Embed from Getty Images
The NYT recently released a through analysis of Donald Trump’s taxes over the last 15 years including the fact that he only paid $750 in taxes for 2016 and again in 2017. The report also showed that Trump didn’t pay any taxes ten out of the fifteen years reported on. This motivated people to tweet about how they paid more taxes than Trump and share stories on what they purchased with $750.
We also heard that Trump expensed $70k for hair care and maintenance. This prompted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to comment on the double standard of treatment and backlash she received from Republicans for spending $250 on a cut and highlights. Here a few excerpts from People:
On Sunday, a report from The New York Times analyzed years of Trump’s tax information, which he has avoided publicly releasing both before and during his time in office. Among the revelations presented in the coverage, the newspaper said during his time on NBC’s The Apprentice, he wrote-off about $70,000 in hairstyling costs.
Trump, 74, reportedly claimed the hair costs as deductions from his tax bill because they were the price of doing business. (Trump has dismissed the Times’ reporting as ″totally fake news.″)
Back in October 2019, a story published by the Washington Times criticized Ocasio-Cortez, 30, for spending nearly $300 for a hair salon visit. At the time, Richard Manning, president of Americans for Limited Government, was quoted in the article saying, ″she preaches socialism while living the life of the privileged,″ adding, “… it is a bad look to spend hundreds of dollars to get your hair done to make a video decrying income inequality.″
″Last year Republicans blasted a firehose of hatred + vitriol my way because I treated myself to a $250 cut & lowlights on my birthday,″ Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Sunday night, just after the new report was published. ″Where’s the criticism of their idol spending $70k on hairstyling? Oh, it’s nowhere because they’re spineless, misogynistic hypocrites? Got it.”
First of all, those criticizing AOC for the cost of hair care obviously don’t know how expensive it is for women to take care of their hair. Back in the day when I would get relaxers, I was spending close to $200 a month to get my hair done at the salon. Second, where is Donald spending $70k? He hardly has hair and he is a frequent comb over offender.
AOC is right, Republicans and their base are misogynistic. The Republican Party is now the party of toxic white masculinity. This $70k write-off which is more than most Americans make in a year, is total bullsh*t and I am glad AOC called them all out. But again, we know that Trump and the Republican Party base won’t care a lick and will make every excuse as to why he needs to spend $70k on nonexistent hair while demeaning a woman a $250 salon visit. Because you know it is all about controlling women’s bodies.
Last year Republicans blasted a firehose of hatred + vitriol my way because I treated myself to a $250 cut & lowlights on my birthday.
Where’s the criticism of their idol spending $70k on hairstyling?
Oh, it’s nowhere because they’re spineless, misogynistic hypocrites? Got it. https://t.co/xCQGwW7EK5
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 28, 2020
Photos credit: Getty and via Instagram
I love her so much.
So do I! I feared she was going to be problematic but she has been amazing so far. I love the way she responds to attacks from the other Congressmen and creepy Trump.
Why didn’t the IRS audit Trump immediately?
WTH? $70K for haircare for 1 guy, in 1 calendar year?
I WISH I had ever been paid $70K in 1 year my entire life!
F.I.Hate.Trump.
Haircuts and colours are expensive so her paying $250 for is reasonable. I used to pay around $100 just for a haircut, for colouring they charge more depending on what the client wants. My big salon spend was when I had a Kerastase treatment to straighten my hair as my hair was quite long and that was around $300 many, many years ago.
Her critics will always find way to criticise her even down to dumb, silly things because they are that petty and stupid.
$260 is extremely reasonable if she got in done in NYC or Washington DC. That fee is not only paying for the stylist’s time but it is paying for the rent and utilities.
Here in LA, 7 YEARS ago, a cut, roots, and some highlights (with tip) was always about $300 for me. Always. Depending on the salon you go to, you can have that doubled for just a cut alone (Like Sally Hershberger (on La Cienega), Chris McMillan (on Burton Way), hell…ANY salon on Rodeo). It is EXPENSIVE.
Just a plain haircut, NO BLOWDRY, NO HIGHLIGHTS just cost me $100. She gave me a break because business is down due to Covid.
Yeah, that’s what baffled me about that. When I was bleaching my hair professionally, it ran me in the $150-200 zone easily on a monthly basis at base. If I added in styling, it would push it higher. Which made sense because to get it done properly, it’s easily 1-2 hours of work along with the styling.
It’s definitely appealing to the poverty level voters, but frankly $250 isn’t even that much to somebody who makes middle class income provided they aren’t in debt up to their eyeballs. Hell, I could afford it when I was working class income because I don’t have kids and live in one of the few cities where housing isn’t out of control. These people just don’t want to admit how absolutely insanely f*cked they are financially by a system that refuses to make life even slightly easier at every turn or that AOC is one of the people who legitimately wants to fix that.
In NYC and can confirm the insane prices. Just a cut for me is $150, with the owner of one of the “big name” salons (plus a tip for his assistant). I’ve been a client for 10+ years and have referred new clients fairly regularly over the years. So my file in their system has a little note that says I don’t pay his current rates – I pay the same amount I’ve paid for 7 or 8 years. Highlights there start at $200. As a new client, for a cut & color, AOC would be starting at $400.
If she was in DC, $250 is a steal.
If you’ve ever gotten your hair done in NYC, even at a mid tier salon, you would know that $300 is pretty reasonable when it includes a haircut, blow, and hair color. That amt can add up if you add highlights, or balayage.
I just had mine cut and highlighted (they are very good with COVID rules) and it was $165 plus tip, so basically $200. In NYC or DC, wherever she was, it would certainly be higher. But facts don’t matter, the right has a disgusting fixation on her, and the hypocrisy is horrible.
