Did you ever imagine you'd be paying more in federal income taxes than President Donald Trump?
You might think that the majority of hardworking middle and lower class Americans would pay far less in taxes than someone like Trump, who appears to be a successful billionaire. But a recent New York Times report finds that isn't the case at all.
On Sunday night, the New York Times shared information on more than two decades of Trump's income taxes. The article revealed that Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and another $750.00 during his first year in the White House. And it also reveals that Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years. (The reasoning behind that is "largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.")
Many people were very unhappy to learn of Trump's extremely low — and in some years, fully nonexistent — income tax payments. Teachers, healthcare professionals, and other hardworking, deeply discouraged Americans aired their frustrations about how their tax bills compared to Trump's on social media.
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The idea that educators, first responders, healthcare professionals, truck drivers, cashiers, and undocumented immigrants pay significantly higher income taxes than Trump is outrageous. And as people continued to tweet annual income taxes paid by past presidents and several 2020 Democratic candidates it became clear that Trump's low income tax payments are not normal for politicians or presidents.
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of several politicians who spoke out about the report on Trump's tax returns. Ocasio-Cortez, who previously worked as a bartender in New York City tweeted, "In 2016 & '17, I paid thousands of dollars a year in taxes *as a bartender.* Trump paid $750. He contributed less to funding our communities than waitresses & undocumented immigrants. Donald Trump has never cared for our country more than he cares for himself. A walking scam."
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Ocasio-Cortez also went on to highlight another noteworthy revelation mentioned in the report: Trump claimed tax deductions on "$70,000 in hairstyling for television."
You may recall that in Oct. 2019 Ocasio-Cortez came under fire for a $250 trip to the hairstylist. The congresswoman was sure to call out Trump's $70,000 hairstyling costs along with the hypocrisy of anyone who criticized her and fails to call out his spending and tax deductions.
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Trump's 2020 opponents, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, also addressed the tax information in a 30-second campaign ad. The ad highlights the typical income tax of elementary school teachers, firefighters, construction managers, and registered nurses. And as the clip notes, these people all paid more in taxes than Donald Trump's reported $750.00.
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The Biden Campaign is now selling "I Paid More In Taxes Than Donald Trump" stickers in the Biden Victory Fund online store, too. You can grab yourself a two-pack of stickers for $7.50.
When asked about the New York Times report during a press conference on Sunday evening, Trump claimed it was "totally fake news." He reiterated his long-standing claim that he's unable to release his tax information because the returns are currently under audit by the Internal Revenue Service.
While it's unclear what impact, if any, this damning New York Times report will have on Trump or the 2020 election, it's sure to make for some lively debate discussions.
Topics Donald Trump Politics
