Skwim
Veteran Member
"President-elect Trump became the first major presidential candidate in decades not to release his tax returns. Just days before taking office, he still refused to release his returns and claimed that the issue only matters to reporters.
When asked during his news conference about releasing his tax returns, Trump returned to some of the familiar explanations he and his associates gave during the campaign, when they offered a litany of excuses* to account for the decision.
“I’m not releasing the tax returns because as you know they’re under audit,” he said Wednesday.
The IRS has said that nothing, including an audit, would prevent someone from sharing tax information, and Trump’s tax attorneys have said that his tax returns predating 2009 are no longer being audited.
Trump then went on to claim that this is only an issue for the media rather than the American people.
“The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters,” he said. When asked if the American people care about the issue, he pointed to his narrow victory and said: “I won. I became president. I mean, I don’t think they care at all.”
Polls have shown that this is false. Six out of 10 Americans said that Trump has a responsibility to release his returns, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this month."
source
When asked during his news conference about releasing his tax returns, Trump returned to some of the familiar explanations he and his associates gave during the campaign, when they offered a litany of excuses* to account for the decision.
“I’m not releasing the tax returns because as you know they’re under audit,” he said Wednesday.
The IRS has said that nothing, including an audit, would prevent someone from sharing tax information, and Trump’s tax attorneys have said that his tax returns predating 2009 are no longer being audited.
Trump then went on to claim that this is only an issue for the media rather than the American people.
“The only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters,” he said. When asked if the American people care about the issue, he pointed to his narrow victory and said: “I won. I became president. I mean, I don’t think they care at all.”
Polls have shown that this is false. Six out of 10 Americans said that Trump has a responsibility to release his returns, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this month."
source
*"Excuses that Trump and his supporters have given for not releasing tax returns
Trump: “I’m being audited … so I can’t.” (See next section.) (Repeatedly since February)
Trump: “There’s nothing to learn from them.” (Fact-checkers say this is false.) (February, February, May, May)
Trump: “Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed and … didn’t file until a month and a half before the election and it cost him big league.” (February, July)
Trump: His tax rate is “none of your business.” (May)
Paul Manafort, former campaign chairman: American people “wouldn’t understand them.” (May)
Manafort: The only people who want them “are the people who want to defeat him.” (May)
Trump: “I don’t think anybody cares.” (Polls show this is false.) (May, September)
Eric Trump, son: Would be “foolish” to release; “you would have a bunch of people who know nothing about taxes trying to look through and trying to come up with assumptions on things that they know nothing about.” (August)
Mike Pence, vice-presidential nominee who released his tax returns: They’re a “distraction.” (September)
Donald Trump Jr.: “Would distract from (his dad’s) main message.” (September)
Kellyanne Conway, campaign manager: “I just can’t find where this is a burning issue to most of the Americans.” (In April, before joining his campaign, Conway said, “Donald Trump’s tax returns aren’t … transparent” and called for their release.) (September)
Jeffrey Lord, commentator: Tax returns are “a political gimmick, a gotcha … Political opponents are going to go through there and look to make issues out of things.” (September)
Trump Jr.: “There’s a lot in a 12,000-page tax return that wouldn’t make sense to open up.” (September)
Trump: “You will learn more about Donald Trump” by looking at his financial disclosure forms than by looking at tax returns. (Fact-checkers say this is false.) (September)
Rudy Giuliani, Trump surrogate: “The way all of you are treating this is a very good indication of why someone might not want to release their tax returns.” (October)
Trump: Blames Clinton for fact he doesn’t pay taxes: “A lot of my write-off was depreciation, and that, Hillary as a senator, allowed. The people that give her all this money want it.” (As a senator, Clinton did vote to close tax loopholes — including one Trump may have used to pay no federal income taxes.) (October)
What do you think: should he be required to or not?
.
Last edited:
