Essay/Joe Nacca: ‘That makes me ...’ Joe Nacca “That makes me smart.” When a man with the immense modesty of Donald Trump offers such a self-congratulatory comment, lesser mortals would do well to listen. As you may recall, Mr. Trump made the above retort to an accusation that he had not paid federal income tax for a period of years. Those of us who dutifully pay federal taxes year in and year out were left to respond with anger or grudging admiration. Anger that a man aspiring to be president would actually brag about dodging his taxes. Or grudging admiration that a politician would be so honest. For, truth be known, most politicians, just like most non-politicians, seek ways to pay the least possible amount of taxes. For obvious reasons, politicians, unlike you and me, are reluctant to admit this reality. Trump, for better or for worse, has never been your typical politician.