Tuesday's Morning Joe panel criticized Hillary Clinton and defended Donald Trump for his tax conduct, blaming the system for the possibility of the billionaire legally not paying taxes as the New York Times reported.
After playing a clip of Clinton criticizing Trump on his taxes, co-host Mika Brzezinski, a Clinton supporter, hit Clinton for attacking Trump on it.
"So, I just noticed a confidence here that I don't think should be there among the campaign," Brzezinski said. "Sorry, but I mean, you think about this tax thing unless, were laws broken? Did the New York Times find any laws were broken?"
Others replied that no laws were broken by Trump.
"So, he talks about brilliantly using using the system, great. But Hillary Clinton could have had that same reaction to her speech money, that she says she's going to change Wall Street, but you know what, I used the system to make millions of dollars, but instead she hides it," Brzezinski said. "Donald Trump just doesn't hide it. He's very comfortable with the fact that he followed the law and made a lot of money."
"It's the same thing and that's what people see," Brzezinski added. "People see somebody being honest about it and someone kind of like, not mentioning it but still doing it."
Host Joe Scarborough defended Trump's actions and criticized those who have gone after Trump and other wealthy individuals for not paying substantial sums in taxes when they are not legally required to do so.
"This tax thing, I'm sorry, this tax thing, please, find me one person that pays more taxes than they have to pay. You can't do it!" Scarborough said. "So everybody that's acting so shocked that he did what he was legally entitled to do is a freaking hypocrite! That's why Warren Buffett goes, ‘oh, rich people need to pay,’ well pay more money, Warren Buffett!"
Scarborough later turned his focus on the current tax system.
"Don't be mad at Donald Trump for not paying taxes legally for 15 years," Scarborough said. "Be angry at a system that is broken and corrupt and I do believe as Warren Buffett said, if you're a billionaire, you should have a minimum tax every year of 25 or 30 percent at the very least while your secretary is paying 28 percent."
"I don't think Donald Trump playing by the rules, I don't think that's going to resonate with people in middle America," Scarborough added.
Scarborough went on to say that with all of Clinton's criticism of Trump, she would not fix the system and that she was "more in the pocket of Wall Street than anybody else that has run for president for years."
Brzezinski then took her criticism to the Clinton campaign and told them to stop talking about Trump's taxes because of Clinton's own issues.
"I think that the reaction to this New York Times story on Donald Trump's part was brilliant and the thing is, he didn't even think twice about it," Brzezinski said. "He just went there while she has been hiding this speech money, hiding this Foundation stuff, hiding this email stuff and trying to get around it."
"Mistakes were made and I'm telling you people don't, they are not feeling a complete connection with her and this doesn't help to get all high and mighty," Brzezinski added. "Get off your high horse about this tax thing unless laws were broken, it's not an issue, you guys cancel each other out."