Trump released his more than a decade old tax return as a diversion

[Foamfollower]

Keep your eye on Russia today. Big stuff coming down with Comey and the Cngressional committees.

[Heartstrings]

1. Follow the money...

💸💵💴💶💷💰

[democrank]

2. I'm leaning in this "diversion" direction too.

The release of only two pages of his 2005 return leaves a lot of wiggle room for Trump. He can now point to the millions he paid in taxes for that year and leave his supporters to assume he paid zillions in taxes the other years as well.

Trump once again influences what topic the media chase today which maybe will take some light off Russia talk.

Trump's response to the release of this tax information was comparatively mild and not in his usual response language.

[Rorey]

3. I hope the only attention the "leaked" two pages gets....

....is about the $100 million he wrote off in losses. THAT should be the focus of what he "leaked".

I completely agree that his mild response points to the fact that the two pages were "leaked" by him or his administration as a diversion. Stupid people will fall for it.

[Lee-Lee]

4. I agree. I am sure it was cherry picked and released for a few reasons

First, it shows him paying millions in taxes- to most Americans that sounds like he paid a fair amount even though we know its BS and can't say what is true without all the schedules.

Second, it makes all the people claiming he didn't have to pay taxes for 18 years based off his 1995 return that was leaked look uncredible, because this was less than 19 years later and he was paying taxes.

Trump couldn't have asked for a better "leak". It at once shows him paying what most people will see as a huge amount of taxes, attacks the credibility of everyone who played up the data on his 1995 tax return saying he didn't pay taxes, and after the "release" being played up as such a big deal makes everyone calling for release look like they were all worked up after nothing, therefore harming the credibility of future calls for releasing his return.

Rachael got played... and used them to play it up like she had a lot more than she did to try and boost her ratings.

[Amishman]

5. His ability to create diversions is equal to his inability to keep his mouth shut

The bastard is very good at shouting 'squirrel' and getting everyone to jump. He he never would have made it this far otherwise.

I bet if all his tax returns are released, this is the cleanest, highest taxes paid year