The criticism is also coming from men it seems and they have no idea the disparity in the cost of women’s hair needs vs men’s.
@BnLurkN4eva
Yup! I always get angry when I see how much cheaper the prices for men are.
That Instagram clip is EVERYTHING. ❤️
AOC — no lies detected.
Hair styling/care is *not* a deductible business expense. Plus, I chuckled through an interview with Anthony Scaramucci (sic?) on CNN A day or so ago: he said “everyone knows” that Trump does his own hair because he doesn’t want to risk someone getting photos of what’s really going on under that ferret on his head. Mooch went into so much detail about *how* Trump swirls his hair around, and even named the hairspray brand (Tresemme), that it’s pretty clear he’s right that everyone knows.
Yes, thank you for this comment! I’m not an american, and wondered….is hair care a deduction???
No. Tax Courts have ruled on that regularly over the years. Hair care is not deductible, even if you are required to maintain your appearance as part of your job. A few public figures have had commentary on that since the news broke, saying that they were told years ago that even though their livelihood involves looking a certain way in public, the IRS has made it clear to them that “maintaining that red hair” is not deductible.
250 is expensive for a cut- but not for the two services combined. I’m confused about the lowlights on her as her hair is dark- was it lighter at this time? Or were the low lights covering highlights ?
I’m starting to think maybe I should spend more money on my hair haha. I don’t do anything besides basic trims and regarding other beauty stuff, never get my nails done. Maybe I should step it up.
I’ve never been a big money spender on this kind of stuff either. I had my first pedicure in my 30s! I’d wait months for my hair, and when I gave up coloring my hair, it changed my life. So no hair and no nails lol. But now that I’m older, I wouldn’t mind some professional skin attention. ;P
I never bother with my finger nails, they always get wrecked from the garden or doing artwork and stuff, but I do get a monthly pedicure. I don’t spend money on jewelry, makeup, fancy shoes or purses, etc, but I do love a good pedicure.
That was a good deal. Back when I actually salon-colored, (I’m now a natural calico), a balayage and cut were 300-400. And a few friends go over 500 with weaves and shiz.
I’m in southern Indiana and I pay well over $150 for a cut/color and that does not include tip and my hair is short! So for her to be bashed for this is just total BS. Maybe the 70k includes spray tans….that probably wouldn’t cover it.
I just get a cut, don’t color or do any sort of treatment and it’s $60 in the Providence suburbs, which is also average for most salons around here. $250 for cut and color, assuming this was in DC or NYC, is on the lower end.
For real. I’m an average income person and I have on occasion spend several hundred at a salon. I have an amazing stylist who will do a cut for like $20 plus tip, but things like color and an occasional Global Keratin treatment really add up.
It actually makes me more mad that women have to spend this kind of money and time to look professional enough to have a seat at the table while men can just slap on a button down shirt and some pants, wash their face, and walk out the door. The grooming tax is a real thing.
This^^^
The double standard for appearance is ridiculous. And you know that the Republicans would come after AOC if she didn’t keep her appearance up. They will get her either way.
How much do all the Republican fembots spend on their mangy extensions? I’m guessing a lot more than $250.
Thank you for the “mangy” adjective.
So apt.
$250 sounds very normal for cut and color. I live in a touristy town in the southwest and for just a salon cut here for longer hair is usually around $80 so adding color and an even more expensive city, that amount seems fine. I just go to Great Clips every few months for a trim but I don’t color my hair and it’s straight and easy to deal with. I hate How women are criticized for spending money on clothes, haircuts, and make up but if they don’t do those things then they look “unprofessional.” Such a bs double standard.
Maybe the $70K over the course of The Apprentice, not per year, included some transplant plugs? I read years ago that the weird front whoosh thing was to hide the plugs & that Melania did his daily styling. He’s such an icky pig.
The next thing is going to be the outrage of Trump apologists how her hair looks so shiny silky and nice for ONLY 250$. Only “losers”get cheap haircuts. The same way only losers join the military or pay taxes.
And this is what politics has come down to. It’s all so f-ing ridiculous.
Good for her
Salon visits are outrageously expensive. I can easily spend close to $200 covering gray and getting good highlight with toner etc. and cut. And tip.
And mani/pedis.
I’ve been doing my own hair since Covid and it’s looking pretty good. But I am going to the salon the minute I get a vaccine.
I learned to do my own nails, but I will get a pedi in the future.
This is basic grooming for women. And I’ve been doing it even when I was a dirt poor starving artist.
The Republican party criticizes her anytime she spends money. Because she came from a working class background, they expect her to continue to live in poverty or call her a liar. They did the same thing when she wore a nice dress. They are the only ones allowed to enrich themselves and they can’t fathom someone doing the job because they care.
$250 is on the inexpensive side for a high cost of living major city. My cut and blowdry with partial highlights and lowlights runs $220 pre-tip and I’m in a low cost of living city in Texas. My stylist is independent, when she was at a high-end salon, just a cut and blowdry was $150. Imagine, idiot misogynist MAGA supporters have no idea how much actual women pay for things.
They know. But they feel that these luxuries only belong to them.
This just once again proves that men don’t know what things cost. However, they do stay on theme I guess. Remember when they came after her right after she was elected for buying new work clothes. I can’t. They want to paint her as a hypocrite if she doesn’t live in a literal cardboard box and wear rags!
DT, his family, and all his cronies should be audited ASAP. Maybe we should start a petition and once we get a ton of signatures we’ll send it to the IRS, and then see what happens once the IRS takes a really good look into all of their taxes. What do you think?