| | | | Donald Trump's taxes are back (again) (again) | | Twenty-four hours removed from The New York Times' blockbuster report about President Donald Trump's taxes -- and those of his father, Fred -- the reverberations were beginning to be felt in earnest.
"He may have to -- he may have to give up those returns," acknowledged Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, before adding: "If I was him, I wouldn't want to give them up."
The White House was -- unsurprisingly -- unmoved by the Times report, which suggested that the President and his father had evaded tax law repeatedly over the past several decades, and that Trump himself had reaped more than $400 million from his father's various financial holdings.
"It's a totally false attack based on an old recycled news story," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during the daily briefing on Wednesday. She added that the Times piece was "a very boring 14,000-word story." Pressed on whether Trump would reconsider his past refusals to release any of his tax returns from any year, Sanders said she was "not aware of any plans" to do so.
Which isn't terribly surprising. After all, if Trump has been consistent about anything, it's that he will continue to be the first President (and presidential candidate of a major party) in the modern era not to release his taxes. He made the calculation that whatever heat he takes for not releasing his returns is nothing compared to the storm kicked up by releasing any information on his finances to the public.
There is ONE complicating factor to the ongoing stonewalling from the White House: On tax day -- April 17 -- Sanders said that Trump had filed for an extension on his 2017 taxes "as do many Americans with complex returns." She said at the time that Trump would file by the October 15 deadline.
That, for you calendar watchers out there, is in 12 days. Which is something! But remember that just because Trump files his 2017 taxes doesn't mean the White House releases them.
The Point: Trump is dead-set on keeping his tax returns private. The "why" is an open question -- dependence on his father's wealth, being less rich than he says he is, ties (or debts) to Russia are all working theories. The one thing we do know is that there's something in those returns Trump doesn't want us to know about.
-- Chris | | "She's been treated like a Fabergé egg by all of us, beginning with me and the President."
-- Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump, defending Trump's derisive remarks about Kavanaugh accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Conway said Trump was merely pointing out "factual inaccuracies" in Ford's story. | | | BECAUSE WE'RE KEEPING TRACK | | Today marked the first press briefing held by the White House in October -- but will it be the only one?
Last month saw only one briefing by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Here's to hoping there's more than one this month! | | | CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports the White House expects findings of the Brett Kavanaugh FBI investigation "soon," and after that, it will be "less than an hour" until it's on the Hill for Senators to parse. | | | Today we're blasting ABBA's "Dancing Queen" thanks to British Prime Minister Theresa May. The PM felt the beat of the tambourine and channeled those fashionable Swedes (and also did the robot?) in a speech to the Conservative Conference in Birmingham, England today. May had the time of her life -- or at least a better time than during last year's speech, which, according to some, was an "unmitigated disaster." | | | Today's topic: The New York Times implodes Donald Trump's creation myth. | | 🚨THE NOISE IS COMING FROM YOUR PHONE 🚨 | | What was that "Presidential Alert" on your phone at 2:18 p.m.?
It's the first nationwide test of an alert system built by the federal government and cell phone carriers, according to CNN's Gregory Wallace. It's made to warn Americans of an emergency, like a terror attack or a widespread disaster.
And no, you can't turn it off. | | CHRIS TUNED IN SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO | | President Donald Trump's rollicking rallies never fail to deliver a few beauties, and last night's event in Mississippi was no exception.
Chris highlighted some quotable quotients, like ...
6. "I'm not on the ballot, but in a certain way, I'm on the ballot."
26. "And that kind of dishonesty happens all the time. Happened at the inauguration. It happened at the inauguration."
32. "Patrick Leahy -- oh, he's never had a drink in his life. Check it out. Look under 'Patrick Leahy/drink.'"
38. "I love you, too. You're not my type, but I love you."
41. "The Space Force. And that's what it's all about, folks. You look at what's happening. I'm not just talking rockets to the moon and to Mars. I'm talking about defense. I'm talking about -- that's where it is. It's in space." | | | From Brenna: "Okay. Yes. I realize that former Secretary of State John Kerry doesn't even go here, but he has been bringing the 🔥 with GIF-y behavior this week. Like today when he tried to walk off the wrong way at the Atlantic Festival. (So relatable.) Make today extra by telling your friends to subscribe to The Point!" | | | | | | |
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