A CNN segment about Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns got very heated after Trump surrogate Betsy McCaughey angrily lashed out at journalist Kurt Eichenwald.
During the segment, McCaughey explained that Trump shouldn't release his tax returns because it would give Democrats a chance to "tax shame" him for paying so little in taxes.
"What he's really interested in is something Democrats call 'tax shaming,'" she said of Eichenwald. "He, and others in the media, want to see what Donald Trump's marginal tax rate is, how much of his income he paid in taxes. Because politicians generally pay the top rate -- they only have paychecks and speaking fees. Whereas business people, like Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, have property tax deductions, depreciation allowances, investment tax credits, capital gains rates."
In other words, McCaughey is speculating that Trump pays comparatively little in taxes compared to her opponent Hillary Clinton, which is something the Democrats will use to show how the tax code has been rigged to help rich business people.
Of course, it could also give Trump the opportunity to say, "Look at how much these losers in Congress have rigged the system for people like me, I want to change it," so it's doubtful that the real reason Trump is so steadfast about not releasing his tax returns is a simply matter of paying a low marginal rate.
At any rate, McCaughey went on to explain that the reason that these tax incentives are in place is to give entrepreneurs an incentive to take risk.
Eichenwald interrupted and made a very obvious point: "So what, show us what they are!"
To which McCaughey immediately shot back, "Stop interrupting me, you're being very rude!"
At this point, host Brooke Baldwin's eyes comically bugged out of her face:
Check out the whole segment below.
