The Briefing Room
General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: sinkspur on August 22, 2016, 02:03:52 pm
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http://theweek.com/articles/643905/donald-trump-made-election-all-about-himself-that-stupid?utm_source=links&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=twitter
Donald Trump has made this election all about himself. That was stupid.
Michael Brendan Dougherty
August 22, 2016
Just before Christmas in 2013, Donald Trump predicted how his presidential ambitions would go. "I'm going to get in and all the polls are going to go crazy. I'm going to suck all the oxygen out of the room. I know how to work the media in a way that they will never take the lights off of me," Politico reports him saying. And he was right. But it came at a cost.
In 2015, the summer of Trump, he made himself the most important issue of the Republican primary. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio wanted to talk about upward mobility, instead they talked about how Trump can't "insult his way to the presidency" or called him irresponsible. Ted Cruz wanted to talk about the Constitution, but his most memorable campaign lines were about the Donald. First saying that he won't get in a "cage match" with him, then saying he was a pathological liar and narcissist. All Trump, all the time worked for Trump in a 17-candidate field with frequent debates. And all his opponents became defined by how they reacted to him: Jeb wilted; Rubio malfunctioned; Cruz embraced and then denied him.
But the Trump show, in its second summer, is not working for Trump. In fact, it is distracting from all the bad news that could be hurting Hillary Clinton. Think of what a normal Republican candidate, with normal big-party resources, and an acceptable level of party unity would have done with the following stories that relate to Clinton's judgment and competence:
1. FBI Director James Comey's lashing indictment of the careless way Clinton handled classified material, with the heavy implication that under normal circumstances a person would lose their security clearance for this behavior.
2. The renewed bombing campaigns over Libya, where Clinton's "smart power" foreign policy created chaos, cost thousands of human lives, and created a Mediterranean beachhead for ISIS.
3. The tax documents of the Clintons revealing that they give nearly all their charitable donations to the Clinton Foundation, whose resources pay for much of their family's travel, and for staff that spends most of their time serving them.
4. The Clinton Foundation's announcement that it would — soon, eventually — cease taking foreign and corporate donations, even though any fair reading of these gifts makes the foundation look like a form of legal bribery.
Clinton should be happy that all of these stories come out and Trump doesn't have the resources or the common sense to put her on the defensive about them in any serious or sustained way. A normal Republican would put pressure on her to answer questions from the media. A normal Republican would be flooding the airwaves in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania detailing the foreign money that influences her decisions. A normal Republican would ask why our pilots are flying on the say-so of a barely legitimate Libyan government.
And putting Clinton on the defensive would likely cause her to make mistakes. She is horrible when she's on the spot. That's when she antagonizes the media against her, claiming she was "dead broke" in the days after buying a mansion in Chappaqua, or joking that you wipe a server "with a cloth." Alas, Trump's incompetent show goes on, and Clinton is able to focus her resources micro-targeting to every progressive group out there.
Occasionally, Trump tries in his awkward way to put in an effort, such as when he said that "Obama is the founder of ISIS." But the pattern over these news cycles is more telling. Trump is becoming known for clashing more with his party, and with his hired campaign staff more than with Clinton. For weeks, he has let his campaign be consumed by petty fighting with Paul Ryan, by his hiring decisions, even by his campaign's decision to source its internet strategy from random racist Twitter accounts.
Hillary Clinton should be thankful for the Trump show. "They will never take the lights off of me," he said. And so the light never shines on Hillary Clinton's pecuniary motives, her corrupted judgment, or her disastrous use of American air power in misbegotten wars. It never shines on the points of her campaign that demoralize the left wing or energize conservatives. It just stays on Trump, as his electoral hopes implode.
To put it very simply, the race for the presidency is a show in itself. And it is a fight. But Trump is fighting everyone but Clinton: the press, his former campaign managers, his children, and his own manifest lack of self-control.
If Trump wants to become president, he needs to cancel the Trump show, and replace it with something that actually features Hillary Clinton.
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Trump was and is the only way Hillary can become president.
She may still manage to lose.
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Trump was and is the only way Hillary can become president.
