Shortly after the New York Times published a bombshell report that revealed Donald Trump might not have paid federal income taxes for almost two decades, a hashtag was spawned. Citizens of the Internet began reminiscing about what life was like when The Donald (maybe) paid federal taxes, using the #LastTimeTrumpPaidTaxes hashtag.
Pages from Trump’s 1995 tax returns were sent to a reporter at the Times. The newspaper’s investigation found that the businessman’s claim that he’d lost $916 million in income was substantial enough to allow Trump to avoid paying income tax for 18 years. Meaning it’s possible that the last time Trump forked over tax money to the feds, Hammer pants were all the rage, cellphones were the size of bricks, and teens were rushing to theaters to watch the film Clueless. There was a Clinton in the White House—Bill—and Trump was more likely to guest appear in a feature film than on a cable news broadcast. It was a different time.
Join the people of the Internet in taking a look back at the #LastTimeTrumpPaidTaxes
The Trump campaign defended the candidate’s tax record in a written statement and via appearances by campaign surrogates on Sunday talk shows. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said the Times report shows the “genius” of the candidate who he said “would have been a fool not to take advantage” of tax law.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Contact us at letters@time.com