CNN’s New Day has energetically hyped the story the published by The New York Times on President Trump’s tax returns. Alisyn Camerota highlighted: “It turns out Mr. Trump is deeply in debt and he paid a measly $750 in federal taxes in both 2016 and 2017.”
But conservative CNN analyst Rick Santorum arrived to upset Alisyn's apple cart. She pressed him: "Do you find it galling he paid no taxes?"
Santorum insisted “You can't complain that he's not paying any taxes and then criticize for him -- if he's losing money, he's not going to be paying taxes....as you know, particularly in real estate, there's all sorts of deals that are done in real estate that don't necessarily turn a lot of profit on paper that actually have tax benefits."
Camerota raised objections to this point, as she did with many of Santorum’s comments. Throughout the interview, he was hard-pressed to be able to finish a thought without interruption. This was especially true when he questioned the lack of transparency on sources and documents from The New York Times.
SANTORUM: The question is, is he doing anything illegal? And I don't think there's any claim of that. And by the way -- The New York Times refuses to share the information with Trump. They're refusing to show that they in fact have those documents. The Trump campaign --
CAMEROTA: So are you -- are you doubting whether The New York Times is really reporting on this? Because that is what President Trump is saying. Is that what you're saying?
SANTORUM: I'm not sure you want to go there with The New York Times.... How many Russian stories turned out to be not only not true, but the reverse of what we're now finding out about was going on in the FBI? I think there's a lot of questions there.
After a break, Camerota turned to the foreign investments that were reportedly made by the Trump organization. Santorum raised the point “you talk about all of these properties losing money over the last few years and then say the President is profiting from being President. I don’t know how you square those two things.” Camerota responded that it was possible with foreign investments.
These kinds of comments from Santorum caused him to "trend" on Twitter, full of left-wing rage that CNN let this man into the studio. For example:
Many questions still remain about the large report released by the Times. Both the White House and the President himself have denied the reports claiming they are false. Some outlets have questioned how the paper obtained these records, questions which the paper has refused to answer. Joe Biden has already released a campaign ad attacking the President and already has buttons for sale.
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A transcript of September 28 coverage is included below:
New Day
09/28/20
7:30 AM ETALISYN CAMEROTA: All right. We now know what's in President Trump's taxes. As of this morning, new financial documents obtained by "The New York Times" paint a picture of all of the mysterious questions that people have had over the years about whether Donald Trump pays taxes. It turns out Mr. Trump is deeply in debt and he paid a measly $750 in federal taxes in both 2016 and 2017, while he was in the White House. He also paid nothing in taxes for 10 of last 15 years. Joining us now are CNN's senior political commentator and former Republican Senator, Rick Santorum, and CNN political commentator and former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent, who has endorsed Joe Biden.
CAMEROTA: Rick, your thoughts?
RICK SANTORUM: First up, President Trump lowered taxes and I think most taxpayers are happy that he did lower his taxes and Joe Biden says he wants to increase tax. So I think on the tax issue, if Joe Biden goes out and starts talking about taxes, I think that's a winner for Donald Trump. On the issue --
CAMEROTA: But what about his personal taxes, Rick? I mean not just his policy, though, obviously, his policy is, we now know, colored by so much of this, but what about -- I mean, do you find it galling that he paid no taxes and paid $750 in taxes for the past two years as President?
SANTORUM: Well, you know, I would say if the president is losing money, he shouldn't be paying taxes. You can't complain that he's not paying any taxes and then criticize for him -- if he's losing money, he's not going to be paying taxes. So, you know, and as you know, particularly in real estate, there's all sorts of deals that are done in real estate that don't necessarily turn a lot of profit on paper that actually have tax benefits.
CAMEROTA: And are you comfortable with the morality -- I'm just curious, Rick, are you comfortable with the morality of all of that, that rich people with game the system like that?
SANTORUM: Well, you know, look, the answer is, if you have a lot of money, you can -- no matter what you do with the tax system, you can always game it. I mean, that's just the reality of the situation. And you know, Donald Trump has been very forthright, and I'm sure he will be at the debate, that he doesn't like paying taxes and he's going to do everything he cannot to pay taxes. This is a guy who's been very, very clear about that. -
CAMEROTA: And that's okay?
SANTORUM: If he structures it according to the law. The question is, is he doing anything illegal? And I don't think there's any claim of that. And by the way -- "The New York Times" refuses to share the information with Trump. They're refusing to show that they in fact have those documents. The Trump campaign --
CAMEROTA: So are you -- are you doubting whether "The New York Times" is really reporting on this? Because that is what President Trump is saying. Is that what you're saying?
SANTORUM: I'm not sure you want to go there with the "New York Times." I mean -
CAMEROTA: You doubt --[At this point they all start talking at once]
SANTORUM: How many Russian stories turned out to be --
CAMEROTA: You doubt that they actually have the information?DENT: Release the tax returns!
SANTORUM: How many Russian stories turned out to be not only not true, but the reverse of what we're now finding out about was going on in the FBI? I think there's a lot of questions there....
CAMEROTA: And Rick, what about the idea for all of these years, he hasn't paid into kind of the national pocketbook that we all pay into, in terms of the defense budget, in terms of trying to pay down the national debt that has run up on his watch. What about that?
SANTORUM: Well, first off. The President gives back his salary to the treasury, so that's one thing. Number two, he -- you know, again, I'm not going to criticize someone for the way they run their business. If the President -- number one, if his business is losing money --
CAMEROTA: And does that bother you that he loses so many millions of dollars? That he made these horrendous business deals, that he loses just a shocking amount of money?
SANTORUM: I mean, clearly, the President has resources and the President certainly has a lot property and a lot of enterprises going on. The fact that they may be losing money or that it's structured in a way that they are losing money. Obviously, that's his decision and you talk about all of these properties losing money over the last few years and then say the President is profiting from being President. I don’t know how you square those two things. –CAMEROTA: Wait!
SANTORUM: Either the president is not profiting from being president or these places are making money.
CAMEROTA: Why is it either/or? You can lose money on your golf courses, which it appears that he is, and you can make money from your foreign deals. Those aren't mutually exclusive.
SANTORUM: Well, again, we don't know and we don't even know -- I don't think "The New York Times" claims he's making money from these foreign deals. The bottom line is the President obviously has resources and the President obviously has businesses, lots of businesses, and at least I know some of them are doing well, because I'm happy to be familiar with some of them.
