“If you didn’t see the tax returns you’d think there’s almost like something wrong. What’s wrong?”
The words above were spoken by Donald Trump in 2012 when commenting about Mitt Romney’s delay in releasing his tax returns.
Those words were right then, and they are right today.
So it’s very surprising that the 2016 presumptive Republican presidential nominee is now refusing to release his own tax returns. Any of them.
And that should trigger a red alarm in every thinking voters head.
Trump first said he would release his tax returns when Barack Obama released his birth certificate. Obama did, but Trump didn’t.
Then he said he would release his tax returns when Hillary Clinton released her State Department emails. Clinton did, but Trump didn’t.
Now Trump says he’ll release his tax returns when the government finishes an audit. Even though Richard Nixon released his tax returns during a similar audit decades ago.
Donald Trump is now refusing to offer the transparency that Richard Nixon did. Yes, that Nixon. Let that sink in a moment.
Alarms sounding.
So Trump is hiding something in his tax returns. Something he doesn’t want us to see. Something so hideous in his view that hiding it is worth the risk of losing a presidential election.
“If you didn’t see the tax returns you’d think there’s almost like something wrong. What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?
We can only speculate.
Would Trump’s tax returns show he’s been lying about all those contributions to veterans charities through the years?
Would they show he’s been making large donations to traditionally liberal organizations like Planned Parenthood?
Would they show he’s been paying no taxes — as in zero — on his billion dollar personal empire?
All of those things would be politically bad, but honestly, would anyone really be surprised?
Trump doesn’t seem like a guy who makes a lot of charitable contributions, he has already been quite vocal in his support of Planned Parenthood, and we’d only expect his high-paid lawyers to find a variety of tax loopholes.
Sure, all of this would further hurt Trump’s character. But would it shock his supporters at this point?
No.
What I think Trump is hiding is much more serious to him. Something that could damage his reputation not just with the American people – we are secondary in his life – but with the Park Avenue crowd he has been competing with — and battling with — his entire life.
My guess is Donald Trump is not worth anywhere near what he claims (which is over $10 billion).
He’s very rich by our standards, no question. But he’s spent years lying about his net wealth in order to wheel and deal with the super elite.
We know Trump’s companies have declared bankruptcy four times. In 1991 the Trump Taj Mahal casino was nearly $3 billion in debt, and Trump had nearly $900 million in personal liabilities. He was forced to sell his yacht and airline.
How embarrassing.
His last bankruptcy wasn’t that long ago. It happened during the Obama presidency.
When Trump releases his tax returns, and the reality gets out that he has been lying about his net wealth, those old-inherited money people on Park Avenue, along with those super rich who come to Trump’s casinos and golf courses and resorts, will be laughing at him.
For the 69 year old Trump, being exposed with tiny hands before that upper-one percent of the upper-one percent, and losing his reputation with them, is worth losing the White House.
Presidential candidates have been releasing their tax returns during my entire lifetime. It’s become as common as negative attack ads and solicitation phone calls. Any candidate in 2016 who doesn’t want you to see their tax returns is hiding a ticking time bomb.
“If you didn’t see the tax returns you’d think there’s almost like something wrong. What’s wrong?”
Independent minded voters in battleground states should demand to see Trump’s tax returns before November. If he won’t release them, they should simply withhold a vote for him.