This thread is too convoluted for me
. Here are my simple three takeaways:
1. The tax carry-forward losses that Trump took are legal. They do not necessarily mean that he is a bad (or good) businessman nor do they mean that he did anything wrong. Yes, the values involved are huge, but so is the book real estate value that they are likely based on.
2. Unfortunately, for Trump, in addition to the legal argument, there is a moral side to all this. First of all, the return does illustrate his hypocrisy; he has made a point of criticizing others for similar things (why would anyone who is legitimately on welfare, or has legitimately taken advantage of another government program be any more guilty than Trump?). On top of it, this is a story that will just play very poorly with independent voters and even his supporters, however he spins it.
3. Last but not least, this serves as an indicator and a red flag. The fact that he did these financial maneuvers in 1995 begs the question what else has he done in subsequent years. Just as Clinton is legitimately questioned about the Clinton Foundation ("pay for play"), Trump should clearly address whether his financials are putting him in a potentially compromising situation. If he is not releasing his tax returns and financial info, then people should not trust him - plain and simple.