She may still manage to lose.
I don't think so. Contrary to what Kellyanne Conway said yesterday, Trump is back to hurling insults on Twitter this morning:
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Some day, when things calm down, I'll tell the real story of @JoeNBC and his very insecure long-time girlfriend, @morningmika. Two clowns!
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
And the solution is another corrupt elite?
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
If Trump is the messenger, does that mean all the people he is standing in for are as 'effed up as he is?
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
You picked the biggest Hockey Puck in the US to deliver the message.
Dumbasses.
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
So "the people" pick the epitome of a corrupt elite to send that message?
Does not compute.
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
Now.......... this makes no sense whatsoever.
What kind of "people" want a corrupt elite to be the "messenger" if they are fed up with corrupt elites?
To whom does this seem logical??
Who ARE these "people" anyway??
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
The Great Orange Pumpkin tRumpkin is a member of the corrupt elite. He's been buying politicians for years for his own benefit.
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Well that's pretty obvious.
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Trump was and is the only way Hillary can become president.
She may still manage to lose.
I keep on hoping she finds a way to come to her highest and best use.
As compost. She's well on the way; we just need to hope that things come together for everyone.
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And the solution is another corrupt elite?
Trump is a wealthy well connected outsider but I see no evidence of undue influence, in fact quite the opposite.
Its not like he briefs the Sec. of State about what he wants done in country X or forms a company that gets awarded a precious metals concession.
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Trump is a wealthy well connected outsider but I see no evidence of undue influence, in fact quite the opposite.
Its not like he briefs the Sec. of State about what he wants done in country X or forms a company that gets awarded a precious metals concession.
Trump is not an "outsider." And if you'd do your homework, you'd know how deeply corrupt he is.
Stick around this forum for a while longer and read before you post. You'll find out how completely corrupt Donald Trump is.
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He's been buying politicians for years for his own benefit.
@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
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Now.......... this makes no sense whatsoever.
What kind of "people" want a corrupt elite to be the "messenger" if they are fed up with corrupt elites?
To whom does this seem logical??
Who ARE these "people" anyway??
Hold on, now. Let's not confuse Trump voters with Trump himself. A lot of Trump's supporters are people with legitimate fears, grievances, and frustrations who have been misled by a demagogue. The fact that Trump has bamboozled them, does nothing to detract from the very real problems they face.
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Trump is a wealthy well connected outsider but I see no evidence of undue influence, in fact quite the opposite.
Well-connected is the definition of corrupt. He's part of the New York political machine: pay a campaign contribution, get a government favor. There are multiple photos of him being jovial with the Clintons.
He's as corrupt as they come.
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Hold on, now. Let's not confuse Trump voters with Trump himself. A lot of Trump's supporters are people with legitimate fears, grievances, and frustrations who have been misled by a demagogue. The fact that Trump has bamboozled them, does nothing to detract from the very real problems they face.
Thank you. This needed to be said.
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I don't think so. Contrary to what Kellyanne Conway said yesterday, Trump is back to hurling insults on Twitter this morning:
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Some day, when things calm down, I'll tell the real story of @JoeNBC and his very insecure long-time girlfriend, @morningmika. Two clowns!
Someone made this astute observation......
LaurenBaratzLogsted
@LaurenBaratzL
LaurenBaratzLogsted Retweeted Donald J. Trump
The weird thing is, Joe and Mika are two of only 46 people Trump follows. They're *friends*! #morningjoe
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
Brilliant observation. Thank you. (...will go completely over #NeverTrump's head...that, or they'll simply ignore that buzzing of cognitive dissonance in their heads.)
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Well-connected is the definition of corrupt.
He's part of the New York political machine: pay a campaign contribution, get a government favor. There are multiple photos of him being jovial with the Clintons.
He's as corrupt as they come.
Is that the entirety of your corruption evidence... public record political contributions and some wedding photos?
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
He has actually been under audit for all of Obama and Bush's presidency if not before. Someone with his financial background will always be under audit. ROI for the IRS.
