Appearing on NBC’s 3rd Hour Today show on Monday to sell his new book, MSNBC’s PoliticsNation host Al Sharpton – who has a long history of tax troubles – had the audacity to lecture President Trump about questionable allegations of not paying income tax. The Democratic Party activist showed no shame as he rode atop an imaginary high horse on the issue.
During an interview promoting Sharpton’s book, Rise Up, co-host Al Roker decided to invite National Action Network president to pass judgement on the President: “You’re a guy who’s had tax problems. You’ve faced them, you’ve dealt with it. Just curious your take on the news last night from the New York Times about the President and his tax situation?”
Despite Roker’s assertion that Sharpton “dealt with” his tax problems, the New York Post reported in November of 2019 that while he “finally paid off his personal tax debt to the state“ of New York, “He still owes $698,470.99 in back taxes for three of his companies, according to the state Tax Department.”
Brushing all that aside, Sharpton jumped at the chance to denounce Trump:
I said I’m going to see if the right wing says about him what they said about me. I had to deal with my tax problems, dealt with it and moved on. He hid his. His brand is that he was a businessman that made all this money and that was a billionaire. That was not my brand or the brand of many of us on the left that have had these situations. So this undoes his brand.
He then tried argue that his tax problems weren’t really that bad:
So I just know that the right wing is going to castigate him like they castigated me and others who had tax problems. And his a way more intense than ours were. And we never promised anyone we were great financial managers. We were in the business of activism. He was in the business of business. And seems like he did not handle that well.
Sharpton’s difficulty paying taxes goes back to 1989, when he was charged with 67 counts of tax evasion, larceny and fraud. He was later acquitted of the charges in court.
In 2014, the New York Times investigated a new round of tax woes for the left-wing activist.
In 2016, Sharpton was actually one of four MSNBC hosts at the time who were tax delinquents.
The idea that NBC would turn to one it’s employees known for not paying his taxes and allow him to rant against the President is truly stunning. Hypocrisy seems to be a favorite hobby for the leftist media.
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Here is a transcript of the September 28 exchange:
9:37 AM ET
(...)
AL ROKER: Hey, Rev, let me ask you. You’re a guy who’s had tax problems. You’ve faced them, you’ve dealt with it. Just curious your take on the news last night from the New York Times about the President and his tax situation?
AL SHARPTON: You know, it’s interesting. I felt that when I saw it, I said I’m going to see if the right wing says about him what they said about me. I had to deal with my tax problems, dealt with it and moved on. He hid his. His brand is that he was a businessman that made all this money and that was a billionaire. That was not my brand or the brand of many of us on the left that have had these situations. So this undoes his brand. He ran telling America, “I can manage the country like I manage my business.” Well, look at how he managed his business. Years of losses, years of not paying taxes, years of paying, what, the first year he was president a $750 check.
So I just know that the right wing is going to castigate him like they castigated me and others who had tax problems. And his a way more intense than ours were. And we never promised anyone we were great financial managers. We were in the business of activism. He was in the business of business. And seems like he did not handle that well.
SHEINELLE JONES: I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about that in the hours ahead, frankly.
(...)
