I know, I know. Fifteen months into this election cycle and four decades into Trump’s life as a public figure, it’s a pretty dumb question to ask. But here are some things that Trump said on Monday afternoon in his first speech since The New York Times published portions of his 1995 tax returns showing a declared $916 million loss.
Trump just said the early 1990s real estate market was "almost as bad as the Great Depression" and "far worse" than Great Recession
— Zach Carter (@zachdcarter) October 3, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump: "Fixing our broken tax code is one of the main reasons I'm running for president." https://t.co/pKYMxF1XpH
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 3, 2016
Trump on his failures in the past: "I was young and you have to learn."
— John Santucci (@JTSantucci) October 3, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump: "I knew how to use the tax code to rebuild my company...gave me a tremendous advantage." https://t.co/DeZq2USeH8
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 3, 2016
.@realDonaldTrump: I have "legally used the tax laws to my benefit...Honestly, I have brilliantly used those laws." https://t.co/u58k26p7M2
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 3, 2016
Trump passionately argued that he was a fighter and that he is running for president precisely because he gamed a broken system and that he will use the knowledge he gained from gaming that broken system to help hard-working Americans.
Then there’s the fact that the year Trump declared a $916 million loss was right in the middle of what may be the biggest period of sustained growth in the nation’s history. And whether or not he learned anything, Trump also was not young when he declared that loss: He was 49 years old in 1995.