After all of the hype, the big tax return reveal that MSNBC's Rachel Maddow promised on Tuesday failed to deliver, in the eyes of many.
Maddow fired the first shot, if you will, when she tweeted:
BREAKING: We've got Trump tax returns. Tonight, 9pm ET. MSNBC.
(Seriously).
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) March 14, 2017
Followed by:
What we've got is from 2005... the President's 1040 form... details to come tonight 9PM ET, MSNBC.
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) March 15, 2017
On her show, Maddow went on to speak at length about the importance of Trump's 2005 tax forms, how they were obtained and what the public could expect to learn from the documents. However, in the end, what was expected by many to be a bombshell revelation turned into a case of "anticipointment."
Here's a photo of the Trump tax returns that @maddow just displayed.
There's a stamp that reads "Client Copy." pic.twitter.com/GxmHGQDmd0
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 15, 2017
In case you were wondering, Rachel Maddow is doing the TV equivalent of a snail race to hold the audience past :30 or :40... #MSNBC
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) March 15, 2017
I turned off the Rachel Maddow report thirty minutes in. Somebody let me know if the patriots turn this thing around after halftime.
— Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) March 15, 2017
Interesting move by Rachel Maddow here, saving the tax-return reveal for Trump's second term.
— Michael Rosenberg (@Rosenberg_Mike) March 15, 2017
Thank you Rachel Maddow for proving to your #Trump hating followers how successful @realDonaldTrump is & that he paid $40mm in taxes! #Taxes
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 15, 2017
Geraldo called, and has invited Rachel Maddow to join him from Al Capone's secret vault for her next show.
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) March 15, 2017
The left-wing media is upset President Trump reportedly paid $38 million in taxes in 2005. That's a lot of money. Say thank you and move on.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) March 15, 2017
#EpicFail https://t.co/f3DkPbTojD
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) March 15, 2017
So wait. If a network announces a year each night, WH may flinch and release taxes in advance? This is a game we can play. Let's do this.
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) March 15, 2017
Tonight will be a case study on "burying the lede" in journalism classes for years to come.
— Sam Charles (@samjcharles) March 15, 2017
Trump won cause while an intelligent woman was trying to tell us about Russian ties u complained about her presentation & here we are again
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 15, 2017
The public's outrage over Trump's taxes remaining hidden must now be directed at the GOP which is helping them stay hidden. #WhatIsHeHiding
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 15, 2017
Dems should return focus to Trumpcare tomorrow & the millions it will leave uninsured, not get distracted by two pages from '05 tax return
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) March 15, 2017
Does anybody really believe that a reporter, who nobody ever heard of, "went to his mailbox" and found my tax returns? @NBCNews FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 15, 2017