This POTUS will go down in history as the greatest American con man. What a legacy.
41
Face it, readers, trump is a cowardly mindless criminal propped up by a cartel of equally spineless reprobates aka the Republican party and it's heretics.
31
Trump is the epitome of a man living a lie. He's telegraphed that fact for decades. People are fools for ever having believed anything that comes out of his mouth. He's brash because he's an inveterate coward. Two American kids have just shown more courage than this man ever has, or ever will, in his whole lifetime.
39
Every one knows that trump is a liar.
23
"Dead skunk in the middle of the road' stinking to high heaven."
-Louden Wainwright
15
Unlike the Obama regime and its always hidden agenda, Trump's is very transparent to a fault. Trump's life is an open book while Obama early life remains hidden to this day.
3
Good old ploy: if you don’t tell me whAt I want you must be hiding something. Phooey.
1
If you guys(Times editorial board)had even a hint of being open minded toward Trump some of your editorials about him could be taken as a serious concern. As it is your bias is so obvious I doubt many many take you seriously.
Get over it. He won the election.
4
Trump is doing a great job as President. Our economy is booming and there are more jobs than since WWII. So why should we care what his tax returns say?
23
@gerald
And yes the boom began with Obama. I would say the the economy is good in spite of Trump, whose personal economic record is rather meh. It is unfortunate pathological lying and criminal activity means so little to you. Perhaps it is a reflection of your character.
256
@Gerald Newton
Trump has only managed not to mess up the strong economy that Obama left behind. Yet. And we should care what they say because we need to know if he is pushing policies for his own financial benefit and so we can if he has committed fraud.
Many of us still care about the rule of law and want to hold our leaders accountable. It's sad that Trump's Red Hats don't.
238
What he is hiding is the reality that his real self is a loser fraud.
15
Clearly this issue is bigger than Trump. The wealthy and the crooked benefit from a rigged system - when are we gonna do something about that?
Leona Helmsley said it best - taxes are for the little people.
30
At this point Trump will attempt to rally his base with this regardless of whether or not there's an actual impeachment, therefore it's time to impeach. Dems will be doing the right thing, standing for the rule of law, and forcing Republicans to vote not guilty while facing a mountain of evidence of corruption, law-breaking and assorted malfeasance. Do we really think a non-Trump supporter will be convinced by his whining? I say do it - the sooner the better.
12
NO ONE on the editorial board here has the least understanding of how real estatre developers usually show big tax losses?
THAT is the scary news today- that the newspaper is run by ivory-tower isolates totally unfamiliar with the world outside their front doors or outside their treatment wards.
But it DOES explain a LOT....
6
I hope that some of the Times's investigative reporters are looking into how Trump might be gaining financially from the swings his capricious trade policies are causing in the stock markets.
16
Do you have any clue about the difference between reporting on a tax versus cash basis in a business such as real estate? Particularly for any pre TRA 86 deals with accelerated write downs. Unfortunately journalism appears to be filled with kids who couldn't pass and economics or math course and are clueless.
4
"What Is Donald Trump Hiding?"
You could ask, "who kill JFK", but what difference would it make?
3
When will the Times CEO Mark John Thompson print his full tax returns in the newspaper for all to see? Is he hiding anything?
The truth is that people's tax returns are nobody else's business.
2
Donald J. Trump is a complete failure/loser in life. That’s what he’s trying to hide. Now everyone in the entire world knows it, so it’s just a matter of time before he spontaneously combusts. Let’s hope he gets sent to the big house before that happens, though. Bernie 2020!
8
There are all sorts of nefarious reasons that Donald Trump could want to keep his tax returns secret, but when trying to figure out his motivations, one must always ask- what reason is the dumbest and most petty? That's where the answer always seems to lie.
10
How come all of the Trump scandals involve democrats breaking the law and not Trump?
2
What part of 'he is not wealthy' do you not get. He lost a billion plus. Not only was it other people's money that he lost, he lost it stupidly. Cannot wait for the asset seizure and the prison hair cut.
11
Isn't the term "progressive" a misnomer for people who live in the past?
Russian money, laundered via Deutsche Bank, is behind Trump. time and sunshine will expose it all.
25
Trump knows his taxes tell the story of a petty grifter, who has lost more money in his lifetime than he has earned. He's a loser. And most likely there is plenty of underlying evidence of tax fraud and money laundering and it will be orange jumpsuit time for Donald.
The time draws nigh to finally reveal this criminal's entanglements. And let's hope the entire GOP in turn melts away quickly like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.
11
He probably committed tax fraud. The losses were cooked up bogus nonsense. Rich people used sham losses created by bogus transactions back then - big four accounting firms and banks were complicit - to claim against income. And/or he’s just a pathetic loser as a business person - losing millions/billions. Either way, they debunk his story/myth.
11
It's hard to know when the REAL lies commenced, but the fake physical exam letter from 'Dr.' Bornstein is a good place to start. It was obvious at the time that only a narcissistic sociopath could have submitted that, physicians everywhere laughed at it, and yet it was a blip, followed by more outrages, which became blips themselves as he created ever more chaos, controversy and clickbait. Why was he not laughed out of the *campaign* room when that happened, never to be heard of again? Don't you think it's high time we stopped worshipping money and the con artists who have nothing else to show for themselves? Not intellect, talent, foresight, honesty, compassion? Just... gobs and gobs of other people's money, all wasted.
At what point is this deranged fool removed in a straitjacket from the People's House and sent to prison, where he so obviously belongs?
14
He either has nothing to hide so he's a fool for hiding them, or he does have something to hide so he's likely a crook or a fraud.
Which is it?
3
You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time......
5
Trump is our Bernie Madoff. He’s a fraud, a con man artist, who has tricked his way up to the top. When the curtain is pulled back, that is, when his tax returns are made public, we will see that he is a nothingburger, a crook and tax cheat.
10
The NYT reports "news" that is decades old as if it is "breaking news". With each and every passing day what was once a respected news source worldwide continues to lose credibility by putting on display it own bias and ignorance.
1
Tax returns will show trump is or has:
leveraged to the hilt
is a loser at making deals
a tax cheat by an assortment of methods
on a leash by oligarch Russians who hold numerous IOU's
laundered money via bogus real estate transactions
paid hush money
taken bogus loans (Deutsch, approved by SCOTUS Kennedy's son) https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-kennedy-son-loaned-president-trump-over-a-billion-dollars-2018-6
10
Ironic isn't it how the NYT plays on the ignorance of people by re-reporting on a story they just glorified 25 years ago when Trump was a city favorite. I don't care about old news, I do care about who and how private tax records were leaked and whether this is another tool to be used against any American. I also care that the business of the nation is not getting done while the stupid Trump haters drag the nation through their gutter of contempt.
4
Nothing. It’s just that Democrats and liberals are still furious that DJT beat Hillary
3
.
Right on cue, the American ‘media’ proves President Trump to be correct as usual. The ‘media’ truly is the Enemy of the American People.
Disgusting
.
1
trump is a con man, trying to pull off the biggest con of his narcissistic and vain life - that of being the greatest American president that has ever lived. And he believes nothing or nobody will ever stop him from achieving his goal.
Hopefully, this one man's zest will not topple this nation as even current events shows the disaster of what happens when one man tries to control a country.
6
What is he hiding? What is he hiding? He's hding the reality that he's not such a bigly, tremendous, best ever, business man.
His self-constructed mythology is undermined by the reality that are his tax returns. Like any grifter, any scam artist - taking a cold, hard look at their tax returns, bank accounts, and other financials tells the true story about them.
IF he was so RICH on the books, he'd gladly show us. He'd not miss a chance to showoff and then gloat. This is Trump...a grown man who would never miss a chance to talk about rich he is. He's spent his entire life telling us how wealthy he is, but he's never had t prove it beyond the claims and certain perceived "wealth indicators" he's managed to gather around himself.
Anyone of us can name a neighbor or family member, or friends who always manages to show a facade of wealth, but know that under that facade is nothing but 2x4s and cheap sheathing. Like a movie lot set...lots of facades that look like Castles, estates, city penthouses, etc...but go inside, and you're looking at a lot of empty, and bare walls.
BTW, if Trump is under audit, as he claims but never proves, that's even more reason for Congress to investigate him. Again, (and this comparison is getting absurd now) much like Nixon ws busted on not paying millions in taxes...after an initial IRS audit gave their "boss" a clean bill of tax health!
9
Evidently nothing is being hidden in Trump's tax returns since the NYT has published them. We can all have a look.