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
Trump aligned himself long ago with the DEMS and the Washington cartel; he's an insider. He proclaims how great he is, how rich he is and how right he is. He is a narcissistic, psychopathic demagogue. He has tapped into the fears and frustrations of the electorate and unfortunately they bought into his sales pitch.
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Someone made this astute observation......
More of a shame on them observation if its true.
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Someone with his financial background will always be under audit.
@AbaraXas Hard to tell what you're referring to regarding his financial background. Are all Wharton B-school grads being audited?
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
The IRS is not all politics. They frequently root out corruption of people skirting the tax code. And they have a nose for it. Perhaps Trump is in their crosshairs because he has behaved in a manner that deserves it.
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@AbaraXas Hard to tell what you're referring to regarding his financial background. Are all Wharton B-school grads being audited?
No. Just those with a "Foundation" who use it as a personal slush fund.
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Trump aligned himself long ago with the DEMS and the Washington cartel;
Strange alliance...this is the same group that trying so hard to stop him. Are you sure you've got your facts straight?
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The IRS is not all politics.
Lois Lerner disagrees.
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
His business operations have probably been on fairly regular audit ever since they reached a certain level of activity. That is standard operating procedure for the IRS. They have a separate division that concentrates on large and medium-sized businesses exclusively - the LMSB - and in some very large businesses, the IRS is usually given permanent space for what amounts to a permanent audit.
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Strange alliance...this is the same group that trying so hard to stop him. Are you sure you've got your facts straight?
I can answer for her...no, she's just bitter Trump won.
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Lois Lerner disagrees.
No. She disagrees that the tax-exempt division isn't all about politics, but she doesn't have authority over the entire beast.
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The campaign is about the people Trump is just the messenger.
The people are fed up with the corrupt elites telling them what to do.
So you think a self described corrupt elite picking fights with low ratings morning shows is speaking for the people? Interesting.
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Hold on, now. Let's not confuse Trump voters with Trump himself. A lot of Trump's supporters are people with legitimate fears, grievances, and frustrations who have been misled by a demagogue. The fact that Trump has bamboozled them, does nothing to detract from the very real problems they face.
I'm not confusing anyone with anyone else.
If you have legitimate fears, you don't place your trust in a corrupt liar who doesn't believe what you believe to assuage those fears.
Longmire claimed that Trump is an outsider who is the answer for people who are sick of corrupt elites.
If people don't do enough investigating (which in this case doesn't take much, since Trump is so overtly corrupt), then the problem is theirs, as is the fact that the problems they face will get worse under a corrupt demagogue like Trump.
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@AbaraXas Hard to tell what you're referring to regarding his financial background. Are all Wharton B-school grads being audited?
I would venture to say most. What I mean by 'his financial background' is someone who has highly complex and highly valuable asset and liability holdings, especially when they also run tax exempt foundations are hitting all the red flags for audit. In addition, other red flags he mostly likely has include foreign accounts, writing of many property and vehicle expenses as business expenses, reporting losses in some areas of his business to reduce tax bills, and being in the highest income category. Add to that being incorporated in New York State where you have a double chance of a State tax audit as well. If you look at the 'red flags' that trigger IRS audits for high income earners, he checks off every single one.
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I can answer for her...no, she's just bitter Trump won.
So she was bitter Trump won back in 2012 and before, before he won, when he was still identifying as a Democrat and even praising Obama and Hillary?
She must have a really great time machine.
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I can answer for her...no, she's just bitter Trump won.
So this supposed "bitterness" causes @libertybele to bring up actual facts about Trump's corruption that you pretend don't exist?
Your attribution of bitterness to libertybele is almost comical coming from the angriest, surliest, most resentful poster on this forum.
liberty posts myriads of facts while you post nothing but angry bile due to your own bitterness.
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Strange alliance...this is the same group that trying so hard to stop him. Are you sure you've got your facts straight?
What you fail to remember is Trump's objective is to hand Hillary the keys to the kingdom.
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I can answer for her...no, she's just bitter Trump won.
Do me a favor AC and don't answer for me; you don't know me, nor can you attest to how I feel. You are notorious for trying to put words into people's mouths. The only one that seems to spew hatred and bitterness is you since you became a Trump supporter. Sad.
