Despite repeatedly promising to eventually release his tax returns, President Trump kept the documents under wraps as millions of procrastinating Americans rushed to get theirs filed by Tuesday’s deadline.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer this week again defended the president’s refusal to come clean.
“It’s the same thing that was discussed during the campaign trail — the president is under audit. It’s a routine one that continues,” Spicer said. “Nothing has changed.”
Pressed to just admit that Trump had no plans to ever make his returns public, Spicer replied: “Have to get back to you on that.”
Trump has said he won’t release his returns because he is under audit — though nothing in the US tax code prevents him from doing so.
Meanwhile, Democrats took to Twitter to needle the commander-in-chief about his lack of transparency.
“If POTUS is serious about passing real tax reform to help the middle class, he should start by releasing his own full tax returns. #TaxDay,” wrote Sen. Chuck Schumer.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi suggested on Twitter that Trump must have something to hide — such as his Russian connections.
“All roads lead back to @POTUS’ tax returns – & the light they can shine on the Trump-Russia connection,” she wrote.
Virtually all Democrats and a growing list of GOP lawmakers — up to 15, according to media reports — are demanding that his tax returns be released before they can even begin to talk about tax reform, one of Trump’s major campaign promises.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) was heckled and booed at a rowdy town hall meeting in Little Rock on Monday when he defended Trump’s decision.
In January 2016, Trump told NBC News he would “absolutely” release them in his response to a question from Chuck Todd.
“I have very big returns, as you know, and I have everything all approved and very beautiful and we’ll be working that over in the next period of time, Chuck,” Trump said. “Absolutely.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio and other politicians either released or were going to release their 2016 returns Tuesday.
Trump is the first president in four decades to not release his tax returns. And the president is furious that it remains an issue.
“I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?” he tweeted on Sunday after more than 100,000 protesters nationwide staged rallies calling for their release.
“Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over!” he added.