Suspicion or curiosity is not enough ,this is America ,we do not investigate people willy-nilly . If we begin to you might be next Mr. Josef K
Hey, Russia! If you’re listening maybe you can find Donald’s tax returns!!
14
It's been established, he's a lying con artist and has no right sitting in the Oval Office. He has to be hiding a great deal or else he wouldn't protest so much. And, now Jr. has been subpoenaed. We can hear it now. Jr. goes to daddy and asks him what to do and daddy replies, very simple, do what I do lie, it's been working for me.
3
According to the damning evidence published by the Times, Trump and his family have already been shown to have committed tax fraud in regard to their administration of their father's extensive real state holdings. Legitimate tax liabilities in the hundreds of $$millions may have been evaded.
This, and the colossal losses subsequently claimed by Trump, which have enabled him and his businesses to pay almost no tax over more than a decade, and his apparent dealings with foreign lenders and investors, and his ongoing violations of the Emoluments Clause, should be reason enough to compel the full release of all his records from the IRS and state tax authorities, and all his financial statements from his bankers.
Secretary Mnuchin has refused to comply with a straightforward, lawful demand to submit Trump's tax returns to Congress. The response to this flagrant evasion of Congress's authority is obvious: hold Mnuchin in contempt and/or sue him in the federal courts. If necessary, arrest him and put him in a cell. Same goes for Barr and the Mueller report.
Enough of Trump's evasions. Call the president's bluffs. Take action, now. The Constitution and the co-equal status of Congress are at stake.
8
What could such a stella, honest, truthful, compassionate, empathetic, respectful, humble, law-abiding, generous and patriotic man be possibly hiding?
4
And this president was permitted an hour and a half PRIVATE call with Putin?
We get what we deserve if our leaders and their intelligence services are helplessly weak at protecting both our constitution and it’s constituents. The case for Russia based control of this president is clear, present, and dangerous! Wake up and smell the vodka covefe that’s bringing us down. Kick the habit!
5
While at it I think we should see 30 years of Pelosi’s, Clintons’s, Biden’s, Feinstein’s and others.
We should also see Obama’s school transcripts and nationality deceleration in school.
1
1-Trump never intended to release any tax documents, he lied(something new?), he delayed, only they problem is not going away. I say keep the pressure up. Get the documents.
2- This "loser" will make us all into losers, he will run our government into the ground and shovel dirt on top of us.
3- All of the GOP is complicit with Trump. I lump them in the same boat, con men, grifters willing to sell their souls to pass draconian laws that help no one but themselves and the rich.
4- Please don't ask what Trump is hiding, it is painfully obvious Trump, Barr, and everyone else close to them are hiding VOLUMES of stuff they do not want to see the light of day. If we do nothing about this we are all being conned and flushed down the proverbial septic system.
4
He is probably up to his ears in debt to the Russians...That would explain a lot.
6
Title, stupid question. Everything so far that has been done by the Democrats and the MSM has been to thwart Mr. Trump’s power as chief executive, not go along with the wishes of the people who elected him. Everything that is done, that is orchestrated by the Mainstream Press and the Democrats they love has been to twist, turn and destroy anything Mr. Trump is trying to accomplish. And just why does President Trump owe the American people anything other than to do his job? He put aside his retirement years to take on the ‘Deep State’, our fascist regime, the establishment politicians who own D.C. and to return the power to the people. Secondly, with regards to his taxes, Mr. Trump obviously changed his mind. Even he became aware that the sole purpose of any information gathered was an attempt to twist and use anything to slander him and destroy his administration – that was the ONLY reason. Why play that game? And what of the 4th Amendment? Enough already. This is not who we are supposed to be, a political hiarrachy of neo-totalitarians who slander the opposition while they decide what is best for us. Sorry, but NO, releasing his taxes would not be in the public interest, it would be in the interest of his enemies. Mr. Trump is acting in the interest of ‘we the people’ who wish for him to get back to the job for which he was elected – ‘draining the swamp’ and implementing good public policy, including stopping illegal immigration. The Mueller Report is in, get over it.
1
As non American citizens we believe your Prez is settinga a very bad example of top leadership integrity for the whole world. The worst part is none of you American citizens can do anything thus far,
Shame on you guys.
4
I don't care what he's hiding any more than I care about what my cat hides when he digs a hole. If he could dig a hole and hide Trump in it life would be great again.
He isn't hiding anything. He is totally open about being a crook. We are the fools who let him get away with it. Do something NOW!
6
If the New York Times thinks Trump cheated on his taxes, they should report him to the IRS and pick reward money.
They wrote an article about that.
2
This is truly laughable since we know Hillary and Bill have been using their charity as a slush fund for years, Nancy Pelosi could be charged with insider trading and with all the garbage they have put Trump through you know they will create something just to destroy him politically. They have wasted millions upon millions of our tax dollars on useless investigations that have turned up nothing. We know the Obama administration is guilty of treason and we know Hillary is guilty as sin but the left is protecting them while trying to destroy our republic and democracy. Isn't it about time to start investigating the people that keep crying foul?
1
Is the Board that ignorant of tax breaks offered to real estate de leper’s?
One word -- MAFIA -- in this case Italian with a little Odessa on the side.
4
What is Donald Trump hiding?
That almost everything about him is fake or a lie.
It must be exhausting, keeping that up for your entire life.
4
The NYT reported this exact story 3 years ago. Trump himself told this story in an episode of The Apprentice. It's also very interesting that the NYT used a time period for reporting Trump's financial problems ending in 1994. Because in 1995 this same NYT wrote and article calling Trump the come back kid. He had turned his businesses around and had started building to his current success. NYT an libs are so desperate since the Mueller report was such a dud they have to recycle old non-story news to try and affect public opinion. Which for Trump is at a new high.
3
But what else is he hiding?
1
@FredRick: You are the ultimate con man's dream mark. Face it, he is so eminently smearable. Even the great republican smear machine which used to be the Republican Party couldn't do any of this to Obama. They got Clinton on sex but they couldn't do anything on finance. All they did was show what corrupt creeps they were by the stories they made up. Its what they wish they could do. Not even Nixon was so deeply into financial fraud. That is the only way in which the orange one is an all time champ.
7
He’s hiding nothing from some of us! He has brought the Gutter with him! With his election, The Gutter Has Come To Power in the United States! Can’t we figure that out yet?!
4
liberals trying to "catch trump" are a whole lot like Wile E Coyote trying to catch the roadrunner.
2
Trump is hiding everything. Take your pick. Like your typical con artist he operates by hiding. He hides behind his lies. He hides from reality. He hides his life time of shame. He hides the truth. He hides behind his sycophants. But he is not a Houdini even though he thinks he can get away with “murder”. The truth will be told and Donald J. Trump, Sr. will hide no more. He will go down in history a massive failure. Let’s not let him destroy us in the meantime. Keep going Mr. Nadler!
5
Duh......His illegal use of the tax laws to swindle the country of his fair share of taxes? Also his sterling grades in high school and college? If he acts like a crook, talks like a crook, and conceals like a crook, he is obviously a crook just like his good buddy Manafort among many others.
3
Mr. Trump is amazing. Here is another example - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_J._Trump_State_Park. Am surprised this is not being reported or talked about.
1
"You can have my tax returns when you pry them from my cold, dead hands."
DJT
It would so satisfying if he wound up going to jail for tax fraud, like his fellow criminal, Al Capone.
5
What is Donald Trump hiding? Everything.
1
@Rich Stern made a little sense about Maybe Trump is wily playing this and will come out smelling good, forever boosting himself with his supporters.
Then I considered the facts that HAVE come out.
#1. Those tax returns that the NYTimes released yesterday were horrific for any businessman. "Losses that were double those of any other individual for 2 years running, over $250M each." He only inherited $200M from his dad. How can it be success to lose $500M when you start with only $200M?
#2. Not 1 sound US banking institution will loan a dime to Trump, only Deutsche Bank, an institution known for lots of shady deals.
#3. Known horrible practices in paying others, going bankrupt and leaving deep bloody losses over all who dealt with him.
#4. Known for and proud of “Pump and Dump” on stocks to sucker the public.
America, we are in grave danger, far exceeding Nixon and every other aberration ever faced by the US before. Our Military and DOJ leadership is badly compromised, the courts are well off kilter and the Senate is fully complicit.
We are a hairs breath away from a dictatorship with Russia as an active partner in our downfall. We either stand now or go down for the count. This can only go to a real civil war if Trump is allowed to defy Congress and the people.
