The Note: Trump and Taxes

— -- NOTABLES

--FOUR YEARS OF RETURNS SHOW TRUMP DID NOT PAY FEDERAL TAXES: Although GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump has not released his tax returns, citing a "routine audit," court cases and other litigation procedures have revealed three years of tax returns, each showing the Republican nominee paid $0 in federal income tax. A report from the New York Times released Saturday night adds another year that shows Trump did not pay federal income taxes in 1995. The report from the Times is largely based on documents the newspaper obtained in which the real estate mogul claimed about $916 million in losses "that would have been large enough to wipe out more than $50 million a year in taxable income over 18 years," the Times reported. More from ABC’s JOHN SANTUCCI and CORINNE CATHCART: http://abcn.ws/2dRuBiA

--NOTED: Before Saturday night's report, the three other years of tax returns for Trump that had been publicly accessible included two returns from 1978 and 1979 tied to business dealings he had with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, and another return in 1984 that Trump disclosed in two separate legal disputes in New York State courts in the early 1990s. http://abcn.ws/2dRuBiA

--ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: What is it about big events that bring out the worst moments for Donald Trump’s campaign? The week after the first debate has been, arguably, Trump’s worst week since the week after the conventions. Trump himself has primary responsibility for that – both in his immediate reactions, and the rich history of relationships and dealings that make him a constant source of fruitful digging. But this past week didn’t happen by accident, and neither did Trump’s post-convention swoon. In both cases, the Clinton campaign set a trap for Trump that he fell into. With the Khan family, as with the former Miss Universe, Trump took the bait and then tried to run away with it – without, of course, trying to hide. His latest – accusing Hillary Clinton of having extramarital affairs, and mocking her by impersonating a frail elderly woman – might be better for the Clinton camp than her aides could have anticipated. They are proving the old adage that campaigns do matter.

DEBATE PREP:

--HOW TIM KAINE IS PREPARING FOR TOMORROW’S DEBATE: As Tim Kaine prepares to walk onto the biggest political stage of his life at the vice presidential debate tomorrow, both insiders and a former rival say one of his strongest assets will be the same thing that's helped him through a 22-year political career: His likability. Hillary Clinton's running mate seems to know that, too. As he left mass on Sunday in Richmond, Virginia, Kaine told reporters that on Tuesday he just has to "be myself." "I'm calm," Kaine said of his upcoming debate with GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence. "Things work out the way they are supposed to." But behind the calm is intense preparation, as ABC’s JESSICA HOPPER reports: http://abcn.ws/2dKDZVZ

--MORE THAN 40 PERCENT OF AMERICANS CANNOT NAME VP CANDIDATES. Ahead of the first and only vice presidential debate of the 2016 race, more than a quarter of Americans cannot name the vice presidential nominee of either major party. Asked to identify Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's running mates, 41 percent of respondents could not correctly name the GOP's vice presidential nominee and 46 percent were unsure of the name of the Democratic vice presidential nominee, notes ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL. http://abcn.ws/2dJSxS0

--AMERICANS THINK CLINTON BEAT TRUMP AT FIRST DEBATE: Americans see Hillary Clinton as the winner of the first presidential debate by a near-record margin in ABC News/Washington Post post-debate polls, with nearly half saying Donald Trump got his facts wrong and one in three saying he outright lied. His unpopularity grew slightly. While views of both candidates remain broadly negative, 64 percent of Americans now express an unfavorable opinion of Trump overall, up 5 points from its pre-debate level. Fifty-three percent see Clinton unfavorably, not a significant change. ABC’s GARY LANGER has more: http://abcn.ws/2dk4OhZ

LAST WEEKEND ON THE TRAIL with ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

GIULIANI SAYS TRUMP’S CLAIM OF $916 MILLION LOSS SHOWS HE’S A ‘GENIUS.’ In the wake of the New York Times report revealing that Trump claimed a $916 million dollar loss in 1995, a surrogate for the GOP presidential nominee, Rudy Giuliani, called him “a genius.” ABC’s ALI DUKAKIS writes that Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, said Trump took advantage of tax laws as, he said, a good businessman should. “He would have been a fool not to take advantage” of the laws, he told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "This Week.” http://abcn.ws/2dBksYH

REPORTERS BRUSH OFF LAWSUIT THREAT OVER PUBLISHING TRUMP TAX FORMS. Two of the New York Times reporters who wrote the story said they aren't worried about being sued for publishing the tax document. "Last time I checked it wasn’t a crime to check your mailbox," Times reporter Susanne Craig told ABC’s GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS in an exclusive interview. Craig said she received a package in her mailbox at the Times last Friday with the return address shown as Trump Tower, ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL reports. http://abcn.ws/2djA9Ar

