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skip fox

(19,359 posts)
Sun May 22, 2016, 09:45 AM May 2016

What could force Trump to release his tax returns????

If, indeed, he paid no taxes for years, and feared this revelation could weaken his support among many who consider themselves "good tax paying citizens," I don't think any amount of pressure could make him cough them up.


Unless the observation that he must be hiding something as damning as having paid no taxes to allow the public's festering doubts to proceed.

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Feathery Scout

(218 posts)
1. Nothing. But...
Sun May 22, 2016, 09:55 AM
May 2016

Nothing. But....he has released them to several entities already; so expect the data...or even actual copies to leak.

I think it will have *no effect* on his Republican followers, but sway a few undecided Independents? Maybe.

Person 2713

(3,263 posts)
2. None of his voters care & if he did nt pay he will tell them thats why they need him to change laws
Sun May 22, 2016, 10:02 AM
May 2016

Which as president he will not do to the middle& lower class benefit but it sounds good to them now

erpowers

(9,350 posts)
3. Inflated Wealth
Sun May 22, 2016, 10:06 AM
May 2016

There is actual proof that Donald Trump has wildly exaggerated his wealth. In an article for Bloomberg, Timothy O' Brien, who also wrote the book Trump Nation, wrote that at the same time Trump was pushing to be listed on the Forbes richest list he provided financial statements to regulators that stated he had $6,000 in a savings account and a $35 million line of credit. O'Brien pointed out other times when Trump's net worth would change by the hour, or the day.

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)
6. I think that's it
Sun May 22, 2016, 01:27 PM
May 2016

Trump is very sensitive to suggestions that he has a small, er, portfolio. Enough public snickering about the size of his, uh, accounts, could force Trump to disclose more of his financial record.

skip fox

(19,359 posts)
4. Whatever he's hiding, it must be important.
Sun May 22, 2016, 12:47 PM
May 2016

It must be something he thinks will hurt him in the minds of a decent percentage of supporters or potential voters.

I hate to agree with Mitt, it must be huge!

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
5. I don't think it is about taxes as much as income, we will all see what a big fraud he
Sun May 22, 2016, 12:50 PM
May 2016

is. IOW, he is not worth the billions he claims to be worth and has a lower annual salary then most CEOs that run a big business. He will be the joke of the Ownership society.

In those circles, your appearance is far more important than reality.

meow2u3

(24,764 posts)
8. That his income may have come from illegal sources?
Sun May 22, 2016, 02:59 PM
May 2016

Such as racketeering? Could that be the reason tRump paid nothing in taxes?

 

EL34x4

(2,003 posts)
14. Trump paid nothing in taxes during the late 1970s
Sun May 22, 2016, 03:45 PM
May 2016

Because he had negative income. More was going out than coming in. He wasn't a billionaire back then. He was building his business.

Not unusual or illegal.

Jeffersons Ghost

(15,235 posts)
15. How do you know? Do you work for the FBI or something? the FBI or IRS could begin an investigation..
Sun May 22, 2016, 04:07 PM
May 2016

Plenty of things about Trump finances are at least unusual.

 

EL34x4

(2,003 posts)
16. Yes, unusual to people who post on Democratic forums
Sun May 22, 2016, 04:13 PM
May 2016

Probably not unusual to the FBI or IRS.

But you are right. They could begin an investigation. Perhaps it has never occurred to them to take a peek into the financials of Trump's empire. What a great idea!

mnmoderatedem

(3,728 posts)
10. nothing - but it's a politcal winner for dems
Sun May 22, 2016, 03:21 PM
May 2016

If he continually refuses, bring it up every ten minutes like repubs do with Benghazi. Keep it in the back of the voters minds. It's obvious he does not want his returns known to the public. He's clearly hiding something.

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
11. Hillary releasing the transcripts of course, nothing else comes close
Sun May 22, 2016, 03:32 PM
May 2016

She can make Trump look furtive and secretive simply by being open and honest with the American public.

 

EL34x4

(2,003 posts)
13. Trump's supporters don't care about his tax returns.
Sun May 22, 2016, 03:43 PM
May 2016

They already know he's rich. What's the point?

There's no legal requirement that he release them. The IRS, you can be assured, has already gone through Trump's taxes with a microscope.

He may use them to force Hilary to release her speech transcripts. I suspect both candidates are just waiting for the issue to die down.

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