10
Crook plain and simple.
3
So, the NYT is now promoting a new standard for our society - what are you hiding?
Great! Now, it's we have no evidence of your wrongdoing, but you're not willing to show us what we want to see, even if we don't have a legal right to it, you are guilty. Can we go any lower?
3
Perhaps the NYT ought to go back and listen to Mr. Trumps opening monologue to his "the Apprentice" show. He very openly declared that he was in dire financial state in his early years and through hard work, good planning he was able to turn his fortunes around. There are no mysteries, no efforts to hide his past, it's only the NYT and all the Liberals who want to smear Pres. Trump by lies and innuendos.
4
Every day, I am so ashamed to have this fraudster, conman, and liar as President of my country. It's that simple. There's no gray area here. And he has done nothing in two years to make me think better of him.
8
At least one thing he's hiding is that he is largely illiterate.
The New Yorker ran a photo of DT posing with this paper which was hilarious because he obviously does not or cannot read.
And, given that a recent judgment against R. Kelly was apparently reversed when he claimed he didn't respond to a lawsuit timely because Kelly claimed he can't read. I can't wait for Trump to use the same logic regarding just about everything like taxes (I don't do numbers!) fraud (I leave the details to the little people!) and obstruction (I'm too stupid to obstruct!)
2
Even if this is old news to anyone paying attention to the NYT stories glamorizing Trump 25 years ago...the real problem is who in government is leaking private and confidential information about Citizens? That is the real story to anyone with a brain.
1
There is no Constitutional requirement for a candidate for the President to release their tax returns. If a person chooses to break that 'custom' then the voters can take that Into consideration when deciding whether to vote for them. The public has no 'right' to examine anyones tax returns.
1
Trump has used every opportunity to shield himself from all accountability. People have a right to privacy and its a core part of our Constitution but regarding the President of the United States of America, We The People, have an expectation of clarity about who we are or have elected. Repeatedly, Russia had connections to his campaign. You can debate to what extent and what circumstances but it is ODD that a foreign power continuously comes up in relation to a U.S. presidential candidate. Trump repeatedly breaks with intelligence and military experts, he appointed to office, to create his own false narratives about Russia and their interference in our free and democratic elections. He is more concerned with his ego and proving he was "elected" then preserving our free elections and democracy. It is DISTURBING and we need his tax returns to know what is GOING ON with him and his family. His family members have been given top secret clearance in our highest levels of government.
This isn't a game; our freedoms, economy and way of life can all go away. Our power and dominance in the world is being challenged in every way from Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and so much more. What relationships Trump had prior to office and continues to have (he hasn't removed himself from ANY of his business holdings) is VITAL information.
People who voted for Trump want to defend their choice. Let him release his taxes, or are they afraid of what they will find out?
7
One way or another, we must decide if seeing a tax return is a box to check for any candidate. This review doesn't need to be public but part of a vetting process, similar to a security clearance. Security and fidelity are top on my list for any politician.
It's also unfair in a democracy that regular citizens must go through rigorous processes to get hired, to get on a plane, to get a passport, and to teach or to serve in law enforcement. But our presidents just need unwitting voters to get the top job in the country.
7
He covers up his school academic history so his claim of being really really smart isn’t tarnished, but of course by doing that, we can safely assume he was the same kind of student as he is a President: intellectually lazy, illogical and unable to form complete thoughts without repeating himself twice in three sentences. Likewise we can safely assume when he gets non disclosure agreements it’s not to protect the other party, it’s to cover up his indiscretions, where the other party might reveal, um, too little? duh! So the only reason he has for not disclosing taxes he filed is to protect his image as a great businessman, and the truth will, as in school and in bed, he is perhaps less than average. He might also be guilty of tax fraud but one would think by now the IRS team assigned to him would have spoken up in a legal manner and that would presumably be available to the public. So other than sources of loans and valuation of assets, his taxes will only tell us what we should expect, that he is just the opposite of what he claims to be: smart, effectual, and honest.
6
Duh! Again and again, over and over, on and on... How long can it last? Perhaps indefinitely--until this democratic republic and nation of laws is destroyed by the biggest, most ruthless con job (based on habitual, pathological lying) in the history of humanity? That's the key for Trump and his ilk--just keep entertainingly pushing (regarded lately as "doubling down") and egregiously keep on keeping on with it. It's been referred to as the "death of shame" and taking brazen to new depths of disgust. And of course, it has hit on the diabolically clever intention of stretching our complex, plodding system of laws to the utmost. Sadly, maybe even tragically, it also leaves some people having integrity with little but hope for what MLK spoke about that arc of the moral universe, in reference to historical progress. The hope is that this hideous, almost downright evil will not go on and on past a point of no return.
5
I am stunned by the sheer numbers of commenters here who feel that a lifetime of financial criminality, to include crimes committed by a SITTING president, are “private” matters that should be left alone by the press and Congress.
Ken Starr spent SEVEN YEARS looking into possible financial wrongdoing by WJC and came up with zilch, so he (and his little buddy Bret Kavanaugh) took the route of prurient interest and actually obtained an impeachment for, wait for it....perjury and obstruction! Go figure.
When did Republicans quit caring about the financial misdeeds of a president? When is clear and present obstruction of justice a “case closed”? Oh, when the president has an R after his name.
14
Did it ever occur to you that you're being manipulated - that you're preoccupied with bogus investigations, hearings, tweets, tax returns, and other irrelevant nonsense while things far more important are being quietly accomplished?
5
What is he hiding? Based on evidence that he has already lied more than 10,000 times since president, it is easy to surmise that this low life has committed tax fraud. He more than likely deserves jail time. If there is any justice left in this sorry land that is exactly what he will get.
3
You start with "The latest revelations..." The story about the President's financial loses was first run in 1995, in which, this very paper named Donald Trump the "The Comeback Kid". Donald Trump even told us all about his loses in the intro to the TV show The Apprentice. The story about his loses with a correlation to his taxes was run again in 2016 after the Entertainment Tonight piece failed to sway the polls. All of these stories have one common denominator. Donald Trump followed the tax law. Which is hard to discern from the writing. So basically the latest revelation is the same old revelation. It's interesting that the NYT chose this subject over another in depth piece on a school shooting. It would have been good for the readers to hear about the Colorado school shooters and their Trump and Christian hating transgender backgrounds and where that ideology came from.
2
I imagine the nonsense will heat up now that the Mueller report concluded without achieving what the opposition party wanted and now that they are being investigated with the shoe on the other foot will cling to any hearsay, fake news, and misinformation, they can obtain to build a narrative for their own consumption. It is clear that they will not compromise with other lawmakers to build a better nation. The morass of political opposition emanating from so-called presidential contenders seem to further tearing the nation apart and a colloquy between themselves devoid of any substance.
3
He’s obviously trying to make sure the redacted copy that is hiding all his crimes doesn’t fall into anyone’s hands. My question is more like why don’t the republicans in congress, i.e., Graham, McConnell, not wanting to see the unredacted report also? Or is it possible they have? That report implicates all of the people wanting this issue “closed” so they’re pushing back at the democrats and criticizing all of them. Apparently, “case closed” only works for investigations involving trump and others doing his dirty deeds. How may times did they restart an investigation about Hillary’s emails and Benghazi? Then to make matters even more interesting, after the “Barr summary” lies, they started shouting to open the Hillary emails investigation again. Now, THAT’S a witch hunt for distraction purposes only. I don’t doubt that trump pushed comey to reopen that back in 2016 a few months before the election. Notice how fast Ivanka’s “personal email” fiasco closed? Just because she said there were no classified emails. Done. No investigation, no charges. Nothing.
2
Captains Ahab & Queeg, along with Inspector Javert are all waiting waiting outside the office.
The each wish to know if they too can join in the next great white whale or strawberry hunt to finally bring the evil Donald J. Trump to justice? The French looking Javert is muttering something about stolen bread, barricades, and prisons.
And so it goes...
3
Yes I'm offended the POTUS has historically cheated on his taxes, particularly because I voluntarily pay for his room and board with the tax withheld on my LTD income and the 4 figures I owed when I filed my 2018 taxes. My 5 figure medical spend is not deductibile, but of course I live in a plutocracy.
5
I find it rather amusing that I am scrupulous when it comes to filing my taxes-- and I'm just a 'lowly' teacher with a pathetic salary. I save my receipts when I purchase items for the classroom like the hand sanitizer, or the extra markers, or the book on grammar (which I encourage Trump to purchase). And here is our president-- who is supposed to be the leader of the free world-- lying to the American people, manipulating his cabinet and advisors, and now we find out: cheating on his taxes. Yes, amusing... and also quite horrifying.
