For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.

Well, we’ve now sailed far beyond the Isle of Lies and straight into the Maelstrom of Making Shit Up:

Trump tells my WSJ colleagues that the 10% tax cut will be revenue-neutral “based on certain things.” He won’t say what those certain things are.

https://t.co/T7oVpvnQzP via @WSJ — Richard Rubin (@RichardRubinDC) October 23, 2018



There is no tax cut planned. There’s never been a tax cut planned. Trump just tossed this out while he was in a lather about something else and noticed that it got a good reception. So he repeated it. And why not? Republicans love tax cuts. Now everyone is starting to get aboard, and we’re even getting some fake details about this fake plan. It’s going to be revenue neutral! It will be for the middle class—honest! It will be paid for by Mexico!

I dunno. Once again, the campaign press is in its usual bind. I’m sure every campaign reporter out there knows this is just another one of Trump’s fantasies, spun out solely to get attention from campaign reporters. And yet … he is the president of the United States. Whatcha gonna do?