Tulsi Gabbard: How I Know Democrat’s Destructive Policies Are on Purpose

Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks to Tulsi Gabbard about the cost of leaving the Democratic Party; her efforts to reform the party; how she became a victim of dirty attacks from Democratic elites like Hillary Clinton; Biden's missed opportunities for unity and the party's shift toward extreme ideologies; how Democratic policies are undermining American values and why they aren’t a result of incompetence; why Democrats are allowing the border crisis to spiral out of control; and much more.

Legislation allowing doctor-assisted suicide narrowly clears Delaware House, heads to state Senate

A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware has narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

DOVER, Del. -- A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House on Thursday and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.

The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that has been repeatedly introduced by Newark Democrat Paul Baumbach since 2015, and it is the only proposal to make it to a floor vote. After lengthy debate, lawmakers voted 21-16 for the measure, which needed at least 21 affirmative votes for passage.

Among those voting for the bill was Republican Rep. Kevin Hensley of Townsend, who voted against the proposal in previous legislative sessions.

“I did not get confused,” Hensley assured fellow lawmakers after the vote. Hensley said his perspective on the issue changed after his mother, who lives in California, opted for physician-assisted suicide a year ago.

“This was probably one of the toughest votes I’ve ever had to make,” said Hensley, the only GOP lawmaker to vote for the bill.

California is one of 10 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have laws legalizing medically assisted suicide.

Several Republican lawmakers expressed ethical concerns about the Delaware legislation. They also questioned the need for it, given advances in hospice and palliative care in recent years.

Baumbach said the measures are not intended to replace palliative or hospice care, but to complement them. Data from other states indicate that hospice care is involved in the vast majority of cases involving doctor-assisted suicide, he added.

Baumbach said the “end-of-life option” offered in the bill gives terminally ill individuals certainty that they can choose to end their pain if it becomes greater than what hospice or palliative care can alleviate.

“This puts the choice in the dying person’s hands to determine whether or not they wish to self-administer the medicine,” he said.

The legislation allows an adult resident of Delaware who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is expected to die within six months to request lethal prescription drugs from a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse who has primary responsibility for the terminal illness. A consulting physician or nurse would have to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis of the patient, who must have “decision-making capacity.”

The patient would have to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist if any of the medical professionals involved are concerned that he or she lacks decision-making capacity. A person also would not qualify for doctor-assisted suicide solely because of age or disability.

The patient would have to make two oral requests for a lethal prescription, followed by a written request, and would have to wait at least 15 days after the initial request before receiving the drugs. The attending doctor or nurse would have to wait at least 48 hours after the written request, which must be signed by two witnesses before prescribing the drugs.

The bill states that any provision in a contract, will, or any other agreement that would affect whether an individual could make or rescind a request for lethal prescription “is not valid.” It also states that requesting, prescribing or dispensing the lethal medication “does not, for any purpose, constitute elder abuse, suicide, assisted-suicide, homicide, or euthanasia.”

The legislation goes further to assert that the act of killing oneself with self-administered prescription medication does not invalidate any part of an insurance policy or annuity.

Violence erupts amid dueling demonstrations at UCLA

Police were noticeably absent when violence erupted on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles Tuesday night amid dueling protests over the Israel-Hamas war. Dozens of pro-Israeli protesters, many wearing white masks and flags around their shoulders, arrived around 10:45 p.m. and began attempting to dismantle the encampment, deploying fireworks and what may have been bear spray. At least one person was injured and was seen being carried away. Details: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/pro-...

APPROX 59 MINUTES LONG

Ukraine-Israel-Taipei Aid Bill Also Encourages Muslim Migration to US

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/04/ukraine-israel-taipei-aid-bill-also-encourages-muslim-migration-to-us; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Almost all of the discussion about the recent $95 billion aid bill finally has been about the military aid to Ukraine and Israel and Taiwan, and about the failure to allocate any of that aid to protecting our southern border from illegal immigrants who have been pouring across that border from Mexico into Texas. But there is another aspect of the bill that is being passed over in silence but should be cause for great alarm: the $3.5 billion that will be spent on encouraging immigration, including would-be immigrants from Muslim countries. Robert Spencer wrote about this here, and more on this part of the bill can be found here: “Ukraine-Israel Aid Bill Includes ‘$3.5 Billion to Supercharge Mass Migration from the Middle East,’” by Neil Munro, Breitbart, April 25, 2024:

President Joe Biden’s pro-migration border chief is opening new processing centers for Muslim migrants, amid pro-HAMAS riots in U.S. cities and just after Congress granted $3.5 billion more for migration within the $95 billion aid package for Ukraine and Israel.

