--- title: Donald Trump: Tax Returns Go Viral With Few Exceptions description: The best internet memes reacting to that 'With Few Exceptions' detail from President Donald Trump's tax return letter. canonical: https://time.com/4777213/donald-trump-few-exceptions/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-12T15:30:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:02:18.099Z og:title: The Internet Didn't Think a Letter From President Trump's Lawyer Was Funny, With Few Exceptions og:description: Lawyers said he had no income from Russia, with a few exceptions. og:url: https://time.com/4777213/donald-trump-few-exceptions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt74294f73fb1712e0/6988ccf997cdff986e6b0aa5/donald-trump3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Internet Didn't Think a Letter From President Trump's Lawyer Was Funny, With Few Exceptions twitter:description: Lawyers said he had no income from Russia, with a few exceptions. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt74294f73fb1712e0/6988ccf997cdff986e6b0aa5/donald-trump3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Internet Didn't Think a Letter From President Trump's Lawyer Was Funny, With Few Exceptions > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=151f9425-ec62-4ab4-bbbb-5144c34cbd2f&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia [Watch (HLS stream): In His Words: Donald Trump on Russia](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/xFwMpNTD.m3u8) (1:52)  _Published 2017-02-15. Trump’s ties with Russia have become the focus of attention after Michael Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor_ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman May 12, 2017 3:30 PM UTC Trump’s ties with Russia have become the focus of attention after Michael Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman May 12, 2017 3:30 PM UTC [President Trump’s lawyers](http://time.com/4777128/donald-trump-tax-returns-russia/) said that his tax returns from past 10 years show “no income of any type from Russian sources,” with few exceptions, and the internet took things from there. According to the letter, the Associated Press reported that the lawyers say Trump has no equity investment by Russians in entities controlled by Trump or debt owed by Trump to Russian lenders. However, the letter did show his income from the Miss Universe pageant back in 2013, which was held in Moscow and one of his properties that he sold to a Russian billionaire in 2008 for $95 million. The internet immediately got down to business poking fun at the “with few exceptions” phrase topped off with captions that criticized Trump’s actions or shared some exceptional stories of their own. From Halloween candy-stealing to being perfect, the jokes were limited, with few exceptions. > [](https://twitter.com/nomoremister/status/863046063296581632) > [](https://twitter.com/Joannechocolat/status/863041420168450050) > [](https://twitter.com/idaholiberal/status/863048257446064129) > [](https://twitter.com/WallaceRitchie/status/863046057403363328) > [](https://twitter.com/SolizSEO/status/863048281068154880) > [](https://twitter.com/zachbraff/status/863048271392104448) > [](https://twitter.com/gpmarx%5Fg/status/863038304857583617) > [](https://twitter.com/BradThor/status/863046554210508803) > [](https://twitter.com/%5FAmanda2017/status/863039144506925058) > [](https://twitter.com/Scimommy/status/863046172566573056) > [](https://twitter.com/NerdyChristie/status/863039801313837056) The White House said that Trump asked for the letter from his lawyers after Republican Sen. [Lindsey Graham](http://time.com/4771426/lindsey-graham-election-interference-400-pound-hacker/) of South Carolina. ## Transcript [00:00] As far as Putin is concerned, I think Putin has been a [00:02] lot stronger leader for Russia. I mean. he's been a lot [00:04] stronger than our leader, that I can tell you. [ MUSIC ] [00:08] Putin [00:10] says' [00:13] Trump [00:15] is [00:17] great. [00:19] And Trump not. No no Putin. Now I [00:27] don't know Putin. Well, we did do 60 minutes together. [00:30] Now we weren't together but he was on, I was on the [00:32] same night. We got great ratings by the way. [ MUSIC ] [00:41] He's running this country and at least he is a leader. [00:43] You know, unlike what we have in this country .>> But [00:47] again, he kills journalist that don't agree with him. Well, [00:52] I think our country does a plenty of killing also, Joe, so [00:54] you know. I don't think anybody knows it was Russia [00:58] that broke into the DNC. She's saying Russia, Russia, [01:00] Russia. But I don't Maybe it was. I mean, it could be [01:03] Russia, but it could also be China. It could also be lots [01:06] of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on [01:08] their bed that weighs 400 pounds, okay? [01:10] [ CROSSTALK ] No idea whether it's Russia, China, or [01:13] anybody else. I am not quoting myself. She has no [01:15] idea. I am quoting 17 intelligence. Hillary you have no [01:17] idea. Do you doubt? Our country has [01:22] no idea. She doesn't like Putin because Putin has [01:25] outsmarted her At every step of the way. [ MUSIC ] [01:35] As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I think we [01:38] also get hacked by other countries and other people. [01:42] Will I get along with him? I have no idea. He's a killer, [01:45] though. It's very possible I won't. Putin's a killer. A lot [01:48] of killers, we got a lot of killers. 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