7
What Trump’s supporters tragically fail to understand is that what made America great in the first place is our ability to sniff out hucksters and cheats and vilify them. It might take awhile, but eventually Trump gets the hook.
3
There was once a time - including quite recently - where people were ejected from or denied public office if they paid a nanny or housekeeper under the table. That's a good standard - public officials should be held to the same or even a higher standard than their fellow citizens, and no one should break the law.
But if paying a nanny under the table is a professional exit card from public life, what's hinted at here, if true, is many, many, many levels more serious.
That's just a simple statement of fact.
1363
@Steve Tripoli: He says he could shoot someone and get away with it. And I'm starting to wonder if he's shot someone and had gotten away with it.
51
Please someone enlighten me. Why the US Congress does not pass a law to oblige both parties presidential candidates (those elected by the primaries) make their recent (last 10 years) tax returns public? It can be made retroactive to include Mr. Trump.
If Republicans try to block the passage of such a law, then Democrats can use that against them in the next election. They have already lost all their claims to "family values," let them also lose their pretense of supporting "law and order."
10
Since the state of New York can look at Trump's state tax returns, which are likely identical to his federal ones, can't Congressional committees ask NY for those documents?
Sounds like a banana republic move but it would give them what they need.
@Sherrie There isn't a need. The IRS is required by law to turn over the tax returns to congress.
2
Clarify please: Federal and state tax returns aren’t identical. Sources of income may be taxed on different schedules / rates. For example, social security, pension, and capital gains may not be taxed or at different rates. Income taxed in state of residence may not be taxed identically in another state that requires income
1
It's simple. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. Congress will get his his tax returns, NY state returns are only weeks away. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should want to prove Mr. Trump the honest man he claims to be.
2
@N8t “Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.”
I suppose it all depends on how much you yourself trust the fidelity and integrity of our own FBI/CIA/IRS and NSA...ehhh?
If you trust the sorry likes of men like Jim Comey, John Brennan, and James Clapper, the we are all good to go.
Anyone who has had to go through the process of getting a government security clearance understands the importance of tax returns, debt, and the risks to the nation of that person being financially vulnerable to coercion and bribery. I don't believe we have been talking about making this information available to the general public, but I do believe that compliance with federal requirements to support a security clearance would be essential. Moreover, failure to make complete financial disclosure in order to obtain a security clearance is ground for surrender of that clearance and dismissal...at least that's the way it is where I work.
1
Why is it that the Trump siblings committed fraud in the 1990s and they were not charged??
6
Lessee, refuses to comply with congressional subpoenas, directs all employees to refuse to comply with appearance or document requests or subpoenas, shuts down press access to the WH liar corps in violation of the 2 nd Amendment, makes bogus assertion of executive privilege to block release of investigation of his activities that may be criminal. The taxes are just the next in a long line of SFB covering up his misdeeds. Hmmmm, sounds like the HOUSE SHOULD START IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATIONS. PLEASE. Thank you.
1
he is hiding the fact that if it weren't for daddy warbucks' own fraudulent means of attaining wealth, he wouldn't have had access to wealth either. he has no idea how to budget, plan, execute, nor be responsible with anyone's money.
1
Let's deconstruct the various postulated reasons why Trump refuses to expose his tax returns:
1. He would be shown to have been a liar. Observation: the man is a falsehood factory. Incredibly unlikely that this is his driver. Probability <1%.
2. His wealth would be shown to be much less that the bragged amount. Observation: He has no shame, so not likely to be a significant driver on that part. However, considering that he might be concerned about hurting his campaign narrative, this is slightly more likely. Probability <5%.
3. He would be shown to be financially beholden to some unsavory interests. Observation: Entirely possible, but Trump's narcissism would likely cause him to minimize the impact of this reason, because he would probably believe that he could finesse (stonewall and lie) his way out of trouble. Nevertheless, probability about 30%.
4. He would be shown to have criminally defrauded various lenders, insurance companies, foreign and domestic partners, the IRS and state taxation agencies, and/or the American people. Observation: Trump's prior behavior has shown that he cares most about "his money," so this is easily (by my analysis) te most likely reason for his intransigence. And he clearly understands the concept of going to jail ("Lock her up!). Probability about 66%.
Where can I place a bet?
4
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Donald Trump “appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer” year after year in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. But Trump’s disastrous decade is an old story. The New York Times chronicled Trump’s 1980s financial collapse as it was occurring. But in 1995, it published an article headlined “Crowning the Comeback King” that chronicled his recovery.
The Times reported, “Mr. Trump, the developer who came to epitomize opulent wealth during the 80's before tumbling into deep financial trouble, has managed to erase much of his debt and is moving ahead with major projects at a time other developers are idling.”
The Times noted, “After the collapse of the real estate market of the 1980's, Mr. Trump's company was left holding some $8.8 billion in debt, causing his personal net worth to drop to a low of about $1 billion in the red by 1991.
“But since then, his fortunes have changed. He continues to pursue the trademark trophy-style projects he is known for, such as a hotel and condominium project on the southwest corner of Central Park that is expected to open by late 1996.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/25/nyregion/crowning-the-comeback-king.html
3
I just think that the fact that Trump is a miserable human being who does not have a clue about how best to run the country will be sufficient reason to deny him a second term in office.
4
Politicians are not required by law to reveal their tax returns. therefore Trump is within his rights to refuse. The IRS has accepted his returns and audited them yearly.
Professional politicians structure their tax returns each year so it looks good when they reveal it to the public. If you don't think their returns are structured so that everything is hidden you are crazy. Politicians routinely hide their actions (inactions) from the public, or haven't you figured that out?
And....Hillary said that when she won, she didn't believe Trump would accept the results. Remember that?
1
About ten years ago, Republican president Donald J. Trump got 400 millions dollars free from... Russia. Yes, for sure because all American banks have refused to loan Donald Trump any cent with his bankruptcy records of 11 times at the minimum. Russia did plant the mole/ spy investment for this secret Russian Agent Donald J. Trump for a long time. The political Ripple Effect is huge and devastating, horrific to our country!
1
Senators, aren't you in the least bit curious to see these returns? Speak up.
3
The tax structures should be changed and the Trump tax returns would show us what needs changing. It is legal fraud to use special cutouts and real estate special accounting to book huge losses and yet earn large enough income to live as a Trump. His low tax payments from very large wealth force the rest of us to pay more.
"What is Donald Trump Hiding?" It was abundantly clear that Don Jr. wasn't hiding anything when in 2008 he openly spoke about the Trump Organization' s business relationship with Russians saying in his now infamous and stunning words: "In terms of high-end product influx into the US, Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets," And: "Say, in Dubai, and certainly with our project in SoHo, and anywhere in New York. We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia."
Little Don's braggadocio was an out and out statement of fact that Trump and company were flush with cash from their friends not only in Russia but also the United Arab Emirates. Has anything been further revealed by an in-depth financial analysis of those assets? It might fill in a lot of blanks about who is beholden to whom and how legal their bonds were. In the end, however, during or after his shameful presidency, Trump's insatiable quest for money wherever and however he has acquired it will catch up with him and he will not be able to hide any longer.
4
Certainly no individual or Congress has the right to review someone's tax returns. Not mine and not Trump's. Show me where it's legally required and then we'll talk.
1
@Michael
From the Internal Revenue Code, Title 26, USC 6103 (f):
Disclosure to Committees of Congress
(1) Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Finance, and Joint Committee on Taxation.
Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request, except that any return or return information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particular taxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.
That's where it's legally required. I know actual evidence doesn't carry much weight with Trumpers--the guy's lied over 10,000 times since assuming office, so truth doesn't carry a lot of weight with his adherents. But here's your answer. Still want to talk? Or would you just like to admit to yourself that the guy is a crook and has been playing his followers from day one?
5
Just read the constitution my friend - it’s called congressional oversight.
And if the government or law enforcement wanted YOUR tax returns - they would already have them.
I’ve lived in NYC since 1980 and watched this conman Trump lie to and steal from anyone dumb enough to let him.
Trump is corrupt, incompetent and compromised. The country needs to remove this cancer for the sake of our democracy.