“Not only did the ‘Foreign Aid’ package do nothing to secure our own border, it included $3.5 Billion to supercharge mass migration from the Middle East,” said a tweet from Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).

“The Biden-Harris administration set the refugee admissions ceiling for fiscal year 2024 at 125,000 refugees,” said an April 23 release from the Department of Homeland Security’s visa-granting agency, adding:

With the opening of the Doha Field Office on May 7, 2024, and the Ankara Field Office on May 9, 2024, USCIS will have 11 international field offices. Other international field offices include Beijing; Guangzhou, China; Guatemala City; Havana; Mexico City; Nairobi, Kenya; New Delhi; San Salvador, El Salvador; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras….

The two new USCIS centers that have just been announced will be used to process Muslim immigrants are in Doha, Qatar, where not just Qataris, but other Muslim Arabs, including Syrian and Palestinian “refugees,” will be able to apply for admission to the U.S., and in Ankara, where Turks and Syrian “refugees,” and even some Palestinians now living in Turkey will be able to apply for entry into the U.S. Those two of the eleven UCIS field offices, in Doha and Ankara, will now be exclusively for Muslims. There are likely to be Muslim applicants as well coming through the USCIS office in New Delhi.

Look at what just two people — the Somali immigrant Ilhan Omar and the Palestinian daughter of immigrants Rashida Tlaib — have done to disrupt Democratic politics, pushing the party to be ever more hostile to Israel, and encouraging the pro-Hamas demonstrations who are brainwashing an entire generation of American students to not only denounce Israel and support the terror group Hamas, but also, on some campuses, to shout “Death to America.” The many Muslim migrants who have settled in just one key state, Michigan, have led Biden, who thinks he needs the Muslim vote in that state, to back away from his oft-repeated assurance that his support for Israel is “ironclad.” His administration has been moving heaven and earth, trying to prevent the IDF from entering Rafah and thus finishing off Hamas. Bidenites have also refused to veto a UN Security Council Resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire without requiring that Hamas release its hostages. There has even been talk, among the Bidenites, to sanction the IDF’s “Netzah Yehuda” battalion for supposed human rights violations in the West Bank, which does not seem to me like an “ironclad” commitment to Israel’s security.

Migration is deeply unpopular because it damages ordinary Americans’ career opportunities, cuts their wages, and raises their rents. It also curbs citizens’ workplace productivity, shrinks their political clout, and wrecks their democratic, equality-promoting civic culture. Migration also worsens inflation, widens regional wealth gaps, and extracts needed human resources from developing countries.

Migration of all kinds is increasingly viewed with disfavor by the American public, as the latest Siena College poll of voters in New York State shows. But it is only Muslim migrants who carry with them, undeclared in their mental baggage, their inculcated hatred of non-Muslims — “the most vile of created beings” — and especially their hatred of Jews, who are ”the strongest in enmity to the Muslims.”

That being the case, when the Bidenites choose to open two USCIS field offices in Doha and Ankara to process a much greater number of Muslim would-be immigrants, they are harming the safety and wellbeing of American non-Muslims, and especially of American Jews. Yet in the mainstream media there has been no discussion about the opening of these field offices that will encourage both overall migration and, specifically, Muslim migrants to apply for entry into the U.S.

What does the discussion of what this increase in Muslim migrants will mean for the cohesion of our society? What makes us believe that our country can avoid the phenomenon of the No-Go areas created by Muslim immigrants in Western Europe? What will those increasing numbers of Muslim migrants — who will now be coming through Doha and Ankara – mean for the physical security of Christians and Jews? Or for the economic well-being of Americans, given how much it will cost the federal and state governments to provide welfare benefits for a largely unschooled labor force of Muslims whose members do not speak English, but are determined to receive all the benefits the state provides, while being less eager to be gainfully employed? What will be the effect of an increase in Muslim migrants on the incidence of Muslim terrorism? There has been no public discussion of any of these matters. Is this the result of simple inattention or, more likely, a fear of being thought “Islamophobic”? Or have we now reached such a pass that we feel the pressure to accept increased Muslim immigration as contributing to that “diversity” in our country that we are all expected to believe is a positive good?

