Why are Trump's tax returns so important again?

[Markle]

Fine by me. Audit all of the congress critters to make sure they're not cheating on their taxes. Did you think I'd be outraged at the idea?

I'm not in the least concerned about whether or not they are cheating on their taxes.

I want their tax returns from before they entered office when there were not millionaires and a couple years after when they were, and then they continue to add millions every year while being paid less than $200,000 a year. They have to maintain a home in Washington, one of the most expensive cities, plus one in their home district.

Now that is interesting!

 

[Thinker101]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
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Because if they don't go after his taxes, they'll have absolutely nothing.

 

[Crixus]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
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Cant say when it was, maybe during election 2000? I believe the point is to show that the candidates give plenty to charity so they have an excuse for being so rich.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Muller had unlimited resources to go after Trump, and he came up with nothing.

No, he referred things outside his scope to SDNY and DC. It wasnt unlimited.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Let's do the same with Obama.

We did. Were you in a coma?

 

[Markle]

Hand over trumps tax returns OR RESIGN That's what the law says you slimy no good traitorous trump ass kissers

Wrong again shirtstain.

 

[McRocket]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
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The obvious political agenda.

Plus -

5 Things You Need to Know About Donald Trump's Tax Returns

Finally, it goes to credibility. And if I have to explain why - you/whomever would not understand my answer.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
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It goes to transparency, honesty, and trust in government.

It illustrates a president’s understanding that he’s a servant of the people and subject to the will of the people.

Clearly Trump and his equally reprehensible supporters have nothing but contempt for the above – and nothing but contempt for the American people.

 

[miketx]

The timing seems a bit odd, right after a probable swing and a miss on Russia. And we're supposed to believe this is about protocol or "what's right."

Okay, sure. We can play pretend. That's politics, right?
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Maybe it was a moral decision, more likely a morale one though.

Maybe it was just more loser democrats wasting time and money on nothing like always.

 

[Mac1958]

Considering they have audited him every year since his announcing he was running, I guarantee you they have been gone over with a fine tooth comb by Obama’s IRS.

Yeah, I've been thinking that just looking at the returns would not be enough. I wonder if they have new, full audit authority. I'll bet THIS audit would make an IRS audit look like a walk in the park.
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[Mac1958]

I assumed there was smoke, that there was evidence out there that led the Dems to believe that all they needed to see was his tax returns. I was wondering what that smoke was. I was even a little embarrassed that I had forgotten.

Looks like I hadn't forgotten. This is all based on hoping something unknown will be found.

I voted for Hillary. I don't like Trump. But that is transparent gotcha partisan politics, and I'm just not a fan of that.

There is nothing "gotcha" about holding every candidate to the same standard, especially if it is a good standard. Was setting term limits for presidents after FDR a "partisan gotcha?" No, it was good for everyone in the long term, to prevent a Putin situation where a "democratic" leader elects his way to what is basically a dictatorship.

A standard where everyone releases tax returns is good for everyone in the long term, as it lets politicians get away with less bullshit.

And for some reason you feel the IRS can't do their job?

I don't care. I want to see them, personally, just like I could with all previous presidential candidates. Why wouldn't you want to be able to see as much of your leader's finances as possible?

I think there is a wee little tiny bit of partisanship here.

Come on.
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[Mac1958]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
.

Speaking from my own addled lizard brain, he said he'd release them so release them. You know there's gonna be dodgy stuff in there that'll bring him down a peg or two otherwise he wouldn't be stalling. Orange lives his life talking the talk, some Americans are simply tired of it and want to see him start walking. I'd not be too surprised at the findings anyway. We'll have to rely on our broken political system to decide whether anythings illegal or not, because it seems allergic to following the rule of our founding documents these days.

Speaking from the more sensible part of my noggin, it's not important. I don't think we'll ever see them anyway. This is pure revenge politics opening doors for new and exciting ways of corruption. Illinois is the state of my birth, and what they're doing is a terrible idea. I fear if they are successful, they will have broken the system beyond repair. I'm saying this as a person who doesn't exactly wish the Orange Virus administration and Cult45 well.

I feel this is people not understanding the sketchy underbelly of a NY real estate developer and overall hustler. What he may do may be unethical, but is it illegal? Up to now, not so much. Do I think there's fire? Hotter than 1000 suns. The problem is that there is so much smoke it's hard to pinpoint. He keeps the fire close to his chest. He may get lucky and get out unscathed. But, if he keeps his guard down for an instant and a hint of flame is exposed, it will likely result in an explosion of corruption unprecedented in our entire country's history.

It's pretty clear what this is.

He's Trump, and I wouldn't be surprised that he did pretty much anything. That's part of the reason I voted against him. There could be five tons of shady shit in his past, as a high-flying, supposedly successful NY real estate developer. Stipulated.

It's this phony, contrived, predictable righteous indignation from the Dems that I don't take seriously. They're willing to lower standards for anyone in their tribe, but here they're angelic little caring citizens who only want to confirm that everything is always beautiful and honest and on the up and up, when it comes to the other tribe.

What a crock. They appear to have failed on collusion, so they step on the gas with the taxes. So here we go, it's all we'll hear about.

At least be fucking honest for once. "We're gonna get Trump one way or the other, no matter what, and this is our next gambit."

Partisans. The same phony, hypocritical shit, over and over. Fer fuck's sake. I wish they'd find another fucking hobby.
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[Correll]

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
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Actually the goal is to keep putting out enough "Smoke" to trick people into thinking that there must be a fire.