4
The Times should get one or more forensic tax experts to go over the old returns and opine on them. The US Tax Code is a Byzantine mess that provides tax benefits to encourage certain investments so that someone can claim tax losses while actually making money. Usually these are tax “deferrals”, meaning the taxes are ultimately due, but there are also “tax credits” which wipe out taxes which are otherwise due. Usually the credits are for socially beneficial activities, like low income housing or building environmentally beneficial wind or solar farms, which does not seem to be Mr. Trump’s “thing”.
Charles. Thanks for the free---and undeniably astute "advice." And I have one more question for you, if you would be so kind to answer it: I'm applying for a loan for my small but growing company. The bank I've been working with has asked me to submit my most recent tax returns in addition to other financial documents.
Now, if I refuse, based on the wonderful advice you've given us here as an experienced CPA, and they consequently refuse to lend me the money, could you please provide me with the names of other lending institutions that don't require such silly, pointless documentation? I'd really appreciate it.
4
The only thing that makes sense is Russian money! Americans need to see the full Muller Report and Trump's taxes. There is just too much hiding of facts.
1
Banking on promises from Trump? This is a joke, right? His way of keeping people in the dark currently is by the phrase, "We'll see." That's as honest as he gets. But what is meant from his perspective by this is most likely his having more time to come up with a new "promise" he thinks will make him look good. We are not going to see his tax returns; it's that simple. As far as his being a cheat, do we really need these? As far as his being an effective business person, do we really need these?
2
Like a child asking a parent if they could go to the zoo. “We’ll see.” Or “Maybe.” Why would anyone expect him to keep a promise? He’s hasn’t kept any since the day he announced he was entering the race. He has never kept a promise. He promised to pay contractors that never saw a penny, he promised to have students taught in his “university.” No one graduated, and no one received a refund on tuition. He’s a hypocrite. He insists no illegal immigrants admitted, yet he hired a bunch of them to work in his towers, golf resorts, his own personal wait staff, maids, etc. How did we get here with this guy running OUR country, knowing full well how it would turn out? Money. It’s all about the money. He’s lied, schemed, and chopped away at our laws to get his pockets lined.
2
The degree of denial and what is called "cognitive dissonance" on the part of Trump's supporters is absolutely staggering!
How they can look at the ever-growing mountain of evidence, in multiple scandals, that Trump and his cronies have been involved in---and insist that none of it is true or very important---is just mind-boggling.
Are there any Trump supporters out there who are honest enough to answer the following question truthfully? If absolutely everything was exactly identical except that the president's surname was "Obama" or "Clinton" would you be equally adamant that neither of them had done anything wrong and that all of these allegations were nothing more than "fake news?"
Anyone?
4
At least with Nixon, everything was hush hush...with trump, he blatantly tells the country what he’s going to do to break the law. Nixon knew he wasn’t above the law, trump thinks he IS the law.
2
If you truly believe what you espouse in this article, then ALL members of Congress (whether House or Senate) should be required to release ALL tax returns filed while in office. Additionally, all spousal returns should be disclosed as well, should they opt for Married, Filing Separately.
Therefore, I call on ALL members of Congress to immediately waive their right to privacy and publish their tax returns (for all periods in which they were compensated with PUBLIC funds) on an easily accessible website - so we can all pick through them.
Many "ordinary people" have become extraordinarily wealthy while "serving the public interest". Well, this public is interested in knowing how that wealth was accumulated.
As for "tax shelters" and "loopholes" - look no further than the lawmakers themselves, who generally insert these provisions to curry favor with well-connected or bloc voters. Don't blame a business man for deftly maneuvering the tax code. Blame the thieves and the dullards who wrote it.
3
@Tom I have no problem with that. But don't try to excuse Trumps' cheating and fraud at the same time.
5
He clearly has used his position to increase paid usage and membership fees at Mar-a-lago as well as at his DC hotel and golf courses, for sure.
3
He still gets reelected.
America has changed.
3
What this all says is pretty much what we knew. Trump is a complete, 100% fraud.
He lied about his height so he wouldn't be considered obese at 239 pounds. Now he's up to 245 so that went away.
He lied about the height of Trump Tower.
He said "God didn't want it to rain on my speech so the sun same out." It was raining and overcast the entire time.
What else do you need to know? He just lies about everything. It is what he is.
4
He’s still lying about his inauguration crowd being the largest one ever! Anything that could possibly make him sound better than anyone else, he’s going to lie about it. The thing he’s in denial about, is that he IS the proof of his lies.
I blame this whole fiasco on that guy at NBC who created that ,”You are fired” show. Didn’t he know that we believe whatever we see on TV is true?
Everyone seems to be interested in a billionaire turned politician's tax returns, but don't care about politicians turned millionaires while being "public servants". That seems strangely hypocritical to me.
4
Republicans love the trickle down theory. think of it that way. First individual 1, then everyone else.
1
What is Donald Trump hiding? There's a short answer that tells you all you need to know.
Everything.
4
What's he hiding? Everything: his taxes, his debts, his lies, his net worth, how he was compromised by the Russians; what he discusses in his phone calls with Putin; his efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation; how he continues to profit off the White House. Trump's big problem, however, is how to keep his secrets in a job that can never escape the harsh glare of publicity. For a narcissist who likes to be the center of attention, it is both a blessing and a curse.
5
What is Trump hiding? His innumerable crimes. What else could it possibly be.
2
President Trump OWES the American people?
Now that is the funniest line I've ever read re. the corrupt, self-enriching, dictator-kissing, racist mob-family boss disgracing the Oval Office.
Deutsche Bank, Trump's preferred piggy-bank, was fined over 100 million dollars because of Russian money laundering by one of its private subsidiary's by both the US and the UK, and they seems to be more than willing to collaborate with prosecutors on this side of the pond.
Another Dotard of the Trump mishpocha, Donald Jr., has said some time ago that Russians are daddy's best customers by investing in his real estate and money losing golf properties.
Whoever first suggested that "Follow the Money" could topple Trump was on the right path.
2
So, we learn that Trump lost billions in the 80's & early 90's. Not much for him to brag about. Does anyone doubt that his reluctance to reveal his tax returns are motivated by his knowledge that there are many improprieties lurking in those returns? The public must now presume that his failure to disclose his tax returns means that they are very damaging to him and factor that into their decision about whom to vote. Whether any 2016 votes for Trump are changed in 2020 as a result of Trump's continuing intransigence over his taxes will remain to be seen.
1
Americans have the right to know if their president is a crook. All his actions certainly point to this. His lock her up reference to Hillary was quite the projection!
2
The question is not "what" but "why" - why Trump does not comply with showing his tax returns or comply with anything of that matter that respects the constitution and democracy. To understand this autocrat you must look at his religious base who believes he is an instrument sent by "god" to destroy our government for the sake of their insane religious vision - fundamentalist apocalyptic madness. In their mind he is supreme ruler defying every one outside their mythological madness. "The economy!" - cries his supporters. Sheer base materialism has replaced any reason and spiritual virtue. The happy Reich before the destruction. No Gospel - crass paganism - as former NY Times journalist Christ Hedges identified it - Manichean religion - championing the powers of darkness to summon their idol. All along blind to how this economy is based on deregulating ruin of the earth for future generations - they could care less about - delusional - thinking they will be raptured away. My point: reason, protocol, decency is all cast aside - along with our government and its' constitution. This is the "what" of why we will have no compliance from this demagogue. We must grasp this or be continually in a quandary as to what is going on.
3
My take on 'everything trump' is that rather than tell the truth about anything, he thinks it's better to lie, stall, harass, intimidate, throw a tantrum, hold his breath, call people names, retweet Hate-Speech on tweeter, and threaten to take everybody to court if he doesn't get his way.
Look at his spiteful behavior concerning everything Obama. Look at his threats to China, North Korea, Iran. His disrespect for the members of the House in Congress, his former attorney general Sessions, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, the Central Park 5, all the GOP presidential candidates, the legitimate press, Black NFL players, Women in general, Gold Star parents Khizr Khan and his wife...the list is endless.
What we are seeing is the pathetic behavior of a spoiled child who needs to be firmly shown that there are rules and regulations that must be followed in a civilized society; even by a person who calls himself the president.
2
Failure to keep his promise to release his tax returns. Failure to divest his business interests. Emoluments. How did this common crook become President?
1
@Doug Lowenthal
And why do Republicans continue to enable his activities?
When did Putin contact Trump to tell him he was assisting his campaign? Was it toward the end, as an "FYI", to let him know that the Russian State had already done all the hard work, hacked the DNC servers, sent the data to Wikileaks, just to let him know that the info would soon be public?
