California Requires Trump to Release Tax Returns for Spot on Primary Ballot

[Teallaura]

So it's a means of protecting yourself from a non-existent threat? I.e. Vampires aren't real, and Trump isn't actually a threat to the USA

Awwww, we just got him talked into doing it and you go and spoil everything. We were going to see if we could get him to call for an inquisition by the conventions!

[mikewhitney]

It might matter if there are other ballot items on there during the primary election.

No problem. That area is covered. California permits ballot harvesting. (I haven't seen the detail of how this works. But it seems like the Dems use this to help people vote in California sponsored ballot measures.)

[Mountain Man]

People care because of potential conflicts of interest. Even if they didn't care, it would still matter, because of potential conflicts of interest. And because Trump is so desperately trying to hide his tax information.

Tax returns aren't going to show anything like that. Especially not a personal tax return. What you want are Trump's financial disclosure statements which he has dutifully submitted every year as required by law since he announced his candidacy. They're also public record, so go take a look at them, if you really care that much.

[Teallaura]

A decade ago, Kamala Harris accepted a $5000 donation from <drum roll> Donald Trump!


Does it matter? Only to the far out left. But ya gotta admit, it's FUNNY!!!!!

[Mountain Man]

A decade ago, Kamala Harris accepted a $5000 donation from <drum roll> Donald Trump!


Does it matter? Only to the far out left. But ya gotta admit, it's FUNNY!!!!!

Trump has always considered political donations to be a business transaction and has donated generously to members of both parties.

[Teallaura]

Trump has always considered political donations to be a business transaction and has donated generously to members of both parties.

Yep - which was pretty obviously what he was doing here. And honestly, not worried about a decade old scandal that Harris doesn't seem to have been directly involved in. I just think it's funny she took money from a man she would later come to trash every chance she got.

[Sparko]

Trump has pretty much said that the main reason he hasn't released his Tax returns is because the Democrats want them so badly. He figures they will eventually find a way to get them but until then he will keep not releasing them. I saw a clip of him saying basically that last week on TV but I can't find it online.

[Zymologist]

Trump has pretty much said that the main reason he hasn't released his Tax returns is because the Democrats want them so badly. He figures they will eventually find a way to get them but until then he will keep not releasing them. I saw a clip of him saying basically that last week on TV but I can't find it online.

Democrats seem so convinced that he's hiding something, but I really don't get why him simply being obnoxious about it is such a hard explanation to stomach. It seems obvious to me.

[Sparko]

Democrats seem so convinced that he's hiding something, but I really don't get why him simply being obnoxious about it is such a hard explanation to stomach. It seems obvious to me.

He knows that even though there is nothing there, they will find a way to twist something and call him a crook, fraud or racist.

[Mountain Man]

Trump has pretty much said that the main reason he hasn't released his Tax returns is because the Democrats want them so badly. He figures they will eventually find a way to get them but until then he will keep not releasing them. I saw a clip of him saying basically that last week on TV but I can't find it online.

He knows the longer he drags it out, and the more Democrats whoop and holler about it, the louder the "thud" it's going to make when we finally get a look at them and find nothing controversial whatsoever.

[Sparko]

He knows the longer he drags it out, and the more Democrats whoop and holler about it, the louder the "thud" it's going to make when we finally get a look at them and find nothing controversial whatsoever.

They will find something, even if they have to squint really hard and make something up.

[Mountain Man]

They will find something, even if they have to squint really hard and make something up.

We all know how well that worked for the Mueller report.

[Sparko]

We all know how well that worked for the Mueller report.

If they mean to distract the American people and keep wasting time then it worked out great for them. They would do the same with his tax returns.

[Raphael]

I think the biggest thing Trump's tax returns will show is that he is not quite as rich as he likes to claim he is.

(But that's not illegal)

[rogue06]

I think the biggest thing Trump's tax returns will show is that he is not quite as rich as he likes to claim he is.

(But that's not illegal)

And that he took every conceivable tax loophole in order to save as much money as possible (as do 90% of Americans^[1]), which those involved in politics try to avoid at least the appearance of since it is bad optics.



1. Not an actual statistic but an indication of its universality.