State Department claims ‘five Israeli units responsible for gross violations of human rights’ before October 7

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/04/state-department-claims-five-israeli-units-responsible-for-gross-violations-of-human-rights-before-october-7; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The statement from the State Department is reprehensible, as it implies that Israel provoked October 7. Let’s not forget that on the same day of the Hamas massacre, October 7, the Saudis, Qatar, and Iran all blamed the attack upon the so-called “occupation.” The State Department is scapegoating Israel again, which serves to empower Hamas, Iran and all jihadists.

Note that the State Department’s Vedant Patel “did not identify the units” he was accusing. The accusations against Israel of human rights abuses are vague because they aren’t justified.

It is the modus operandi of jihadists everywhere to rape and murder, with no limits upon their intentional, calculated savagery against civilians. That isn’t the MO of Israel. Jihadists are infamously inhumane — from al-Qaeda and ISIS to Boko Haram, al-Shabaab and the Taliban. It’s historic and ongoing.

“When your Lord was revealing to the angels, ‘I am with you; so confirm the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers; so strike the necks, and strike every finger of them!” (Qur’an 8:12)

And all married women [are forbidden to you] except those whom your right hands possess. (Qur’an 4:24)

The October 7 attack was not connected in any way, shape or form to anything Israel has done. To claim otherwise is to ignore the jihad imperative. Muslims kill Muslims in droves. Muslims kill Christians and other infidels in droves, and routinely murder Israelis. October 7 took years to plan. The Times of Israel reported “sources close to the leadership of Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades military wing” as stating this:

The terrorists involved in the devastating attack were selected from among hundreds of elite commandos from all over Gaza, and underwent training for a number of years, along with continuous testing to gauge their skills.

Neither Israel nor any Western “elite” forces would train their personnel to commit a barbaric attack such as what the world saw on October 7.

“US says five Israeli units committed abuse before Hamas attack,” WION, April 30, 2024:

"The United States announced that five Israeli military units had committed grave human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank before Hamas launched its assault in the month of October," said the State Department on Monday (Apr 29).

State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said that four out of the five units had taken remedial measures, however, consultations were underway across the fifth unit with the Israeli government.

“After a careful process, we found five Israeli units responsible for individual incidents of gross violations of human rights,” Patel said.

Patel said that the violations took place before the Oct 7 Hamas assault and that it was not in the Gaza Strip.

He did not identify the units or specify the measures the Israeli government had taken against them….

Anti-Israel Protesters Screaming ‘Intifada!’ Break Their Way Into Columbia University

Anti-Israel Protesters Screaming ‘Intifada!’ Break Their Way Into Columbia University

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: A demonstrator breaks the windows of the front door of the building in order to secure a chain around it to prevent authorities from entering on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in New York City. Demonstrators from the pro-Palestine encampment on Columbia's Campus barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall, an academic building which has been occupied in past student movements,. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched around the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University as a 2 P.M. deadline to clear the encampment given to students by the university passed. The students were given a suspension warning if they do not meet the deadline. Columbia students were the first to erect an encampment in support of Palestine, with students demanding that the school divest from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, where more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)
A demonstrator breaks the windows of the front door of the building in order to secure a chain around it to prevent authorities from entering on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in New York City. Demonstrators from the pro-Palestine encampment on Columbia’s Campus barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall, an academic building that has been occupied in past student movements,. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched around the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at Columbia University as a 2 P.M. deadline to clear the encampment given to students by the university passed. Students were given a suspension warning if they did not meet the deadline. Columbia students were the first to erect an encampment in support of Palestine, with students demanding that the school divest from Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, where more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images)

OAN’s James Meyers
9:54 AM – Tuesday, April 30, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/violent-anti-israel-protesters-screaming-intifada-break-their-way-into-columbia-university/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A large mob of anti-Israel protesters broke into an academic building at Columbia University and took control of it on Tuesday morning. 

The mob rebranded the well-known hall named after U.S. founding father Alexander Hamilton and displayed a giant flag that read “intifada.”

Footage of the incident showed dozens of anti-Israel protesters breaking into Hamilton Hall and barricading themselves just before 1 a.m., with many using metal barricades, chairs and tables.

One video shows a protester using a hammer to smash through a glass-paneled door. He is also seen locking himself in by wrapping a bike lock around the door handles.

