Donald Trump’s personal lawyer threatened Joe Scarborough after the MSNBC host suggested that Trump leaked his own tax return to distract from Trumpcare and the Russia scandal.
Scarborough tweeted:
The Trump camp released one positive tax return to distract from Russia hearings and the Trumpcare meltdown. That's painfully obvious. https://t.co/NLBVPJhwg6
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 15, 2017
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This one tax return is not bad for him because he cherry picked one return from over a decade ago and had it leaked to the press. https://t.co/P5cMuApGVe
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 15, 2017
Trump’s personal attorney tweeted a threat to Scarborough:
This one tax return is not bad for him because he cherry picked one return from over a decade ago and had it leaked to the press. https://t.co/P5cMuApGVe
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 15, 2017
The Morning Joe host reminded Trump’s lawyer about that pesky First Amendment:
And by the way "attorney":
1. Read the First Amendment
2. Save your dumb thug routine for someone who gives a damn. https://t.co/EZfiaEq2yp— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) March 15, 2017
If one buys what Scarborough is selling here, Trump cherry picked a tax return and leaked two pages to the press to distract from the fact that he is going to take health care away from many of the rural and red state voters who supported him. Also, Trump is looking for a distraction on the Russia scandal.
What Scarborough is suggesting makes sense because only the first two pages of the return were leaked, and it was from almost 12 years ago. The more damaging information, if any exists, is will be found in the President’s more recent returns. Who was the president in business with while he was a candidate? What potential conflicts of interest exist now that he in the White House?
These questions can’t be answered by a couple of pages from a 2005 tax return.
The Trump circle doesn’t understand how the First Amendment works. Joe Scarborough has a constitutionally protected right to express his opinion about the President Of The United States. Rachel Maddow has a constitutionally protected right to report on Donald Trump’s 2005 tax returns.
Threatening the press is a great tactic to motivate journalists to keep digging on a story. People who don’t have anything to hide don’t threaten reporters.
Joe Scarborough expressed an opinion, but in Trump’s America, that’s enough to earn a threat from the President’s lawyer.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
