Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday refused to explain how President Donald Trump will support his claim that he won’t personally benefit from the outlined tax proposal the White House released last week.
“How are Americans going to know if the President gets this benefit if he doesn’t release his tax returns?” George Stephanopoulos asked Mnuchin on ABC News’ “This Week,” referring to part of the proposed policy that would cut taxes on certain high-earning businesses that currently pay individual rates.
“That’s just not fair, because, again, we haven’t published the rules as to what’s going to apply to the pass-through rates, so you’re making certain assumptions that I don’t think are correct,” Mnuchin replied.
“I wouldn’t need to make the assumptions if we had the President’s tax returns,” Stephanopoulos said. “The President himself has said publicly he’s not going to get a benefit from this tax plan. My question to you is, how are the American people going to know that if he’s not releasing his tax returns?”
“I think the American public will be comfortable with the information they have,” Mnuchin said. “We’re going to make sure that there’s the proper rules. There’s going to be full transparency, as we go through the legislative process, what those rules are so that rich people can’t take advantage of it.”
Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Sunday had a different explanation for why he could not provide a more specific defense of the Republican plan: It isn’t finished yet.
“I’ve seen the criticisms, and all I can tell you is that no one can make real detailed analysis of the plan yet,” Mulvaney said. “Because it’s not finished.”
How will we know if the new GOP tax plan will benefit Pres. Trump personally? Treasury Sec. Mnuchin won't say: https://t.co/EED1g8jEMQ pic.twitter.com/gVQjweFoq9
— GeorgeStephanopoulos (@GStephanopoulos) October 1, 2017
Trump can’t ‘prove’ how he’ll fare because (a) we don’t know the details of the proposed plan, and (b) we have to see both his personal returns and his corporate returns. Anything less is unacceptable proof.
Republican voters will eat this with a spoon and ask for more.
As for the rest of us–the vast majority of Americans who oppose this incredible, toxic malpractice in governance–gerrymandering and voter suppression are expected to take care of that little problem. And maybe a little hacking and electoral fraud around the edges, if needs be.
These people don’t even fake it with passion and energy any more. They’re so utterly confident that a poisonous, disruptive, destabilizing tax cut will make it through their corrupt Congress, and that someone will place a pen in those stubby little fingers and the Great I Am will sign the bill, that the most they summon up is this kind of bored Kabuki on the Sunday shows.
Becuz he is recognized all over the globe as a man of his word?
What is it about Mnuchin’s face that creates this irresistible desire in me to flip his ear?
Personally I am in favor of simplifying the tax code, but to say Trump won’t benefit from repeal of the Estate Tax is silly.
I want a tax code that doesn’t force people to make business decisions to take advantage of some loophole or other. That screws up decision making at all levels. Of course there is a complete industry dedicated to creating new loopholes for large corporations and rich people.
If he’s saying he won’t benefit, maybe it’s because he’s paying zero taxes already. Until he proves otherwise, it’s a fair assumption.