Trump winning is a loss for the entire country. I'm not bitter or angry, I'm saddened and fearful to what he's done to this country. He is not of pure heart. He is a sick-minded twisted individual.
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
He was under audit long before Obama. Apparently, it's been an ongoing audit scenario since GWB. My question is....what the hell is Trump hiding? I suspect that I already know, but suspicions can oft times be even worse than the reality. So Trump needs to release those tax returns ASAP. He's the first presidential candidate that hasn't since 1976 (read that just the other day). Maybe the real reason he won't is because he knows his campaign isn't really serious and isn't going anywhere. Well....except for handing Hillary the presidency on a gold platter.
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So this supposed "bitterness" causes @libertybele to bring up actual facts about Trump's corruption that you pretend don't exist?
Your attribution of bitterness to libertybele is almost comical coming from the angriest, surliest, most resentful poster on this forum.
liberty posts myriads of facts while you post nothing but angry bile due to your own bitterness.
And those are some of his better qualities.....lol!
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
He's not under a continuous audit. There's no such thing. Besides, he has enough shady business deals under his belt to legitimately warrant being audited.
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He was under audit long before Obama. Apparently, it's been an ongoing audit scenario since GWB.
His own words, he has been audited every year since 2002.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/30/politics/donald-trump-tax-audit-letter/
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It was always going to be about Trump if he were the nominee, and it was always stupid.
This is how he kills the GOP, not that I actually care any more
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He's not under a continuous audit. There's no such thing. Besides, he has enough shady business deals under his belt to legitimately warrant being audited.
Some corporations apparently have an IRS agent in an office full time. :shrug:
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Lois Lerner disagrees.
So you're saying that everyone the IRS audits is politically motivated? Really?
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So you're saying that everyone the IRS audits is politically motivated? Really?
In all fairness, this is the same IRS that targeted the Tea Party in Obama's first term. So he's got good reason to be suspicious... but as someone stated, his IRS troubles long predate Obama.
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In all fairness, this is the same IRS that targeted the Tea Party in Obama's first term. So he's got good reason to be suspicious... but as someone stated, his IRS troubles long predate Obama.
But in fairness to reality, the Tea Party targeting was probably a small % of the total. I just said, "not all are political." And the fact that Trumps audits predate the recent politicization supports that assertion. Trump is being audited because of his own business practices.
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So you think a self described corrupt elite picking fights with low ratings morning shows is speaking for the people? Interesting.
Trump doesn't start fights...he ends them.
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Trump doesn't start fights...he ends them.
:bigsilly:
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@AbaraXas Hard to tell what you're referring to regarding his financial background. Are all Wharton B-school grads being audited?
I would venture to say most. What I mean by 'his financial background' is someone who has highly complex and highly valuable asset and liability holdings, especially when they also run tax exempt foundations are hitting all the red flags for audit. In addition, other red flags he mostly likely has include foreign accounts, writing of many property and vehicle expenses as business expenses, reporting losses in some areas of his business to reduce tax bills, and being in the highest income category. Add to that being incorporated in New York State where you have a double chance of a State tax audit as well. If you look at the 'red flags' that trigger IRS audits for high income earners, he checks off every single one.
Trump has around 500 separate companies. But that does not mean he has that many business enterprises as that includes multiple companies set up for one property or business. For instance, there might be one company set up for the initial development phase, another for the construction phase, another for management, a separate one for any licensing agreements, one to collect rents, and one just for payroll. I had read somewhere (can’t find it right now) that while it would not be unusual in the real estate biz to have more than one company set up per property, the sheer number of them that Trump has raises some eyebrows. The speculation is that this would cause anyone attempt to sue great problems in trying to determine which company to sue or having to sue them all.
And as they are all closely held LLC’s or partnerships, they would have tie ins to his personal return.
Some things that would be red flags that would trigger an audit include:
Taking unusual or an unusually high number of deductions vs. income. Also a large amount of carry forward losses.
Reporting a net loss in more than two out of five years.