TRUMP REACHES OUT TO SANDERS SUPPORTERS. Audio of Hillary Clinton addressing donors at a Virginia fundraiser back in February has surfaced and is gaining attention because of how she describes Bernie Sanders' supporters, and Donald Trump and his campaign have jumped on the story in an effort to bring Sanders backers to their side. "Some are new to politics completely. They're children of the Great Recession. And they are living in their parents' basement," Clinton said at the home of former U.S. Ambassador Beatrice Welters. "They feel they got their education and the jobs that are available to them are not at all what they envisioned for themselves. And they don't see much of a future." The audio, released by the Free Beacon, was recorded during the heart of the Democratic primary when the race was close between Clinton and Sanders. ABC’s JOSH HASKELL has more. http://abcn.ws/2du5ZvP

SANDERS SAYS CLINTON COMMENTS ‘ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.’ Bernie Sanders said Clinton was “absolutely correct when she said many of his supporters were living in their parents’ and struggling to find jobs, ABC’s MARYALICE PARKS writes. “During the campaign we had our differences,” The interview on ABC with George Stephanopoulos was Sanders’ first response to the audio that was trending on social media over the weekend, although some of his staff had taken to Twitter to defend Clinton. http://abcn.ws/2dvvQ6x

CLINTON SAYS HER WHITE GRANDCHILDREN ARE SPARED THE FEARFUL EXPERIENCES MANY BLACK CHILDREN FACE. Hillary Clinton told the congregation of a predominantly African-American church in North Carolina on Sunday that because her grandchildren are white, "they won't face the kind of fear" in encounters with law enforcement as African-American children. The Democratic presidential nominee was referring to a video she had watched showing children in Charlotte, North Carolina, testify to the city council, ABC’s JOSH HASKELL reports. "You know every child deserves the same sense of security. Every child deserves the same hope," Clinton said at the Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church, which she visited Sunday in the wake of recent protests in the city over the death of Keith Lamont Scott, 43, in a police-involved shooting. http://abcn.ws/2cVTZSG

TRUMP JABS AT CLINTON’S MARRIAGE: ‘I DON’T THINK SHE’S LOYAL TO BILL.’ Donald Trump is following through on threats made to be "nastier" to Hillary Clinton. In an evening rally outside of Lancaster over the weekend, Trump attacked his Democratic rival on a personal front: her marriage. According to ABC’s CANDACE SMITH, the off-hand remarks came as Trump discussed Clinton's fealty to her financial donors. "Hillary Clinton's only loyalty is to her financial contributors and to herself. I don't even think she's loyal to Bill, if you want to know the truth," he said, as the crowd applauded. http://abcn.ws/2di2xTz

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

ALEC BALDWIN MAKES HIS 'DONALD TRUMP' DEBUT ON ‘SNL.’ Alec Baldwin made his debut impersonating Donald Trump -- orange spray-tan, wispy blonde hair, pouty lips and all -- during the 42nd season premiere of "Saturday Night Live.” Trump took to the "debate" stage, saying, "Good evening, America. I am going to be so good tonight. I am going to be so calm. I am going to be so presidential." ABC’s DAVID CAPLAN has more: http://abcn.ws/2dB89H4

IN THE NOTE’S INBOX -- ‘FORMER NEW YORK TIMES EDITOR AND DIGITAL INNOVATOR JIM ROBERTS JOINS MERCURY.’ From a Mercury press release: “Mercury, a leading global, bipartisan public strategy firm, announced today a transformative expansion of its digital mission under the new stewardship of Jim Roberts, one of the world’s top digital media executives and storytellers. Roberts, a long-time editor and leader of digital innovation for the New York Times, Reuters and most recently Mashable, joins Mercury as a Managing Director. … He will work across Mercury’s global offices to provide critical strategy and guidance to clients about the use of digital platforms, mobile devices and social channels to communicate with their audiences and solve complex problems. “No one has both the understanding of digital strategy and the skills of a wildly talented journalist quite like Jim,” said Kirill Goncharenko, President and Co-Founder of Mercury. … Roberts said: “I am excited to help Mercury and its clients see the possibilities of these innovations, and help grow what I have learned in the newsroom on an exponentially larger scale.” http://bit.ly/2dmvxd6

WHO’S TWEETING?

@mmurraypolitics: Clinton returns to Ohio for first time since Sept 5 -- as LeBron James dishes out an endorsement assist

@matthewjdowd: Leaders should lead, and not just do what is legal or what they can get away with. Whether it be openness, transparency, or taxes.

@IanSams: How did @HillaryClinton spend her Sunday? Talking to, grieving with, supporting those in #Charlotte. Where was @realDonaldTrump? Sleeping?

@nytpolitics: Traveling on Air Force One can really help your tourism bucket list, as @POTUS has learned. http://nyti.ms/2d7PFNT 

@PoliticsReid: MO Gov. Jay Nixon hinting pretty strongly he wants a spot in a Hillary Clinton administration - http://bit.ly/2cMd0IO