Or did they contact him early on, to let them know they were embarking on a great deal of work on his behalf? To let him know, in essence, that Trump would owe Russia if they succeeded?
Who believes Putin is so stupid, as to to do all of that work without the simple phone call binding Trump to his conspiracy? What good does it do him to tell Trump at the end? The answer is none. He told Trump in advance, because that is how he created leverage.
1
The closer one looks, the uglier the picture gets. Didn’t anyone else find this statement he made fraught with culpability ... “oh, all those losses... those were for the sake of taxes!”
I besiege the republicans: wake up! Call a spade a spade... call a liar to account!
I recall as a kid in 6th grade, someone accused me of something I hadn’t done or said...and I was standing there stunned, speechless that such outright lies could be told??
And my accuser’s voice was the loudest, most bragging sound in that class.
I still remember saying to myself... speak now or hold your peace. And I did.
I have that moment crystallized in my memory.
How is it the sound of lies, that mendacity rings so much louder?
1
Trump has a lot to hide. But let's not forget that he sues on everything. He is acting guilty, though. And so is Barr. I want to see the entire unredacted report. There's nothing in it that threatens national security. C'mon!
#notmovingon
1
Although the House of Representatives may be acting on the public’ s behalf, Donald J Trump has never acted on anyone’s behalf but his own and shouldn’t be expected to change now. The Mueller report notwithstanding, the man is a walking, talking, 24/7 obstruction of justice machine. Every time he speaks, tweets, calls Fox & Friends, or holds one of his MAGA revivals,his entire being is laser focused on obstruction. The walls are closing in. He knows it. He feels it. But he can’t stop himself. The grift is in his blood.
1
"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got."
1
Every time a reporter has the chance, she or he should ask Trump a very specific question, “So what is the “true news” about your taxes across this decade”?
The question is: How did the N.Y. Times obtains these tax returns? These are personal and should remain private. Is nobody safe in this country from this illegal intrusion? Even the President of the United States, love him or hate him, is entitled to NOT have his tax returns made public. Again, you have no scruples and will demean the President every day in every way.
I was watching a rerun of an early 90's Law and Order episode and Detective Logan was convinced that a certain banker committed the murder due to a cash flow problem because "Who can sell a coop in this market". The late 80's and early 90's were a dark period for NY real estate, the Atlantic City casino industry and their related junk bonds. My bet is the parent company of the Times did as poorly (how did the acquisition of the Boston Globe turn out - I think you lost nearly $1 billion per YOUR August 3 2013 story). This is old news. Next time tel me something I don't know. Time to moveon.org.
Donald Trump is hiding from his richly deserved date with karma and justice.
1
Donald Trump has declared bankruptcy so many times. Where did he get the money? Is that the secret that keeps him in the grip of Vladimir Putin? What will the records from Deutsche Bank reveal?
1
Shame on Trump for his crimes, those that have come to light and also those awaiting discovery. Shame on Americans whose superficiality, insistence on putting one's self and one's selfish gratifications and interests first have enabled this disaster we call Trump. A nation too busy with social media and electronic toys to even care about this constitutional meltdown deserves to labor forever after under a despot.
1
So. Many. Excuses.
The "revelations" that the Times published yesterday did not indicate any wrongdoing whatsoever on the part of the President. At best, disclosing those old records created the opportunity for the President's opponents and the media (a distinction without a difference) to mock and ridicule him.
Forget that all those records showed was that the President did business like any businessman: By playing the pluses and minuses and sometimes the minuses and minuses against each other.
Unless there is a charge, there is no reason anybody has a right to the President's tax returns. If there is a legitimate suspicion of malfeasance or conflict of interest to be proven, then make the charge!
Otherwise, this is just more quacking and nothing more than a fishing expedition meant to undermine the President of the United States, because some people didn't like the result of the last election.
Petty, childish, and unpatriotic. I sincerely hope the Left is proud of itself, continuing to do Russia's bidding, creating discord among the American people, and subverting Americans' faith in our own democracy.
Yes, there are people who are being manipulated by the Russians and serving the role of "useful idiots." But, it's not the President.
"What Is Donald Trump Hiding?"
Please, what is he NOT hiding?
3
If he wasn’t a tax cheat, liar, and grifter, Trump would have released his tax returns years ago, as had all prior presidents the last 50 years. We all know why he resists disclosure.
3
We really don't need to see Trump's tax returns to know that his "success" is due to being one of the greatest cons in history.
Although I dislike the man intensely, there is nothing aside from a 40 year old tradition that compels him to open up his returns. What would it show? That the man is a liar, a cheat, and immoral? We already know that.
Man bites dog. Now there's a story.
Trump is quite evidently the Wizard of Oz—a gritting blowhard who knows very little except how to swindle, lie, cheat and fabricate, all the whole convincing the tubes that he’s some sort of genius despite all evidence to the contrary. We will be a much healthier body politic when he is gone.
1
Donald Trump will NEVER turn over his tax returns to Congress, nor will he ever release them to the public. I am confident that those returns would show him up to his neck in debt to Russian oligarchs, and therefore the puppet of a hostile regime. That's grounds for treason right there, let alone impeachable offenses.
The problem is that Trump's "base" does not care. Neither does the GOP. They KNOW he's corrupt. They KNOW he's a criminal. They KNOW he's immoral, sexist, racist, greedy, boorish, and xenophobic. But as long as he is cutting taxes for the wealthy, "sticking it to the libs," cracking down on "those people" (insert your favorite racial/ethnic/religious slur here), and whipping up a mindless, patriotic frenzy at his rallies, his supporters will vote for him again. And again, and again, and again, if Trump goes "full demagogue" after the 2020 election.
I lost all faith after the 2016 election. When the American electorate elevated this reality TV rodeo clown to the most powerful office on earth, it proved to the world that the United States is STUPID TO THE BONE.
We need decent men and women in Congress to stand up and say, "Enough is enough." Donald Trump MUST be removed from office, especially after stone-walling the complete Mueller report. His cronies need to be tried, convicted, and jailed. Standing up to Trump may cost some Congresspersons their offices in the 2020 election. That is the price of TRUE patriotism. How many are willing to pay it?
2
In depth reporting about the unprosecuted financial crimes of Fred Trump and the enormous tax losses of Donald Trump did NOT even begin until after his election. The NYT would have better served our country by investigating and reporting this news in 2014 and 2015, BEFORE Trump even decided to run.
Back then, the NYT news reporting was all about Hillary Clinton using a private email server, which proved to be much more secure than USA government servers. Hillary was NEVER, EVER given the benefit of the doubt by the NYT while Trump was given the benefit of the doubt any and every time from 1975 to 2017.
2
It's critical.
Get the IRS returns and study them for a pattern.
He's hiding the truth, although his truth is a lie. His life is a lie and now we all have to work around his despicable lying mess.
for anyone familiar with operating businesses and llcs, this tax revelation potentially places trump in a very favorable standing. It is funny how the NYtimes and most of these comments are clueless of what this actually shows. Additionally his diversity of business adventures demonstrates his vast experience. the nytimes does not know they just gave trump a potentially very favorable story. Some of the comments have also noticed this
What's Trump hiding?? Everything. Every sordid bit of it.
Trump has shown himself to be an expert in the old Ali ploy of "rope a dope". Of course the NYT will be able to find some things they can get a little trashing out of but if the taxes are released and nothing incriminating is found imagine the disappointment that will resound through the progressive cabal. The tax returns are just another vehicle to keep the only strategy the dems have; obstruct and destroy Trump at any cost to nation and especially the working class American citizens who have benefited so greatly from Trump actions.
Aye, that's the BIG question! My bet: LOTS!
Based upon his entire life of grifting, lies, frauds, skirting and breaking the law, conspiracy insanity, philandering, misogyny, narcissistic psychopathy and a plethora of any number of other criminal and uncivilized actions, this is a multi-volume set of crimes waiting to be published; Trump's greatest fear.
His whole life has been spent trying to scam and impress people and exposure of all of his frauds should publicly ruin him. It won't shame him because he has no conscience - that's part of being a psychopath. It is that trait that lets him live about everything with no remorse or consequence and this country MUST hold him accountable. He ruined any number of enterprises and left bodies everywhere - we will not let him do that to US ("us" being the Americans that know who he is and have the backbone to stand up to it, unlike almost every Republican sycophant).
Enjoy Big Macs while you can, Donald. Your days of prion cuisine are not far off.
1
Don the Con has managed to recruit quite the Republican army to shill for him.
