Just after dinner time on Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC sent the internet into a tailspin with one simple tweet.
BREAKING: We've got Trump tax returns. Tonight, 9pm ET. MSNBC.
(Seriously).
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) March 14, 2017
Almost immediately, speculation flew about which tax returns they might be and what information Rachel had about Trump’s finances. If the information truly contained a huge bombshell, why wasn’t MSNBC going live with the report? Could this actually be what turns some of Trump’s base away from him after all these months? What would the White House response be after the fact?
Of course, even with all those questions swirling Twitter was having a ball with jokes and pop culture references as they anticipated the report.
https://twitter.com/celebrityhottub/status/841796667519164418
— Matt Pearce 🦅🇺🇸 (@mattdpearce) March 14, 2017
if it's nothing, twitter is going to be insufferable. if it's something, also that.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) March 15, 2017
that @maddow tweet… pic.twitter.com/pRQEKPFdDr
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) March 14, 2017
https://twitter.com/Tyrangiel/status/841806112508780544
https://twitter.com/HollyAnderson/status/841797711531671552
https://twitter.com/darth/status/841798256015286273
.@maddow pic.twitter.com/enf5LGOr9R
— Michael Maximoff (@as_seenontv) March 14, 2017
Gotta play funkmaster flex bomb sound effects throughout tonight's show https://t.co/3e7bTIkk3j
— Desus MF Nice💯 (@desusnice) March 14, 2017
There was even the requisite NBA trade news joke.
Woj gonna leak those Trump tax returns at 8:58 pm
— William Lou (@william_lou) March 14, 2017
Then, Maddow confirmed that the big tax return news only a few pages from POTUS’ 2005 returns and news started to leak about exactly how much Trump claimed in income that year.
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
Three sources have told me the tax returns on Maddow tonight are 2005 tax returns and Trump reports 150 million in income.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 15, 2017
That didn’t stop the jokes though. Never put it past Twitter to take breaking news about potential tax return information, of all things, and make it hilarious. Or, actually, maybe Twitter’s only true purpose is to make waiting around for breaking tax return information (that could be super boring in the end) a worthwhile and funny activity.
The two attorneys in the room, always looking for the tax incentives @celebrityhottub @Brandon_Borders pic.twitter.com/JBCdqOi0hl
— Bunkie Perkins (@BunkiePerkins) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/841806126454722560
https://twitter.com/texaninnyc/status/841802784773144577
Me, showing up to the #TrumpTaxReturnParty pic.twitter.com/0mAIy3O1cD
— Neil McNeil (@Neil_McNeil) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/AndrewHusband/status/841807351103537152
Returns, ranked:
1. Of the Jedi
2. Of the Mack
3. Voodoo Child (Slight)
4. "To Sender" *in Raftery voice*
5. Policy
6. Of the King— Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) March 15, 2017
prediction: it's just a list of charitable deductions, it's massive, he gives to PP & ACLU, he gives so much, turns out he's a shy super guy
— Owen Ellickson (@onlxn) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/ira/status/841809476697038848
*richard simmons announces 9PM press conference*
— Steve Kandell (@SteveKandell) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/poniewozik/status/841808896754884608
Me I think I’ll shut everything down and read tonight.
Rachel Maddow: I have Trump’s tax returns.
Me: pic.twitter.com/EXDZVAnVSl— Kevin Daly (@kevinddaly) March 15, 2017
Anticipation remained high even though there was potentially nothing of note being announced, but Twitter got impatient fast.
Watching Rachel Maddow like pic.twitter.com/3RDIysP3mm
— Chris Harnick (@chrisharnick) March 15, 2017
yeah uh aaaaaanyway, what's in the returns?
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/841817462928769024
wow more like the Rachel Maddow Reads Wikipedia Show
— David Sims (@davidlsims) March 15, 2017
Ugh she's just gonna keep talking around the big taxes reveal like the way the Greek chorus on Big Little Lies talks about the murder.
— Louis Peitzman (@LouisPeitzman) March 15, 2017
My cat and I are watching Rachel Maddow. This is him right now. pic.twitter.com/9sCFUNNvO3
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/dreamoforgonon/status/841818087305408512
Rachel Maddow announces she will release Donald Trump’s tax returns as a 10-episode Netflix series.
— Sam Adams (@SamuelAAdams) March 15, 2017
Britney had a marriage shorter than this.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/841818603469041664
This lasted longer than the snowstorm
— No Escalators (@NoEscalators) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/erikmal/status/841817842626396160
In the end, it might not have been what people were expecting but Maddow certainly put on a show, whether or not there was any “juicy” tax information in the end.
they don't have the entire 2005 tax return
— Matt Pearce 🦅🇺🇸 (@mattdpearce) March 15, 2017
"Client Copy" signature stamp indicates leak of Trump return came from someone tied to him, NOT from IRS
— Richard Tofel (@dicktofel) March 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/jtabrys/status/841828319851077633
In newspaper jargon Maddow's nut graf is in the 37th paragraph
— Kevin Pang (@pang) March 15, 2017
Only in America do people complain because THE NEWS wasn't entertaining enough
— Aparna Nancherla 🇵🇸 (@aparnapkin) March 15, 2017
When yet another attempt to take down Donald Trump has come and gone pic.twitter.com/H9q0XSOWi4
— Russell (@RussellFalcon) March 15, 2017