Once anti-Israel protesters were able to gain entry into the building, they quickly covered the cameras with black trash bags and tape, according to the school’s Columbia Daily Spectator.

“We will not leave until Columbia meets every one of our demands,” one activist screamed from a balcony in the building. The group has demanded that the university divest from Israel.

The student-led outlet also reported that the building was locked down within five minutes, with protesters not allowing anyone to enter. 

Representative Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) said at a press conference: “The world is watching as the leadership of our so-called elite colleges and universities continue to fail to condemn antisemitism and protect Jewish students on campus.”

The rioters were reportedly still occupying the building on the South Lawn, which has been the location of the school’s anti-Israel encampment for over a week, according to the school paper. 

Meanwhile, the campus storming prompted Columbia officials to close the campus on Tuesday, restricting access to everyone except students who currently live there, as well as essential staff. 

Additionally, hundreds of protesters covered the outside of the campus building, linking arms to form a human chain, and stopping people from coming through the entrance. 

“Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go,” protesters outside the building could be heard chanting during the wild scenes, according to footage posted to X by an independent news blog.

“We will not leave until Columbia meets every one of our demands,” others raged.

The latest anti-Israel movement comes less than a day after Columbia finally announced they would begin suspending students who refused to leave their tent encampment by 2 p.m. on campus.

The school outlet also stated that when the mob entered the building, there were facilities workers still inside, with one of the workers yelling “They held me hostage!” as he left the building. 

“They swarmed the building,” one of the workers told Politico. “I got into a scuffle with a couple of them. "They finally let us out,” the staffer added, showing off a cut on their hand.

In the meantime, Columbia officials have not stated how they plan to address the latest actions by anti-Israel protesters. 

Meanwhile, the White House denounced the hostile takeover, saying it was “absolutely the wrong approach” that is “not an example of peaceful protest.”

A slew of anti-Israel protests have been happening at other campuses across the U.S. in the past two weeks. 

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Service Beyond Politics with Tulsi Gabbard

In today’s episode of the #playbook , I'm joined by Tulsi Gabbard, a trailblazer in American politics and a United States Army Reserve officer. As the first Samoan-American voting member and the first Hindu Congresswoman, Tulsi served Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. We explore her dedication to service, her insights on leadership, and her unique stance on political courage. Tulsi shares compelling views on the challenges of modern governance, the importance of service beyond traditional roles, and the profound impact of personal integrity in politics. We uncover the driving forces behind her commitment to change and service to the country, revealing how personal choice and dedication shape our national landscape

EX-CATHOLIC MIKE GENDRON: Why Are Protestants Becoming Catholics?

In our 33 years of proclaiming the Gospel to Catholics, we have observed a very troubling trend. Protestants, who once embraced the Gospel of grace, are departing from the faith to join the Catholic Church. The most scandalous defection occurs when Protestants marry Catholics. Four out of five times, in these mixed marriages, the Protestant converts to Catholicism. Such dreadful apostasy is described by the apostle John this way. "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would have shown that they are not of us" (1 John 2:19). The false converts who departed from the church were giving evidence of their unregenerate condition. This disturbing apostasy is not only a departure from the church of the apostles, but also a departure from the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel. As these defections continue, let us consider five apparent causes.

Unity Accords Between Catholics and Evangelicals

The pope's ecumenical agenda is seducing Evangelical leaders to join hands with Catholics to reverse the Reformation and reunite all Christians together. The ecumenical unity movement is slamming the professing church as a tidal wave, and many Evangelicals are being deceived into believing the Catholic Church is a Christian denomination made up of brothers and sisters in Christ. Many are being deceived by a pro-Catholic prayer app called Hallow that encourages prayers to Mary and guardian angels. Hallow is being promoted by Fox News, Good Morning America and yes, even The View. Celebrities, such as Candace Owen, are becoming Catholic as reported in this video. We need to expose these evil deeds of darkness that dishonor Christ and His Word.The truth must be told! The Roman Catholic Church is an apostate religion. It dogmatically departed from the apostolic faith at the Council of Trent.

