"Until this moment I think I never really gauged your cruelty"

His convention-speech comment, “I alone can fix it,” should make every American shudder. He is, we believe, a danger to the Republic.’

snood wrote:

His convention-speech comment, “I alone can fix it,” should make every American shudder. He is, we believe, a danger to the Republic.’

I think he was talking about the election, like Bush did first time around.

Nevertheless, Trump has no plans to release his tax returns. His campaign confirmed Wednesday that he “will not be releasing” the returns before the election.

Asked about the issue Thursday night on Fox News, Trump said he has “very, very little pressure” to release the returns.

On that score, he is absolutely right.

ThinkProgress conducted an analysis of coverage of Trump’s tax returns in major newspapers during 2016 and compared them to the coverage of Mitt Romney’s tax returns in 2012.

Romney, like Trump, initially refused to release any of his tax returns. But in January 2012, under pressure from the media Romney released his 2010 tax return and a summary of his 2011 return. It was less than any other major party candidate in decades, but it was something.

Nevertheless, in the first seven months of his election year, Romney generated more than twice the coverage of his tax returns — almost all of it critical — than Trump has generated this year. The contrast is similarly stark at some of the nation’s top national and regional papers:



Among those critical of Romney’s failure to disclose his returns was Donald Trump himself.

In a January 2012 appearance on Fox News, Trump said that Romney was being “hurt really very badly” by refusing to release his tax returns. He implored Romney to “release them now.”

Trump’s plans for his own returns have varied dramatically. In May, Trump described the release of his tax returns as imminent, saying their release was coming “as fast as the auditors finish.” He switched course days later, telling George Stephanopoulos that his tax rate was “none of your business” and that he fights “very hard to pay as little tax as possible.”

According to information submitted to New Jersey’s gambling commission, Trump paid no taxes at all for at least two years in the 1990s. Similar filings revealed he also paid nothing to the federal government for at least two years in the late 1970s.

Trump’s reluctance to release his returns may go beyond the embarrassment of a low (or 0%) tax rate. His candidacy also presents a dizzying array of conflicts of interest that tax returns could expose in more detail.

His tax returns could also undermine Trump’s claim that he is incredibly rich. Trump claims he is worth $10 billion but that number has been called into question. It is based on multi-billion dollar valuations for nebulous assets like the “Trump” brand. Trump’s personal financial disclosure that
he filled with the FEC only required him to reveal assets in broad ranges but showed a much smaller amount of liquid assets. His tax returns could reveal an even bleaker picture.

Trump clearly has a lot to gain from not releasing his tax returns. His explicit calculation is, based on the amount of media scrutiny he’s receiving, why bother?

I know, but I'm a bloody lazy bastard, sorry.

Donald Trump has asked why I did not speak at the Democratic convention. He said he would like to hear from me. Here is my answer to Donald Trump:

Donald Trump's criticism about the Muslim parents of a slain American soldier has generated -- once again -- a backlash within his own party.

Just 100 days from the election, Trump has responded in his standard fashion -- dig in, claim he's being treated unfairly and attack back.
But the swift condemnation of Trump's response raises questions about whether this controversy is different from the ones that came before it.

"This is going to a place where we've never gone before, to push back against the families of the fallen," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said in a statement. "There used to be some things that were sacred in American politics -- that you don't do -- like criticizing the parents of a fallen soldier even if they criticize you."

"If you're going to be leader of the free world, you have to be able to accept criticism. Mr. Trump can't," Graham said. "The problem is, 'unacceptable' doesn't even begin to describe it."

"This is so incredibly disrespectful of a family that endured the ultimate sacrifice for our country," Jeb Bush, a Trump rival in the 2016 GOP primary, said on Twitter Sunday evening.

"There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect," tweeted Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who skipped the GOP convention in his state and has declined to endorse Trump. "Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family."

Kasich's top strategist in his failed 2016 presidential campaign, John Weaver, tweeted a scathing attack on Trump's handling of the Khan controversy, saying: "Trump's slur against Captain Khan's mother is, even for him, beyond the pale. He has NO redeeming qualities."

And both Republican congressional leaders took issue with Trump, issuing statements Sunday that praised the Khan family and reaffirmed their opposition Trump's proposed Muslim travel ban.
"America's greatness is built on the principles of liberty and preserved by the men and women who wear the uniform to defend it," House Speaker Ryan, R-Wisconsin, said. "As I have said on numerous occasions, a religious test for entering our country is not reflective of these fundamental values. I reject it. Many Muslim Americans have served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice -- and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan -- should always be honored. Period."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, offered similar sentiments.
"Captain Khan was an American hero, and like all Americans I'm grateful for the sacrifices that selfless young men like Captain Khan and their families have made in the war on terror," McConnell said in a statement Sunday.
"All Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services," McConnell said. "And as I have long made clear, I agree with the (Khans) and families across the country that a travel ban on all members of a religion is simply contrary to American values."

Trump's sustained hostility toward the Khans has made other Republican candidates and officeholders deeply uncomfortable. On Monday morning, Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom Trump once mocked for being shot down and captured during the Vietnam War, issued a nearly 700-word statement denouncing Trump's critiques of the Khans.

"In recent days, Donald Trump disparaged a fallen soldier's parents. He has suggested that the likes of their son should not be allowed in the United States — to say nothing of entering its service. I cannot emphasize enough how deeply I disagree with Mr. Trump's statement," McCain said. "I hope Americans understand that the remarks do not represent the views of our Republican Party, its officers, or candidates."