Family members on payroll – while not certainly not illegal the IRS would look at it in terms of it not being a way to deduct salary expenses were the work performed is less than the value of the salary paid, i.e. gifting to family members.
Having a large number of “independent contractors” that may actually be employees.
Unreasonably high salaries paid to shareholders who are also employees.
Excessive deductions for business meals, travel and entertainment. Keep in mind that Trump lives in two homes that are also businesses – Trump Tower and Mar A Largo and he owns his own jet. The IRS might want to examine trips written off as business expenses that were actually personal travel.
Foreign income and foreign debts.
Depreciation schedules that do not tie out from one year to the next (and I worked at a company that had that problem and I worked for months trying to unravel so returns could be corrected and amended).
Why would Donald Trump get audited 12 years in a row?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-tax-audited-12-years-in-a-row-161055545.html (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/donald-trump-tax-audited-12-years-in-a-row-161055545.html)
The odds of getting audited 12 years in a row are slim, but not impossible, experts say.
Less than 1% of Americans get audited every year, and that number shrinks each year as the IRS workforce and budget has slimmed down. But among "high net-worth individuals," the rate is higher: Nearly 7% get audited. And Trump is certainly a high net-worth individual.
"As your income increases, your chances of being audited go up significantly," says John Petosa, a CPA and professor at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. "If you think about it, it makes sense—is the IRS going to spend time and money and resources auditing somebody who makes $30,000 a year? Or are they going to spend their time auditing someone who makes billions of dollars? There is probably more tax revenue to collect from a guy like Donald Trump, especially if he's being aggressive in his deductions." (As the campaign cycle has proven, there are few areas in which Trump is not aggressive.)
The IRS actually has a rule, in its agent manual, that if a person is audited and receives an assessment of zero (that is, does not owe additional money), the IRS cannot audit them again for two years. That means if Trump is telling the truth, then the IRS has repeatedly found discrepancies in his returns.
Until recently, it was typical for big corporations to get audited every year. This was called the Coordinated Examination Program. Many big public corporations even had rooms specifically designated for use by visiting IRS agents. But as the IRS's budget has been slashed, it has shrunk the program.
Trump's Golf Course Tax Shelter Likely Target In IRS Audit
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2016/06/15/trumps-golf-course-tax-shelter-likely-target-in-irs-audit/#77df9e5a47e5 (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2016/06/15/trumps-golf-course-tax-shelter-likely-target-in-irs-audit/#77df9e5a47e5)
While from the late ‘80’s, if this is any indication of Trump’s methodology in accounting, it could also trigger the IRS to come sniffing around.
"Unusual" accounting: Inside a Trump business audit
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-a-donald-trump-audit-missing-books-and-unusual-accounting/ (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-a-donald-trump-audit-missing-books-and-unusual-accounting/)
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What I mean by 'his financial background' is someone who has highly complex and highly valuable asset and liability holdings, especially when they also run tax exempt foundations are hitting all the red flags for audit
His foundation is mostly inactive...it isn't a red flag its a red herring.
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@beandog Really..is that why he's been under a continuous tax audit for the entire length of the Obama presidency?
Seem like a rather odd benefit...
I believe the IRS denied that.
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What you fail to remember is Trump's objective is to hand Hillary the keys to the kingdom.
:silly:
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:silly:
What makes you laugh about that comment? They're best buds, they have the same political philosophy, and Trump seems to be doing everything he can to make sure people don't vote for him.
It's actually funnier to believe that Trump isn't trying to help Hillary than that he is.
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He's not under a continuous audit. There's no such thing.
Well that settles it...
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Well that settles it...
Yeah, it really does.
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His foundation is mostly inactive...it isn't a red flag its a red herring.
The foundation is used as his personal piggy bank to reward business partners and stuff. It's supposed to be for charity.
It's as crooked as the Clinton Foundation, just much smaller in scale
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@geronl that can't be true, Trump has his returns audited by the IRS.
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right. sure. Just like the Clinton Foundation, lol
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/16/donald-trump-accused-of-using-his-charity-as-a-political-slush-fund.html
http://www.dailywire.com/news/6646/report-trump-used-trump-foundation-just-hillary-hank-berrien