Warnings Are Being Withheld or Avoided

Very few Evangelical pastors are alerting and warning their congregations that the false and fatal gospel of the Catholic Church is leading people down the wide road to destruction (Mat. 7:21-23). Very few youth pastors are warning their teenagers of the potential dangers of getting romantically involved with Catholics. It also appears that very few parents are warning their children about dating Catholics. It is for these reasons that we get so many 9-1-1 calls from parents pleading for help because their son or daughter is engaged to a Catholic. Often we find out they never warned them about the powerful indoctrination and stubborn pride that keeps Catholics trapped in the worst kind of religious deception. Perhaps readers of this article will see the importance of sending this newsletter to pastors and parents to warn them of the grave dangers that can arise from remaining silent.

Disobedience to God and His Word

When born-again Christians become united in marriage with Catholics, they are disobeying God. His Word explicitly declares, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" (2 Cor. 6:14-15). Of course, if neither the Protestant nor Catholic has been born again, they are equally yoked and both continue to abide in the kingdom of darkness.

Compromise for the Sake of Peace and Unity

Protestant men who convert to Catholicism for the sake of peace with their Catholic wives do not know the strife and conflict that awaits them. They need to know that God has appointed men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes. He will hold men accountable for leading their families into the idolatrous and deceptive traditions of an apostate religion. Yet, Protestants, who once stood on the truth of God's Word, are the ones who most often compromise their faith. Catholics, who embrace doctrines of demons, are the ones who refuse to compromise (1 Tim. 4:1-3). Protestants, who are commanded to earnestly contend for the Gospel, are the ones who foolishly give in to the distorted gospel of Catholicism (Gal. 1:6-9)- . Protestants, who were once sanctified by the truth, are the ones who most often submit to the lies of the Catholic religion.

Ignorance of Catholicism's False and Fatal Gospel

There are many Christians who are unaware of how many Catholic traditions stand opposed to God's Gospel. However, ignorance and lack of discernment is no excuse. No one should ever join a religion that rejects these glorious truths:

  • the inspired Word of God as the supreme authority for faith and truth (2 Tim. 3:16)
  • the perfect, all-sufficient and finished work of Christ's redemption (John 19:30; Heb. 7:25)
  • the Gospel of grace and its promise of eternal life (1 John 5:13; 1 Cor. 15:1-4)
  • the glorious promise that there is no condemnation for those in Christ (Rom. 8:1)
  • the Lord Jesus Christ as the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5)

There are many more biblical doctrines that are rejected by the Roman Catholic Church that can be found in our Gospel tract Roman Catholicism: Scripture vs. Tradition.

When this ministry first started, our mission was to equip and encourage the Body of Christ to effectively and faithfully evangelize Roman Catholics throughout the world. Now there is another equally important mission. We must also educate Evangelicals about Catholicism's heresies and urge them to oppose the pope's agenda for ecumenical unity by earnestly contending for the Gospel. May God help us fight the good fight of faith and remain sanctified by the truth of His Word!

Scripture Proves Eucharist Is a False Christ

Catholics are taught that the Lord Jesus returns to earth every day to continue His work of redemption in altars around the world. Catechism teaches that the Eucharist contains "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole of Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." Catholic priest John O'Brien describes it this way: "When the priest announces the words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens, brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon our altar to be offered up again as the Victim for the sins of man. It is a power greater than that of saints and angels. The priest speaks and Christ, the eternal and omnipotent God, bows his head in humble obedience to the priest's command."

According to God's Word, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is utterly and completely false and those who worship it are committing the most serious sin of idolatry. The Lord Jesus warned, “If anyone says to you, ‘behold here is Christ," do not believe him.” (Mat. 24:23). We know Jesus does not return every day because God's Word says He “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin” (Heb. 9:28). He will not return until “immediately after the tribulation” (Mat. 24:29-30) - . And yes, he will return to a body, not a wafer, "the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Plenary Indulgence for Worship of Eucharist

A decree approved by Pope Francis declares that a plenary indulgence will be granted to those who participate in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage between May 17 and July 16, 2024. It will also be granted to the elderly, infirm, and all those who cannot leave their homes for a serious reason and who participate in spirit. Catholics may also apply this indulgence to the souls of the faithful departed in Purgatory. According to the Catholic Church, a plenary indulgence is the remission of all the temporal punishment due to sin.

This deceptive hoax created by the Catholic Church can be traced back to the first lie of Satan. In the Garden of Eden, the devil promised Eve "You surely will not die" if you break God’s command (Gen. 3:4). In the same way, the Catholic clergy deceives its people with the doctrine of demons that "venial sins" do not cause death, only temporal punishment. Catholics are instructed to accept the temporal punishment of sin as a grace. This lie led to the lie of indulgences which is said to remit the temporal punishment for venial sin.

