Donald Trump Scandals Give New Meaning To Tax Day In The US | Rachel Maddow

OF THE IRS LEAKED INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S TAX
RETURNS. AND THIS WAS OCTOBER 1973.
SO OTHER STUFF WAS GOING ON. THIS IS A LEAK THAT WAS, IN
HISTORY NOW HAS BEEN OBSCURED BY THE UNFOLDING WATERGATE SCANDAL.
AT THE TIME IT WAS A BIG DEAL. LEAKING TAX INFORMATION LIKE
THIS IT WAS, IS SOMETHING YOU'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.
AND IT REALLY DOESN'T USUALLY HAPPEN.
BUT SOMEONE IN THE FALL OF 1973, SOMEONE APPARENTLY WITH THE HELP
OF A PHOTOCOPY MACHINE AT AN IRS OFFICE IN MARTINSBURG, WEST
VIRGINIA, SOMEBODY SENT PRESIDENT NIXON'S TAX
INFORMATION TO A REPORTER. A REPORTER AT THE "PROVIDENCE
JOURNAL BULLETIN" IN RHODE ISLAND.
THAT REPORTER THEN PUBLISHED A STORY ON IT AND WHAT WE LEARNED
FROM THAT LEAK AND THAT PUBLICATION WAS OVER THE COURSE
OF TWO YEARS, PRESIDENT NIXON HAD PAID NEXT TO NOTHING IN
FEDERAL INCOME TAXES. HE WAS EARNING $200,000 A YEAR
AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BUT HE WAS PAYING THE
GOVERNMENT IN TAXES BASICALLY THE SAME AMOUNT AS IF HE WAS,
QUOTE, A WAGE EARNER WITH ONE EXEMPTION IN THE $7,000 INCOME
BRACKET. SO HE FACED AN ONSLAUGHT OF
PUBLIC PRESSURE AFTER THAT LEAK. AND THAT REVELATION ABOUT HOW
LITTLE HE WAS PAYING IN TAXES AND WHY WAS THAT ANYWAY?
PRESIDENT NIXON AFTER THAT HAPPENED, HE EVENTUALLY RELEASED
FIVE YEARS OF HIS TAX RETURNS. HE RELEASED THOSE TAX RETURNS TO
CONGRESS. HE THEN PROMPTLY GOT SOCKED WITH
THE BILL FOR $470,000 IN UNPAID BACK TAXES BECAUSE IT TURNS OUT
HE WAS NOT ACTUALLY PAYING ALL OF HIS TAXES.
AND EVEN THOUGH PRESIDENT NIXON'S FINANCIAL SITUATION, HIS
TAX SITUATION WAS NOW DIRE STRAIGHTS FOR ALL THE WORLD TO
SEE, SOME AMERICANS TO SUPPORTED HIM DECIDED THEY ACTUALLY FELT
QUITE CHARITABLE TOWARD HIM ON THAT WHOLE ISSUE.
>> IT'S TAX DAY FOR MOST PEOPLE TODAY, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS TAX
PROBLEMS, PRESIDENT NIXON HAS BEEN GIVEN AN EXTRA 60 DAYS TO
FILE HIS RETURN. THE WHITE HOUSE SAID TODAY THAT
ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE HAVE SENT THE PRESIDENT OVER $40,000 TO HELP
PAY HIS HUGE BILL FOR BACK TAXES, BUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE
GESTURE IS APPRECIATED, THE MONEY WILL BE RETURNED.
>> PEOPLE SENT NIXON TAX TO HELP PAY BACK TAXES.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE GESTURE BUT WE CAN'T ACCEPT.
THE PRESIDENT WILL SEND YOUR MONEY BACK AND IS PAYING HIS
BACK TAXES HIMSELF. THAT WAS AN EXCITING TAX DAY IN
1974 AFTER THAT LEAK IN THE FALL OF 1973 AND HAD MADE THIS SUCH A
FRAUD ISSUE. THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE MODERN
TRADITION OF PRESIDENTS RELEASING THEIR TAX RETURNS.
SINCE THEN, PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES RELEASE AND
PUBLISH THEIR TAX RETURNS. THE INFORMATION WE LEARN WITHIN
THEM IS A LITTLE LESS EXCITING NOWADAYS, RIGHT?
USUALLY MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, OH, LOOK, PRESIDENT REAGAN GOT A
$14 REFUND THIS YEAR. OR, OH, WOW, THE BIDENS, THEY
GAVE 1.5% OF THEIR INCOME TO CHARITY WHILE THE OBAMAS GAVE
22%. I WONDER IF THAT'S AN ISSUE
BETWEEN THEM. OR HERE'S AN INTERESTING ISSUE.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BOOK SALES HAVE DROPPED.
THAT'S HOW -- THAT'S THE STUFF WE USUALLY GET TAX DAY.
IF THAT'S HOW WE STILL DID TAX DAY IN THIS COUNTRY THERE WOULD
PROBABLY BE STUFF TO TALK ABOUT IN TERMS OF OUR CURRENT
PRESIDENT. BUT INSTEAD TODAY WE WATCHED AS
THE PRESIDENT SIGNED HIS BIG BUY AMERICAN, HIRE AMERICAN
EXECUTIVE ORDER. EVEN THOUGH TRUMP FAMILY
BUSINESSES HAVE A HARD TIME FOLLOWING THAT PLEDGE
THEMSELVES. THEY ARE KNOWN FOR HIRING LOTS
AND LOTS OF FOREIGN WORKERS. ALSO ON TAX DAY TODAY, WE
LEARNED THAT ON THE SAME DAY THE DAUGHTER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES SAT DOWN FOR DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
CHINA. ON THAT SAME DAY, CHINA APPROVED
A BUNCH OF HER COMPANY'S TRADEMARKS GIVING HER COMPANY
THE RIGHT TO SELL JEWELRY, BAGS AND SPA SERVICES IN HER NAME IN
CHINA. WE ALSO LEARNED ON TAX DAY TODAY
THAT THE LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THE PRESIDENT EARLIER THIS YEAR
FOR VIOLATING THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE WHICH SAYS YOU CAN'T
ACCEPT PAYMENTS FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, THAT LAWSUIT IS
EXPANDING TO INCLUDE MORE PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY ARE VICTIMS OF THE
PRESIDENT'S REFUSAL TO SELL OFF HIS BUSINESS HOLDINGS WHILE HE
CONTINUES TO BENEFIT FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND FOREIGN
SOURCES OF INCOME. SO THIS IS HOW WE CELEBRATE TAX
DAY NOW WITH MORE REMINDERS ABOUT HOW LITTLE WE REALLY KNOW
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S FINANCIAL SITUATION.
AND THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CHANGING ANY TIME SOON.
THIS IS NOW THE NEW NORMAL. THE REASON TAX DAY BECAME
SOMETHING A DAY ON WHICH WE LEARNED BORING THINGS ABOUT
PRESIDENTS IN YEARS PAST STARTED IN SCANDAL WITH THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION IN THE EARLY 1970s.
ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS YET ANOTHER THING FOR WHICH SOMETHING THAT
WAS A SCANDAL IN THE NIXON WHITE HOUSE NOW SEEMS QUAINT IN

Donald Trump Scandals Give New Meaning To Tax Day In The US | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

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