It’s disgusting. Where are our constitutional patriots?
2
"President Trump owes the American people a fuller account of his financial dealings, including the release of his recent tax returns."
Why?
No facts whatsoever have been articulated that would cause any reasonable person to suspect that a crime is afoot.
Until such evidence is produced, we should not be so anxious to upend American jurisprudence in the service of a "liberal" fantasy that if Trump is investigated enough, surely some crime will be discovered.
That is not how things work in America. In America, under our Constitution, law enforcement investigates crimes; not people. Investigating people is what fascists and authoritarians do.
The stink of the utter desperation of "The Resistance" is nauseating.
Let me lay it on the line for you folks: Trump doesn't care if you hate him. Your hate only consumes you.
And look at what you've become. You have no respect for Constitutional propriety; you have lost whatever features define you as Americans. As such, you've already lost more than you could ever get back.
Where will you be if Trump were impeached? Screaming at every shadow on the wall, "The Russians are here; the Russians are here!" Seeing demons here; and goblins there.
Yikes. The horror.
You did this to yourselves. There is still time to save yourselves.
Go outside for a walk. Get some fresh air.
To answer question "What is Donald Trump Hiding".
Well as we all know a lifetime of racism, deceit and felony criminal behavior. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and managed to even mess that up. Fred his dad is a full blown racist and life long criminal as well.
Like it or not Trump is now a dictator who has been able to continue unabated as the POTUS.
I hope for the best.
Once a con man, always a con man. DJT has been inflating/deflating as needed to inflate his ego, inflate his worth at loan time and deflate his worth/income at tax time. He is trying to play both ends against the middle. Pretty soon he will run out of wick and get burned.
The Emperors New Clothes are made of paper. Just like his
“ profits “ and “ fortune “.
Sad.
Basically, the most disturbing mental cruelty we have had to endure from this con-man is his completely amoral and hateful character.
Since we cannot trust anything he says or does, he never should have been allowed to be sitting in the oval office.
We have been betrayed by all who support him, including the so-called Christians who have used him for his bully pulpit.
It has been one of the most pathetic periods in our country's history.
"Case closed."
3
Trump is a certified liar. No thinking person assumes he tells the truth on his tax returns!
1
https://thinkprogress.org/here-are-the-kleptocrats-and-crooked-foreign-politicians-whove-invested-in-trump-properties-460093120e48/These kleptocrats and corrupt foreign officials, of course, couldn’t have done it themselves. They required the help of “enablers“: lawyers, accountants, company-formation agents, and developers who gladly helped with transactions, taking their own cuts along the way. While kleptocratic foreign officials gutted their own home countries’ finances, and engaged in grand corruption, individuals in Western democracies helped or turned a blind eye to signs of money laundering time and again.
1
Our heads would explode?
Pure comedy: Trump keeping a promise.
1
Of greater interest...what are Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham hiding?
2
The one certainty about Blondie's tax returns is that they are full of lies. Can anyone doubt that?
Considerations of foreign influence (or worse, corrupt conspiracies), illusions of success or piles of cash notwithstanding, the simple fact is that the country's most prolific liar will prolifically lie on tax documents.
He has already bragged about that and sees it as proof of his genius. Normal people see it as proof of his pathology.
1
What is Trump hiding?
He is hiding a life full of sin, crime, meanness, and dishonesty?
He's hiding a rotten life's entire output.
2
Here is a very uneducated guess: Trump is a fraud and suffered tremendous loss till mid 1990’s possibly beyond and he was desperately seeking money to save him from drowning in debts. Then he got the Russian dirty money in the 2000’s and suddenly he was flushed with cash. All these lead to the conspiracy with Russians in 2016 election and it is still going on today. He may not sign a contract with the Russians as their agent but both Trump and Putin are very clear about what they expect from each other.
1
Trump is smart because he doesn’t pay taxes. You know what that makes you, right?
I'm surprised the current White House occupant isn't calling the tax return copies forgeries.
1
This is all shoved right in our face. Do the simple math. Vladimir Putin lectured him for 90 minutes. When was the last time you spoke to anyone on a landline for 90 minutes?
1
The harassment against this president is unreal and is truly psychotic. The left is foaming at the mouth to tear this man apart. NO ONE cares about his tax returns at any point in time. We all assume his legions of accountants used every loop hole imaginable to help him pay little to no tax. THAT IS NOT HIS FAULT. It is the fault of the congress (both parties) who have used the complex tax code for political gain, while always claiming they'll close the loop holes. Laughable.
The economy is roaring due to Trump killing thousands of onerous regulations & the tax cut. Blue collar wages are rising faster than white collar (though of course the socialist libs want everyone to be poor), black & hispanic unemployment are both at ALL TIME lows, & female unemployment is the lowest in 50 years. There are literally more jobs than there are workers &, for those that listen, Trump wants to import the shortfall with a MERIT BASED immigration system. You know, like Canada has.
His accomplishments are reaching legendary status w a divided congress & 2+ (and counting) years of harassment by the press & democrats. All Americans should care about are his RESULTS as president, not if his tax returns show he lost money or made less than he claimed. His net worth is extremely complex due to the fact that his assets are not limited to what he has in his bank account or 401K.
The MAJORITY of voters are tired of the lies & fake news. All of this is backfiring on the left. Can't wait for 2020.
Your man cheated and paid no taxes for decades. During those same years he was living in a golden penthouse, I assume you did pay your taxes? How’s that feel now?
1
Impeach. Now.
Our democracy is at stake.
Wanna-be dictators only grow stronger with time.
Impeach. Now.
2
re "The best answer remains for Mr. Trump to keep his promise and release his returns voluntarily":
In your dreams.
What credible evidence is there that he'll do any such thing? Certainly not his despicable behavior spread over a lifetime.
While thumbing his nose at our system of laws, constitutional oaths and governmental norms, Donald Trump continues to follow the playbook inherited from his mentor, Roy Cohn:
Lie, lie, lie ... deny, deny, deny ... delay, delay, delay ... litigate, litigate, litigate ... and, in the end, after interminable stonewalling and blame-shifting, declare himself the winner, regardless of whether the facts overwhelmingly prove otherwise.
Beyond finger-wagging, wishful thinking and hollow rhetoric, no one in authority has yet held Donald Trump accountable in any meaningful way. He's behaving like a dictator, not a president, for a simple reason: He knows he can get away with it.
2
This wonderfully insightful (as usual) editorial speaks to a profound question, which is:
"Why on God's green earth do people continue to support DJT?"
He is so obviously a liar and a cheat! He doesn't give a darn about other people's well being. And when he proudly boasts about cheating on his taxes he means it.
Hello out there. No taxes means no nothing. Why can't you see through DJT's fraudulent life story? Is it really asking too much these days to have a decent taxpaying man (just like you and me) in the White House?!?
1
Much more interested in seeing Pelosi's....
The question is not "what" but "why" - why Trump does not comply with showing his tax returns or comply with anything of that matter that respects the constitution and democracy. To understand this autocrat you must look at his religious base who believes he is an instrument sent by "god" to destroy our government for the sake of their insane religious vision - fundamentalist apocalyptic madness. In their mind he is supreme ruler defying every one outside their mythological madness. "The economy!" - cries his supporters. Sheer base materialism has replaced any reason and spiritual virtue. The happy Reich before the destruction. No Gospel - crass paganism - as former NY Times journalist Chris Hedges identified it - Manichean religion - championing the powers of darkness to summon their idol. All along blind to how this economy is based on deregulating ruin of the earth for future generations - they could care less about - delusional - thinking they will be raptured away. My point: reason, protocol, decency is all cast aside - along with our government and its' constitution. This is the "what" of why we will have no compliance from this demagogue. We must grasp this or be continually in a quandary as to what is going on.
Donald J. Trump is the highest profile fraudster the country has ever seen.
4
“What is Donald Trump hiding”? A man whose entire life has been based on greed and lies and immorality hides everything about himself, because his “truth” only amplifies his fetid soul. In other words, he has no “truth” so therefore hides all.
2
He's hiding tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud, and life fraud. He's a fraudster and he knows it. He just wants the rest of us not to be able to see the indisputable evidence of his fraud.
2
Does it really matter? I think most thinking Americans realize what a con Don is and how unfit he is for the presidency. What needs to happen is in 2020 all resisters must get out and VOTE and remove this aberration from office. NO EXCUSES!
1
We know DJT has sold property to at least one Russian Oligarch at an inflated price, Russian Oligarchs and Putin are blood brothers.