We plead with Catholics to turn to the true Christ as their all-sufficient Savior! He cancels the certificate of debt for all sins to those who repent and believe in His Gospel of grace (Col. 2:13-14).

Joe Biden proposes hitting Donald Trump with a $1 billion tax bill

SEE: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/joe-biden-proposes-hitting-donald-trump-with-a-1-billion-tax-bill-e9789774; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

The president has proposed a tax on unrealized capital gains for people worth more than $100 million. Who do we know falls into that category?

Biden has released a clever campaign document disguised as a budget.

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

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That’s something they may come to regret, because it’s a campaign document for the presidential election. And as such, it’s pretty clever. 

Among its features, buried in the fine print, is a big stick that Biden can be expected to use against Donald Trump in the fall.

That stick: a hefty 25% tax on unrealized capital gains for people worth more than $100 million.

Hmmm. Who do we know who is worth more than $100 million and likes to brag about paying no taxes?

During Trump’s first debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016, she brought up past tax disclosures that showed that in certain years, her opponent had effectively paid no federal taxes. Trump didn’t deny it. “That makes me smart,” he retorted. He didn’t offer a rebuttal when she said he might have paid taxes for a decade.

Even former Trump cheerleader Ann Coulter found that too obnoxious to bear.

The U.S. tax code is insane in many ways. (Biden’s budget, incidentally, would pile still more complications and convolutions onto a system that is already a monstrosity.) One of its features is that, despite what Bernie Sanders likes to imply, it does not treat millionaires and billionaires the same way.

People who earn more than $1 million a year are generally taxed very heavily. If you include state and maybe local taxes, the top rate for such earners may already be near 50% and could soon be much higher. Even people who earn a lot less but have at least $1 million in assets usually pay pretty hefty taxes.

It’s the billionaires whose tax bill resembles a love letter from the IRS. Billionaires along with those worth hundreds of millions of dollars, that is.

Those people don’t live on income. They live on assets. Taxes on assets range from low to nonexistent. 

I know, I know — it’s an absolute shock that the donor class has bought themselves a tax code that benefits them at the expense of everyone else. Right?

It’s something to think about every time politicians argue about taxes for “high earners,” trying to equate those people with the super-rich. Most high earners are workers and are taxed heavily. Unless politicians start to go after untaxed assets, they are just playing you.

Which brings us to Biden’s fascinating campaign document wrapped in a federal budget. The key facts don’t even appear in the budget itself, but in a companion document titled “General Explanations of the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2025 Revenue Proposals.” It comes from the U.S. Treasury, not the White House, and is nearly 300 pages long.

Page 83 is a doozy. “The proposal would impose a minimum tax of 25 percent on total income, generally inclusive of unrealized capital gains, for all taxpayers with wealth (that is, the difference obtained by subtracting liabilities from assets) greater than $100 million,” it says. 

Objectively, this shouldn’t be a big deal. Workers have to pay a 24% tax rate once their taxable income for the year exceeds $95,000, or $190,000 for joint filers. Those rates rise as high as 37% once people clear about $600,000 a year. It hardly seems like the height of communism to levy a 25% tax on people worth more than $100 million.

But it will be greeted that way, because it touches the donor class. (When people criticize Congress, I like to remind them that we have the best Congress money can buy.) Cue the inevitable cries of “taxing wealth creators” and so on.

Apparently the rest of us aren’t wealth creators.

Biden’s proposal is an attempt to move the so-called Overton window on the issue of assets and wealth taxes. The Overton window refers to ideas that are considered within the realm of normal debate. Elizabeth Warren brought up wealth taxes during her failed 2020 presidential election campaign, but the proposals went down with the ship. Biden, or his team, wants to bring them back into the discussion. 

We don’t know how much Donald Trump is worth, or how much that changes from year to year. Forbes says that figure is up about $4 billion this year, mainly due to Trump’s stake in Trump Media & Technology Group DJT, 5.16%, currently valued at around $4 billion. Based on the company’s financials, we can assume that’s nearly all profit.

At these levels, his Biden tax would be a cool $1 billion.

Taxes will not become law. Not anytime soon, and maybe never. But it will surely make for a lively punch line this fall.

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