Top supporters of Donald Trump lauded him as a “genius” on Sunday for taking a loss of $916 million on his 1995 tax returns, which may have allowed him to avoid paying personal income taxes for nearly two decades.
In separate interviews, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani both praised Trump as a remarkably resilient businessman whose comeback, after declaring bankruptcy four times in the 1990s, demonstrates his hard work in pursuit of the American dream.
“If he didn’t take advantage of those tax deductions, he could be screwed because his obligation as a businessman is to make money for his enterprise and to save money for his enterprise,” Giuliani told CNN’s Jake Tapper, adding that Trump would have been “insane” not to declare the nearly $1 billion loss in 1995.
Giuliani later described Trump as “an absolute genius” in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, noting that he could have “breached his fiduciary responsibility” by not taking advantage of tax law.
Christie echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News’ Chris Wallace that the release of Trump’s 1995 tax returns, and what they reveal, “is actually a good story for Donald Trump.”
“The genius of Donald Trump is that he follows the law … and that, politically, he says he’s going to change these laws and there’s no one better to change these laws than someone who’s been audited year after year,” Christie said.