That is all there is.

And, as easily predicted, talk of Russia collusion fades as they frantically shift to something else.

Without a single second dedicating to learning anything from their long and painful mistake. Because that is not what libs are.

 

[mikegriffith1]

The answer is very simple: Because the collusion lie blew up in the Democrats' faces and they need to divert attention away from their lying and fraud and their coup attempt.

 

[imawhosure]

I mean if you want a serious answer, sure. But this isn't really a forum for serious or productive discussion.

It represents a transgression against a political norm that had been held for some 40 years previous. Releasing tax returns was an extremely nominal commitment to transparency, but Trump can't even bring himself to pretend to be transparent.

Catching something would be nice, not gonna lie. But it's more a symbolic issue about the erosion of norms, and holding Trump to the same standards we hold everyone else.

I assumed there was smoke, that there was evidence out there that led the Dems to believe that all they needed to see was his tax returns. I was wondering what that smoke was. I was even a little embarrassed that I had forgotten.

Looks like I hadn't forgotten. This is all based on hoping something unknown will be found.

I voted for Hillary. I don't like Trump. But that is transparent gotcha partisan politics, and I'm just not a fan of that. I do wish we would evolve beyond that.
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I mean if you want a serious answer, sure. But this isn't really a forum for serious or productive discussion.

It represents a transgression against a political norm that had been held for some 40 years previous. Releasing tax returns was an extremely nominal commitment to transparency, but Trump can't even bring himself to pretend to be transparent.

Catching something would be nice, not gonna lie. But it's more a symbolic issue about the erosion of norms, and holding Trump to the same standards we hold everyone else.

And for some reason you feel the IRS can't do their job?

This is actually a serious question. There have been so many accusations and "scandals" and rumors and investigations and breaking news stories and blockbusters and leaks and final straws and assumptions over the last several years that it can be difficult to keep track.

Obviously there must be some smoke here, and the goal is to discover the fire so that he can be brought down.

So what's the smoke?

Again, serious question.
.

Because he is clearly hiding something. And finding out what the president is hiding matters.

Go sit in a circle with your other hive members so you can form the worlds largest dope ring.

Man you are a crybaby.

The massive trove of Fred Trump financial documents obtained by the NY Times show that Trump was raised to be a pathological tax cheat. He has probably never really paid taxes at all. They are also needed to show if he committed fraud by misrepresenting his income to banks and insurance companies. Lastly they are just something we should all expect from the people who want to lead our country.

and after decades of paying, or rather, NOT paying, taxes, the IRS still hasn't had him arrested?

The dirty secret of the IRS is that they do not audit the richest people.

How many of you know that JFK, LBJ, Nixon, and FDR (and those are only the prominent Presidents being named) used the IRS as a weapon against their political opponents? JFK actually had tax returns of the richest people in the country pulled, and showed them to someone in the press!

Obama manipulated the IRS at least somewhat, to keep conservative groups from getting tax exempt status. Therefore-----------> if anyone actually believes with everything that has transpired over the last 2 to 2 1/2 years, that most of these people screaming in Washington don't already know what is in Trumps tax returns, I have some swampland in Florida I will sell you cheap.

I also concur with others that this is just a political talking point, for I am sure just as the sun will rise today, that Bob Muller and friends got access to his tax returns to check his financial ties with foreign countries. And yet, the Left continues to keep pointing in any direction they can to try and drum up INSIDIOUS activity that they fantasize about.

Still, the argument that it is the norm for Presidential candidates/Presidents to do this is a red herring. If we were to insist on the norm, then just like many of his earlier peers, he would release his, then use the IRS to attack his political opponents. While one is NOT exclusive to the other, I will be very pleased if he doesn't use the IRS as a weapon. We must have at least one political party who doesn't believe in police state tactics, or at least one Presidential candidate, willing to follow the rule of law, since we know the Leftists candidates, are ALL about breaking it!

 

[depotoo]

Considering they have audited him every year since his announcing he was running, I guarantee you they have been gone over with a fine tooth comb by Obama’s IRS.

Yeah, I've been thinking that just looking at the returns would not be enough. I wonder if they have new, full audit authority. I'll bet THIS audit would make an IRS audit look like a walk in the park.
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A full, complex IRS audit, when you have businesses, isn’t a walk in the park, and can take months to years, particularly with foreign investments.

 

[jknowgood]

Muller had unlimited resources to go after Trump, and he came up with nothing.

No, he referred things outside his scope to SDNY and DC. It wasnt unlimited.

Yes, it was. He was given any power and money he wanted.

 

[jknowgood]

Let's do the same with Obama.

We did. Were you in a coma?

Lol, yeah anyone was a racist even if you disagreed with him. It's time to raid his lawyers office and investigate him the same way Trump was.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

They never were important in my opinion no President or Presidential candidates tax returns are important I doubt few if any have based their vote on a candidates tax returns.

Tax returns after office are more likely to bust a president than before office. But either way unless someone is charged with a crime FIRST, it is none of our business

 

[Mac1958]

A full, complex IRS audit, when you have businesses, isn’t a walk in the park, and can take months to years, particularly with foreign investments.

I don't even know that the Dems would care about the actual results of a full IRS audit. What they'll be looking for are any juicy bits they can turn into immediate scandals, contrived or not. That's politics now.
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