At Least There Are No Spelling Errors

The President of the United States has access to the best minds in the country. Presumably, this includes people with a basic grasp of grammar and syntax.

“Despite this substantial income figure and tax paid, it is totally illegal to steal and publish tax returns.” This is an 18-word sentence from a statement issued recently by the White House.

First, what is the difference between illegality and total illegality? Understatement makes you sound less like a teenager.

Second, you have to love the juxtaposition of the President’s wealth with the illegality of leaking tax returns. What does one have to do with the other?

Finally, what about the pairing of “stealing” tax returns with “publishing” them? Yes, stealing is illegal. But is it illegal to publish something that is already in the public domain? That is debatable. Maybe that is the distinction. One is illegal. And the other is totally illegal.

We need an adult in the White House.