*Lies – Page 21 – * Failed Pols

Donald Trump claimed at a recent MAGA rally in Wisconsin that mothers and their doctors can, and do, make the decision to “execute” babies who are born alive after a failed abortion attempt.

“The baby is born,” Trump said. “the mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully. And then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby.”

Trump has been called out on numerous lies during his time in the White House. In fact, the Washington Post’s most recent count of Trump’s falsehoods and misleading claims has reached more than 10,000 as of April 29, 2019. Trump’s lie about executing babies, however, may be one of his most dangerous.

Trump’s comment followed his condemnation of Wisconsin (Democratic) Governor Tony Evers, who vetoed a bill that called for sentencing physicians to life imprisonment if they fail to take every possible measure to save babies who are born alive after a failed abortion, which, in reality, happens rarely.

OB-GYNs, nurses, and others in the medical professions are calling Trump’s claim about “executing babies” outrageous. “These remarks just show…a lack of compassion and a misunderstanding of what real-life health care looks like,” said Dr. Kristyn Brandi, a board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health. “…These types of inflammatory reactions can spark violence, particularly at abortion providers like myself.”

As one Twitter user, Jamil Smith, tweeted, “This is precisely the kind of hysteria that inspires people who murder doctors and patients.”

Experts say that the scenario Trump describes, where babies are born alive after surviving an abortion, is rare. According to Planned Parenthood, only 1.4 percent of abortions occur after 21 weeks, and then when the fetus is not viable, or has severe deformities.

“Abortions later in pregnancy are rare — and often due to challenging circumstances,” tweeted a representative of Planned Parenthood Action. At no time do the parents and doctors of babies born this way make the decision to “execute” them. If the baby is not likely to survive after being born, families may elect to keep the baby comfortable and allow it to die naturally without extraordinary means, similarly to a hospice situation.

Time was when most people, no matter where they stood on abortion, would find it distasteful at best to even conjure Trump’s image of parents and doctors who execute babies. Trump, however, knows that this narrative about “executing” healthy babies after delivery riles up his base and keeps the poisonous, foul-smelling pot stirred.

Trump rips New York abortion law at State of the Union | Fox News
[2019-02-05]

Trump tells the most HORRIFIC lie imaginable about killing live babies | Brian Tyler Cohen [2019-04-28]

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was presented, the Trump administration promoted it with the promise that “the average family (would) get a $4,000 raise.” After the TCJA was passed, many families actually did see a small increase in the amount in their paychecks during the year. Now that it’s tax season, however, many of those people are surprised to find that instead of the tax refunds they’re used to receiving, they owe money to the IRS. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, they feel, was a lie.

With the TCJA, the IRS made changes to its tax withholding tables. As a result, most taxpayers had fewer withholdings in 2018 than they did in previous years, but they were unaware of it. They are also allowed fewer itemized deductions such as business mileage, some medical expenses, and mortgage interest this year than they could in past years. In many cases, taxpayers’ withholdings decreased by more than the actual taxes they owed, hence the “raise” many people saw in their paychecks during the year.

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report explained during the summer what would happen with people’s taxes, advising people to check their withholding status. But the average person doesn’t regularly read GAO reports.

During the year, then, with a bit more in their paychecks, Trump’s base were fans of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, happy to cite it as evidence that their president had their backs. One has to wonder, however, if this false “raise,” resulting as it did from reducing withholdings by a little too much, was engineered with the midterms in mind.

Many people have come to rely on their income tax refunds to pay off bills, purchase needed items, or meet other expenses. As they are realizing the real impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, however, they’re tweeting out their anger.

Dee Nelson (Dee Nelson (@deeebeeezz) tweeted: “@realDonaldTrump just did my taxes and thanks for increasing mine!! No change in income and got back $400 less than last year. That campaign promise was one of the only two reasons I voted for you. Rethinking that decision now.”

The Trump administration and the Treasury maintain that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will balance out the way taxes should be paid. Since in the past, about 75 percent of American taxpayers received refunds, they are quick to point out that the withholding system was flawed, and that fewer people should be getting refunds because it means that too much was withheld during the year.

Though this may be true, two other things are also true: Since so many taxpayers, including many who voted for Trump because of his promised tax cuts, feel they’ve been deceived, perhaps the Trump administration could been more clear about the possible consequences to the average American at tax time. It’s also true, though, that, over time, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will in fact raise taxes for many middle-class and working class tax payers.

Tips for filing tax returns under new tax code | CNBC [2019-01-25]

Will Trump’s tax reform lose popularity after Americans file this tax season? | Fox Business [2019-01-30]

Category: *Lies

Donald Trump’s Big Lie about “Executing Babies”

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Eliminates Tax Refunds for Many