Rachel Maddow teased a big reveal on her Tuesday night show, tweeting earlier in the afternoon that she had gained access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
The MSNBC host promised to release the returns on her show at 9 p.m. ET.
“BREAKING: We’ve got Trump tax returns,” Maddow wrote, with the network even displaying a “Trump Taxes Countdown Clock” prior to the airing of her show.
The news got Twitter users abuzz about what she was planning to reveal.
However, as Maddow started off her show talking about Trump’s reasons for not releasing his taxes, and questioning “cageyness” around Michael Flynn and his ties to Turkey, along with Trump’s questionable real estate deals, among many other topics, viewers began to get restless.
Eighteen minutes in, she said she’d get to the tax return “next” — and then cut to a commercial break.
When she came back, she still continued to delay the big reveal through another commercial break.
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Thank you Rachel Maddow for proving to your #Trump hating followers how successful @realDonaldTrump is & that he paid $40mm in taxes! #Taxes
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 15, 2017
It takes less time to fill out your taxes than for Rachael Maddow to get to what’s in Trump’s taxes
— Eric Stangel (@EricStangel) March 15, 2017
Guys, she’s explaining why what’s in the tax returns is news. The context is important! #maddow
— Alana Russo (@alanarusso) March 15, 2017
Again, like the GOT ice thing, just one of you watch and tell the rest of us
— Gilbert Cruz (@gilbertcruz) March 15, 2017
I love context, but this is about structure. Don’t bury the lede. It has always been a problem with Maddow’s show. OK, back to it…
— Tim Goodman (@BastardMachine) March 15, 2017
Could you imagine if Rachel Maddow wrote the “Star Wars” opening crawls?
— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) March 15, 2017
My roommate was watching Rachel Maddow WAITING for her to tell us what’s in Trump’s tax returns.
Me: She has an hour
Him: Damn I’m bailing
— Jonathan Riley (@JonRiley7) March 15, 2017
I just filed my 2016 taxes in the time it has taken @maddow to get to the point about Trump’s 2005 return.
— David Martosko (@dmartosko) March 15, 2017
#Editorial I’m already bored by Rachel Maddow’s weak conspiracy hit-job on President Trump. pic.twitter.com/fZ48pNupai
— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) March 15, 2017
Livestream of #Maddow revealing Trump’s taxes pic.twitter.com/rSgzslpeNB
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) March 15, 2017
Twitter waiting for Rachel Maddow to talk about Trump’s tax return right now like pic.twitter.com/oVIAhpi8rQ
— Fusion (@Fusion) March 15, 2017
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Interesting move by Rachel Maddow here, saving the tax-return reveal for Trump’s second term.
— Michael Rosenberg (@Rosenberg_Mike) March 15, 2017
Waiting for Trump’s taxes like pic.twitter.com/5fQeY2PpO9
— Mike Cernovich (@Cernovich) March 15, 2017
My new theory is she’s delaying hoping Trump tweets something INSANE
— Aaron E. Carroll (@aaronecarroll) March 15, 2017
I was going to say that I can’t wait to see the ratings tomorrow, but then I remembered that Nielsen apparently doesn’t do that anymore. pic.twitter.com/eRI9VK2JW6
— Anthony Crupi (@crupicrupicrupi) March 15, 2017
Maddow is taking too long. Time shifts through the hour glass. These are the days of our lives. I’m not watching.
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) March 15, 2017
In case you were wondering, Rachel Maddow is doing the TV equivalent of a snail race to hold the audience past :30 or :40… #MSNBC
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) March 15, 2017
I’m appreciative of Maddow’s gusto in dragging out her scoop, but it’s been 13 minutes of ominous rhetorical questions, lady, spill it.
— Sady Doyle (@sadydoyle) March 15, 2017
@maddow I’ll check back at 9:45PM. It will take you that long to get to whatever the heck is in the tax returns.
— Carol Williamson (@cwill45) March 15, 2017
Rachel Maddow is laying it all out
— OldMan Ebro (@oldmanebro) March 15, 2017
One of the biggest stories coming out of the @maddow reveal will be how long it took her to get to the point.
— Lesli Boldt (@LesliBoldt) March 15, 2017
When Maddow started the Falcons led 28-3 guys.
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) March 15, 2017
Trump won cause while an intelligent woman was trying to tell us about Russian ties u complained about her presentation & here we are again
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 15, 2017
Rachel Maddow is the friend that texts “on my way breh” when they haven’t even showered yet
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) March 15, 2017
I think M. Night Shyamalan is about to show up. #maddow
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) March 15, 2017
Rachel Maddow and MSNBC pic.twitter.com/AaLVfZUSYv
— Around The League™ (@RTSportsTalk) March 15, 2017
So wait. If a network announces a year each night, WH may flinch and release taxes in advance? This is a game we can play. Let’s do this.
— Jason Kint (@jason_kint) March 15, 2017
At least #ThisIsUs doesn’t have to worry about being the most anticlimactic event on TV tonight.
— Jeff Jensen (@EWDocJensen) March 15, 2017
If your most essential goal is to inform viewers of important information, this is not how you would present this story
— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) March 15, 2017
Tonight will be a case study on “burying the lede” in journalism classes for years to come.
— Sam Charles (@samjcharles) March 15, 2017
With all due respect, not even my mother takes this long to get to the point.
— Mo Rocca (@MoRocca) March 15, 2017
And here I thought the This Is Us finale was the the-waste-of-time-that-might- make-me-cry-scream thing I’d be watching tonight
— Willa Paskin (@willapaskin) March 15, 2017
OK enough of this. Let me unwind with that TV drama where the Russians are trying to infiltrate America
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) March 15, 2017
“You know what makes for good television? Taxes.” Said no one ever.
— David Gura (@davidgura) March 15, 2017
MADDOW: The first taxes were levied by the Ancient Sumerians….
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) March 15, 2017
I wish this guy would spend less time finding Trump’s tax returns and more time finishing Game of Thrones.
— Nick Turner (@NicksTurners) March 15, 2017
