President Donald Trump and his allies are scrambling to defend him against a bombshell New York Times report summarizing two decades' worth of the President's long-sought tax returns, which he's gone to lengths to conceal since his 2016 campaign.
The report details over $400 million in debt racked up by Trump, along with the revelation that the President—who claims to be a billionaire—only paid $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017. For at least 10 of the last 15 years, the President paid nothing at all.
Trump dismissed the story as "fake news" and White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern appeared on the President's least favorite network, CNN, where he made the bizarre claim that the New York Times was secretly working with the Democratic party to smear Trump.
CNN anchor Poppy Harlow was having none of it.
Watch below.
CNN's Poppy Harlow to WH Spox Brian Morgenstern: "These are remarkable reporters from the NYTimes... It is not OK for you to accuse them with no facts of coordinating with the Democratic Party. Please stop doing that or this interview will end. Brian, stop attacking the press." pic.twitter.com/XrXx8Gz8IL
— The Hill (@thehill) September 28, 2020
Morgenstern falsely claimed:
"The New York Times reported basically the same thing four years ago on the eve of the debate. The Democrats had ads up and running within minutes of this coming out which means that it's probably a coordinated political smear."
Harlow gave Morgenstern a warning when he deployed the Trump deflection to the financial dealings Biden's son Hunter, who is not running for President:
"I absolutely should not be asking the president's spokesman about someone that is not germane to this, who is not running for president. Brian, please do our viewers a service of answering my questions about the man you serve. I ask the questions, and I'm glad that you're here, and I'm going to keep asking them."
After Morgenstern continued to claim that the Times report was "coordinated with the Democrats as a political hit," Harlow threatened to end the interview.
"I'm just going to stop you there. These are remarkable reporters from The New York Times that went through 20 years of documents. It's not okay to accuse them, with no facts, of coordinating with the Democratic Party. Please stop doing that or this interview will end."
People found Harlow's willingness to challenge lies from Trump allies refreshing.
Poppy Harlow giving us a rare sighting on cable news: an anchor who doesn't let White House officials spread vicious propaganda on behalf of Trump. https://t.co/rKmJDVKJX6
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) September 28, 2020
Good afternoon to @PoppyHarlowCNN and Poppy Harlow only. https://t.co/PY429kDTrD
— Katie Porter (@katieporteroc) September 28, 2020
Poppy Harlow just now, to some trumper trying to filibuster her "BECAUSE I ASK THE QUESTIONS."
That's how you do it.
— Juniper's Better Bitch (@JunipersBird) September 28, 2020
WH spokesman Brian Morganstern after CNN's Poppy Harlow's interview this morning. pic.twitter.com/Nj1KyS9nVw
— Kim (@Kimmer4444) September 28, 2020
The Press is slowly starting to learn how to deal with the Maganutters of the Trumpomob
good job Poppy! RT @AppleRiverBnB
Poppy Harlow on CNN NOW:
Brian (WH press secretary) STOP ATTACKING THE PRESS or this interview is over!
GO CNN!
— Tomi Ahonen The Rat In The Hat (@tomiahonen) September 28, 2020
Props to CNN's Poppy Harlow. Reporters need to stop baseless claims and conspiracy theories from being unchecked on live TV.
— Dr. Comments-A-Lot 🇺🇸🇨🇺•••👁👁••• (@WDCreports) September 28, 2020
The criticisms of Trump's tax revelations aren't letting up either.
What a hypocrite! While Trump makes hateful & racist rants about how immigrants are “bad" for the country, the undocumented immigrants he hired to work at his country clubs paid more in federal income taxes than Trump. What's bad for the country? Billionaires who don't pay taxes.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 28, 2020
Bank fraud. Tax fraud. Wire fraud. Mail fraud.
Trump's corruption is so exceptional that only the power of the presidency can save him.
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) September 28, 2020
Trump paid $0 in income taxes many years. His business used billions in government services & he contributed nothing. This is the deep corruption of our system, where the wealthiest pay virtually nothing & the burden falls on the middle class. Wake up! Let's reclaim our country.
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) September 28, 2020
Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will debate on Tuesday night.
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