Donald Trump: I Released my Financials
on Saturday, April 15, 2017Donald Trump Money Quote saying on May 11, 2016 that he would release his tax returns prior to the election and claimed that there wasn’t much to learn from them beyond what he’s already filed in financial disclosure paperwork which shows “very little debt”. Donald Trump said:
“So the answer is before the election, I’ll release. And I’d like to release. But really, you learn very little from a tax return. You know, I’ve released my financials, and my financials show tremendous numbers, very little debt, you don’t learn very much from your tax returns” — Donald Trump
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In this quote, Donald Trump continues to justify not releasing his tax returns prior to the 2016 election. Some key points in interpreting his perspective:
- He claims tax returns reveal “very little” and that his financial disclosures were sufficient, though many argue returns provide more transparency.
- Trump suggests the audit prevented pre-election release, but experts say audits do not bar release and other candidates facing audits have released returns.
- He focuses on minimizing what could be learned from returns rather than directly addressing legitimate interests and longstanding precedent around candidates’ disclosure.
However, a balanced interpretation would acknowledge both Trump’s viewpoint and the counter-perspective that tax returns do offer important insights and have been released voluntarily by candidates for decades, raising questions about why Trump did not follow suit. Reasonable people can disagree on this complex issue with valid points on both sides.