Progressive Group Riles Up Donald Trump With Ad About His Potential Tax Breaks

Donald Trump poses for photographs in his Trump Tower office on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, in New York.

A Democratic group angered Donald Trump Wednesday after releasing an ad asking why the real estate tycoon and reality television star could receive big tax breaks next year while middle-class Americans could see their taxes go up.

The Americans United for Change ad alleged that, under the House GOP's plan, people like Trump who bring in an income in the multi-millions would receive an federal income tax cut in 2013 of about $150,000.

[See: Latest political cartoons]

A week after the ad's release, Trump lashed out:

To the geniuses at 'Americans United for Change': the more you tax me the less people I employ. Get it?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2012

A mantra of the GOP in 2012 has been that lower taxes lead to more jobs, a notion with which progressives don't agree.

Americans United for Change, which was created in 2005 in opposition to President George W. Bush's Social Security proposal, soon responded to Trump in kind:

oh and.@realdonaldtrump, we got a bet goin’. Were you or @mittromney’s Bain Capital responsible for more bankruptcies?

— Americans United (@AU4Change) August 9, 2012

Republican White House front runner Mitt Romney has been repeatedly attacked in the campaign for companies that went bankrupt after his former firm Bain Capital invested in them. Companies that use Donald Trump's name have declared bankruptcy at least four times, according to ABC News.

Trump did not respond to the second attack, but Americans United for Change wasn't done with him yet. An E-mail that went out to the progressive group's 50,000 person email list asked for help tweet bombing Trump,

One Tweep was happy to help, writing:

To @realdonaldtrump: when top 2% divert earnings, none left to trickle down. Been there, done it, failed. Get it, 'genius'? @au4change

— Fanny Cleaver (@FannyCleaver1) August 9, 2012

Trump has kept himself busy in recent weeks firing back at his critics or at other targets on Twitter. Yesterday, Trump criticized both the Huffington Post and Vanity Fair for bad business strategies. Thursday morning, Trump had refocused on his favorite mark: President Obama.

DESPERATE- @barackobama is already asking supporters to 'find dirt' on @mittromney's VP picks nbcnews.to/NdmTeeDirty tactics.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2012

• Wolf Blitzer Spars With Donald Trump Over Obama's Birth Certificate
  
• Opinion: Why Is Mitt Romney Embracing Donald Trump?
  
• Check out U.S. News Weekly: an insider's guide to politics and policy.

Elizabeth Flock is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can contact her at eflock@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

Reader Comments ()