During his speech Monday in Blue Ash, Ohio, a Cincinnati suburb, President Donald Trump invited two Sheffer Corporation employees to share their plans for the extra money they are receiving because of December's tax law. Minutes later, demonstrating how utterly out of touch she is with working families, MSNBC's Katy Tur posted two error-filled, condescending tweets mocking their plans.
Like many other U.S. employers, Sheffer, which makes pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders, gave its employees $1,000 bonuses shortly after the law's enactment. Additionally, the vast majority of its workers have seen their take-home pay rise.
The following video shows Trump introducing each employee and their respective statements. The partial transcript presents the employees' plans (footage was cropped, eliminating MSNBC's childish chyron — "Trump Talks Taxes in Ohio as Dow Takes Dive"):
Partial transcript:
(0:59-1:16)
EMPLOYEE TYLER BERKSHIRE: Thank you, Mr. President. And with the tax cut and the bonus I will be trying to save up money to start a family and eventually get a bigger house.
DONALD TRUMP: I like that idea. That's good.
(2:09-2:33)
EMPLOYEE DEANA SPOLETI: ... my husband Tim and I are in the process of buying a home, and in the fall both of my kids, Katy and Matthew, will be going to college. ... it will be an ongoing bonus in our paycheck every week, and it will just help us make ends meet. Thank you very much.
TRUMP: Beautiful.
Tur responded with the following petulant tweets (via Twitchy):
Tur's first tweet, besides ignoring Berkshire's "trying to save," references a childbirth cost which "represent(s) an estimate of the amount that insurers agree to pay doctors and hospitals ..." What the Berkshires have to pay would depend on Sheffer's health insurance plan (I confirmed that the company has one), or perhaps on the provisions of his wife's plan if she is employed.
Tur's second tweet:
- Ignores Spoleti's clear reference to being "in the process of buying a home," which would ordinarily mean that her family has already determined that its finances are in shape to purchase one.
- Seems to assume the Spoletis can buy a home only by paying all-cash at closing.
- Uses average instead of median price. Zillow.com says that "The median price of homes currently listed in Hamilton County is $164,900," 41 percent lower than Tur's figure.
- May represent the countywide average price of a new home. Spoleti didn't refer to buying new.
- Quotes only college tuition costs. Total average costs nationwide, adding room, board, and fees are $20,770 and $46,950 (page 9 at link) for public and private four-year colleges, respectively.
- Ignores what the Spoletis may have already saved towards college and any financial aid their children might receive.
Tur's erroneous tweets are so pathetic that even "deplorables" would recognize their ignorance.
As to her condescension, here's a strong response seen on Twitter:
Wow, you know exactly what they meant, yet you feel the need to insult them. No wonder so many despise the media.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
