TRUMP OPPOSED CALLS TO ELIMINATE THE IRS Trump Did Not Support Abolishing The IRS. “After host Sean Hannity said, ‘I thought you liked the flat tax.’ Trump stated, ‘The problem with the flat tax is it’s sort of the same. I actually believe that people as they make more and more money can pay a higher percentage.’ Later he added, ‘I don’t like where everybody’s paying the same. If I make a billion dollars, and somebody else is making a hundred, and he’s paying ten dollars and I’m paying — to me, I don’t know. I like somewhat of a graduation. What you have now is a system that’s too complicated. The easiest thing to do is make that system uncomplicated, and make it really good, make it really good. And you know, as far as the IRS, people say ‘Let’s get rid of the IRS,’ somebody’s got to collect the money.’ Regarding simplifying the tax code, also stated, ‘The word is simplification. We can simplify. We can get rid of deductions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15] MISCELLANEOUS 1991: TRUMP BLASTED THE 1986 TAX REFORM, CALLING IT “THE DUMBEST TAX LAW EVER THOUGHT OF BY MAN” Trump: “The 1986 Tax Law Change Was A Total Disaster.” TRUMP: “At the same time, the 1986 tax law change was a total disaster. It was dumb. It was expensive. It cost the United States billions and billions of dollars. And it was foolish. I mean you had some senators that had no idea what they were doing when they passed that. And it shouldn't have happened. RTC was created. Trillions of dollars in property were just thrown out, thrown out the window and bought for very little money by some very smart people. And it should have never happened.”[Evans & Novak, CNN, 12/27/97] • Trump Said That The 1986 Tax Reform Act Destroyed The Real Estate Industry And The Savings And Loans Institutions. TRUMP: “The Government in 1986 passed the dumbest tax law ever thought of by man. They destroyed the savings and loan institutions because of the real estate. The insurance companies and banks are going to be next. And if they don't put incentive back into real estate you're going to have a catastrophe in this country like you've never seen before.” KING: “The 'they,' though, is your party?” TRUMP: “Politicians.” KING: “The Republican Party?” TRUMP: “Well, I don't say the Republicans. I mean, I guess it takes both parties to pass it, but they destroyed the real estate industry and this is why your unemployment is so high. This is why your manufacturing is so low. Real estate triggers everything. When you build a house - again, refrigerators, carpeting, this, this, this. It affects so many different things and, in 1986, they destroyed the real estate industry, stupidly, and they thought they were saving something on taxes. In the meantime, the savings and loans are going to cost trillions of dollars to save.”[Larry King Live, CNN, 11/19/91] 1999: TRUMP CLAIMED ECONOMISTS HAD DEEMED HIS TAX PLAN “BRILLIANT” Trump Said That Economists Called His Tax Plan “Brilliant.” REDEKER: “What are economists saying about this idea? It's certainly a radical approach to try and solve a few problems and maybe not that realistic, but what are they saying?” TRUMP: “I know lots of very great and talented economists. The ones that I've spoken to and consulted with--and I'll be announcing who they are at a later date, if I decide to run, have said that this plan is, quote, ‘brilliant.’ I don't want to take the whole credit, but they have said it.” [Good Morning America, ABC, 11/10/99] Confidential Page 177