voters don't back Clinton" just pisses me off.

 

[Chase17]

Can't wait for his impending twitter meltdown

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Dude I can just imagine the look on the Times reporter's face when she realized what she had. Then the fist bumping that had to occur once they got confirmation from his old tax preparer.

They probably hid that shit in a safe in the editor's office with a need to know basis lol.

 

[Already Torn]

A lot changes in two weeks.

I only care about stuff that happened in 2008 too. I'm so glad Snake is in Smash Bros!

 

[giga]

Oh, now you're focused on policy. Guess a lot happened in the last two weeks.

Boom.

 

[ezrarh]

I'm not a die hard Hillary fan but I don't know how anyone can criticize her on not talking about her policies. Every other commercial she has running here in Florida is about one of her policies she is promoting, either helping children, how she is going to create jobs and energy policies. The last debate she was the only one on that stage actually laying out her policies with specifics. Trump was the one that kept dragging it into the mud and you can't blame her for sniping back once in awhile when appropriate. AT this point if you claim you don't know what her plans or policies are you are willfully ignoring everything she is saying.

Yup. At this point, if you don't recognize that policy is a major thing for her then I don't know what to say. Hell, I disagree with her on policy but will be more than happy to vote for her versus a guy like Trump where the only thing I'm sure of is he owes money to a bunch of Russians.

 

[DrForester]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

Well, if you want the quick answer, the reason his 1995 Tax Returns are perfectly valid to look at is because of Donald Trump hiding his Tax Returns from 1996 and on and refusing to let the American people see them, the 1995 Tax Returns are the most recent tax filings the public has access to. That makes them prefectly valid for criticism and discussion.

Don is perfectly welcome to update the record, but until he does, he's a tax fraud.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

Oh, now you're focused on policy. Guess a lot happened in the last two weeks.

Life comes at you fast.

 

[BotoxAgent]

Oh, now you're focused on policy. Guess a lot happened in the last two weeks.

Haha oh wow.

 

[Adaren]

plz someone tell me why the hell are we so focused on everything thats happened in the 90's? I don't care about Clinton's sex scandals and all the dumb crap Trump did in the 90s. What about Now? talk about policy knock it off with all this dumb crap. Seriously think i'm going to go vote 3rd party.

BOTH SIDES

 

[cooljeanius]

And of course the response from Trump supporters on Twitter is to deflect and point to Hillary's "scandals"... *sigh*

 

[TheLaughingStock]

Of course he won't go to jail. He didn't break any laws. But, like, the public is really, really picky about some things. And politicians and taxes are one of those things.

Is Trump a politician? I mean he has the skillset but I'd toss him in the category of an outsider.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

 

[User 463088]

Is Trump a politician? I mean he has the skillset but I'd toss him in the category of an outsider.

I mean, that's not the category I'd put him in, but you do you.

I also dispute the assertion that he has a skill set

 

[giga]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

No one's arguing about the legality of this.

 

[Suikoguy]

Is Trump a politician? I mean he has the skillset but I'd toss him in the category of an outsider.

Does it take skill to fuck people over?

 

[Aaronology]

Oh, now you're focused on policy. Guess a lot happened in the last two weeks.

Wig Status: Snatched.

 

[Already Torn]

I don't think you're reading this right. He filed a loss of $916M thus making him exempt from taxes for 18 years.

He didn't break any laws here. This is (or at least was, in 1995) the tax law.

So... what? This actually isn't news. He hasn't paid taxes because he hasn't been required to, by law, due to the loss he filed in 1995.

But he never lost money, he's the best businessman.

 

[royalan]

Is Trump a politician? I mean he has the skillset but I'd toss him in the category of an outsider.

 

[SoundofSilence]

I said it before but I'll say it again...

The scary part of this for Trump is the possibility that someone within his own organization is now leaking this information to the NYT. There are 37 more days to go to the election and at least 30 years of tax returns that have never been released. If this is just the beginning, well... Chinese water torture might be preferable.