Charles P. Pierce: The New York Times Expos on Trump's Taxes Is Worth Reading Twice Over

[babylonsister]

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a27404295/donald-trump-taxes-new-york-times-1-billion/


The New York Times Exposé on Trump's Taxes Is Worth Reading Twice Over
Unless he's got David Copperfield for an accountant, there has to be a staggering morass of criminal trickery buried in these numbers.
By Charles P. Pierce
May 8, 2019

snip//

Unless he's got Kriss Angel on his sales staff, he has to know that people are going to wonder how he managed to find the money to stay afloat for all those years and wonder why so much of his cash smells like Tide pods.

snip//

One of the things I don't care about at all is whether or not this undermines the president's "image" as a financial genius. Anybody who still believed that should not be allowed to cut their own meat anyway. He got elected by weaponizing fear and bigotry. The plane and the helicopter rides and the big old golden escalator were just the trappings. Now, though, we have reached something close to nutcutting time. Somebody leaked this stuff to the Times. Somewhere in the vast woodlands of the federal bureaucracy, somebody has started a fire.

snip//

This is a big, meaty expose. It's worth reading twice—once for the information and then again for the warm feeling of having every one of your tawdriest financial speculations about the president* confirmed. And believe me, you can labor for decades in this business and not be gifted by the journalism gods with a kicker like the one the Times reporters got.

At his nadir, in the post-recession autumn of 1991, Mr. Trump testified before a congressional task force, calling for changes in the tax code to benefit his industry. “The real estate business — we’re in an absolute depression,” Mr. Trump told the lawmakers, adding: “I see no sign of any kind of upturn at all. There is no incentive to invest. Everyone is doing badly, everyone.” Everyone, perhaps, except his father, Fred Trump.

While Donald Trump reported hundreds of millions of dollars in losses for 1990 and 1991, Fred Trump’s returns showed a positive income of $53.9 million, with only one major loss: $15 million invested in his son’s latest apartment project.

Damn, that's beautiful.

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. I wanna now where that 53 million interest came from

He only reported it one year out of 10, but did not report where it came from.

[Raven]

2. BINGO! That is the jackpot in this story. n/t

[blue neen]

11. David Cay Johnston said that Trump was trafficking in cocaine at that time.

"And I would point out that this was during or right after the period when we know that Donald Trump was very deeply entangled with the international cocaine trafficker Joseph Wexelbaum. So deeply entangled and did so many favors for him that I’ve said, and I’ll say again, the only logical explanation for his conduct is that Donald was in the cocaine trafficking business with Joe Wexelbaum. And Donald, if you’re listening, sue me if you think you can prove what I just said isn’t true."

https://truthout.org/video/new-york-times-report-on-trumps-taxes-may-prompt-fraud-investigation/

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. All his denials of drug use carry no weight anymore.

We know by now he was very much into the go-go 80's.

[blue neen]

12. Read more here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142313653

[malaise]

15. Holy Shit!!

Wash Wash!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. "His business model is the same as a mob bust-out"

I've been saying that for the last 2 years.

Hell, anyone who watched Goodfellas knows what a bust out looks like.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

3. trump must be shitting bricks right now.

[babylonsister]

4. I most sincerely hope so. nt

[BigmanPigman]

9. Yeah, right into a faux gold toilet.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

10. Well, they probably won't flush.

Now THAT is an image I can do without !!

[malaise]

5. THIS is DELISH

and wonder why so much of his cash smells like Tide pods.
Wash wash!!

[babylonsister]

6. Haha!

That was my favorite line, too! Laundering, anyone?

[malaise]

7. It is brilliant

[babylonsister]

8. It's rare to see Pierce happy.

[sop]

13. I think we're finally reaching the point of critical mass with Donald Trump

The guy really doesn't wear well. He's a miserable, uncouth, ugly, backstabbing liar, and a nasty piece of work on top of that. There are likely millions of pages of old financial and tax documents still in the hands of suckers he conspired with and ultimately cheated. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

[calimary]

17. I'll take mine ice cold. In honor of the glaciers his negligence and idiocy

is helping to do away with.