1
To answer your headline question. Its none of your business. President Trump should be accorded the same privacy in his personal life you gave to Obama, Clinton, and Pelosi.
The NYTimes never called for Obama to release all his college transcripts. You never called for Pelosi or Schumer to release their financial data even though both became millionaires because they serve in Congress.
Trump made his money the old fashion way, in the open market place. His total financial gain from his service in the government is $1 per year.
The fact is there is no requirement for any presidential candidate to release his or her tax returns, and many of the current crop of democrat challengers to President Trump in 2020 have not released their own. What about Harris or Booker? Will her millions reveal the kick-backs? Will his reveal his slumlord income?
If you are going to demand politicians you don't like reveal their financial data, they you are going to have to demand those politicians who you like do the same.
As usual, the NYTimes is off base, giving printed space to someone's opinion which is not based on facts, but on a snowflakes feelings.
@Fort worth
Except that no one has led a life so rife with criminal activity as Donald J. Trump. And he has violated his oath of office. And very few people honestly like the con Don.
3
He's hiding everything from his scalp, to the scotch tape on his tie, to his financial catastrophes, to his affairs - the only thing on full display, at all times, is his greed.
Since your ordinary American can't take out a mortgage without a thorough tax vetting, I can't for the life of me understand how a president could get away with hiding his tax returns, or why any American would be willing to overlook it. The first thing we should all want from a leader is honesty. Yes, that's idealistic. But if we don't have some ideals and standards in this country, what are we? Paying taxes is patriotic, it's literally a buy-in to our country. Trump thinks of avoiding taxes as sport? He clearly doesn't care about our country. So please, take off the stupid MAGA hats and think about what it actually means to be American.
1
It's pretty obvious what trump is hiding. Jr told us they had a lot of money coming from Russia.
1
Donald Trump “made” billions of dollars by using his properties as channels in which international organized crime could lauded their money.
This is how its done: Some mafia figure wants to “sell” a Trump condo back to Trump, and Trump pays the bogus seller ZZ dollars in cash, but only reports Y dollars in the purchase expense. Then another mafia guy “buys” the same Trump condo for XX million dollars, in cash; but Trump only declares a sale of Y dollars. Billions of dollars flow between mafia types, under the table, as a condo real-estate deal
Putin was going to “get” the top floor of the Moscow Tower, in exchange for what?
Trump’s “profits” were easy, and illegal: meanwhile, he simply applied every dollar of his luxurious life-style as an “expense,” so that it looked like he was losing money. But the real profits were never disclosed.
The tax returns won’t add up.
And the Russians know how vulnerable he now is; he could be selling them our nuclear codes right now just so they dont tell on him
By the time this is over, Russian hackers will have stolen trillions out of all of our Fidelity IRA accounts — and do you think Trump cares? No, that is what he is colluding with Russia to do.
1
Parent to kid: Where are the cookies you were supposed to take to the school party tomorrow? Did you eat them?
Kid: No. They're in my room.
Parent: Prove it! Let's go upstairs and see that plate of cookies right now.
Kid: NO!!! How dare you accuse me! Just for that, you can't see the cookies! (burp).
(Parent goes upstairs, Kid runs ahead, passing parent on the stairs, running into the room and locking the door, leaving behind a trail of crumbs.)
Parent: Open the door. I demand to see the cookies now. 5..4..3...2..
Kid: HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF EATING THE COOKIES!!! (wiping crumbs from his sweater). Just for that, I'm going to write to all your friends and tell them you're mean. (Major tantrum ensues.)
#ImpeachTrump
1
The "biggest loser" is at the helm.
America is in big trouble. So is the economy.
Trumpe-l'œil is a conman, pure and simple. The only thing he is has mastered is bankruptcy and hiding money.
2
Trump is hiding nothing. Instead he is flaunting his arrogance at the legal system and the democratic political process. Yesterday he inferred that illegal migrants should face violence and attack. To these depths he has plunged with no bottom in sight.
1
"What'cha hiding, Donnie?"
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Ad infinitum.
According to the damning evidence published by the Times, Trump and his family have already been shown to have committed tax fraud in regard to their administration of their father's extensive real state holdings. Legitimate tax liabilities in the hundreds of $$millions may have been evaded.
This, and the colossal losses subsequently claimed by Trump, which have enabled him and his businesses to pay almost no tax over more than a decade, and his apparent dealings with foreign lenders and investors, and his ongoing violations of the Emoluments Clause, should be reason enough to compel the full release of all his records from the IRS and state tax authorities, and all his financial statements from his bankers.
Secretary Mnuchin has refused to comply with a straightforward, lawful demand to submit Trump's tax returns to Congress. The response to this flagrant evasion of Congress's authority is obvious: hold Mnuchin in contempt and/or sue him in the federal courts. If necessary, arrest him and put him in a cell. Same goes for Barr and the Mueller report.
Enough of Trump's evasions. Call the president's bluffs. Take action, now. The consequences of inaction or failure are too great. This is about far more than exposing the Trump's sordid dealings. The Constitution and the co-equal status of Congress are at stake.
Methinks he doth protest too much. Is it all financial evasions and fraud, as this article describes? Is there more that Mueller missed? This man is more afraid of 'sunshine' than a vampire bat. Baby done a bad, bad thing.
He even speaks of pardoning himself. Why wait? If we dig long enough, what does he know will be found? He is a liar and a cheat. What is so far beyond what we already know that he fears losing his ever-loyal base over it? What did he do that he is so sure will bring him down that he is now in panic mode? Why this Freudian aversion to truth? Something is rotten in the state of Trumpland.
2
It's a shame we have to spend so much time, energy, print, debate, money, diplomacy, environment... just spending everything... to find out what common sense told us back in 1987... Donald Trump is a fraud. Duh.
1
Every person who serves as POTUS serves the American People He (or she) is accountable to the citizens of this country. During the 2016 Presidential Election, Donald Trump committed to releasing his Income Taxes for review. Prior to serving as President, Mr. Trump was a private business man. His taxes and his financial interests were none of our business as long as he conducted his business legally and upheld the law. If he didn't or doesn't intend or agree to submit his taxes to the appropriate U.S government agencies and officials for review, he never should have run for POTUS. Leaders occupying the Oval Office are accountable to ALL U.S. Citizens. He committed to do this prior to being elected. If he has changed his mind, he should not run for reelection in the next Presidential Election.
2
I really don't get how, while some Americans can't pay to keep the heat on, can't afford their medicine, or can't get a hot lunch at school, Trump can lose billions and live like a king.
The Art of the Scam
331
@midwesterner
There's some seriously questionable Trumpian "accounting" going on here.
And why would Deutsche Bank (fined for money laundering) loan DJT, whose tax records show he had lost $1.3 billion, even more billions?
When something doesn't make sense, follow the money.
In the end, it's always tax evasion that "gets" them.
31
@JM Quite simply, there are differences between actual losses and "tax" losses. He may have actually made money from an economic standpoint, but due to the accelerated depreciation, immediate write-offs and other "benefits" built in to the tax code (written by your Congress and their staff) he could show losses on paper for a very long time.
Did you know Amazon hasn't paid one thin dime in federal taxes yet ?
13
@Tom
Actually, facts or truth mean nothing to the Left.
Contrary to what this article suggests, President Trump has hidden nothing about this "bombshell."
Quite to the contrary, he has addressed this exact situation in the past, on more than one occasion, and very publically.
Furthermore, his actions regarding it are no different then so very many other businesspeople, including scores of Leftist Democrats.
But none of that matters...the truth doesn't matter to the Democrats.
It never has.
They wear their lies as a badge of honor.
4
Nixon said, “I am not a crook”, yet he owed nearly ½ million dollars in income tax which today is 3 million dollars. Trump didn’t pay taxes for 8 years!
NIXON: "I am not a Crook."
Nov 17, 1973: President Nixon’s statement on national TV.
TRUMP: ”I have done nothing wrong.”
Jun 4, 2018: Trump’s tweet
2
Trump has all the reasons in the world to keep his tax returns and finances a secret.
His entire persona is built on lies about his "success" as a businessman. A NY Times news story from 2016, "Donald Trump’s Deals Rely on Being Creative With the Truth," called that into question. Now the Times story based on analysis on his tax returns for a decade paint him as a biggest loser instead of the "success" story Trump like to peddle.
Trump dismissed the Times story by saying it is a "highly inaccurate Fake News hit job," but if his recent tax returns were made available, it might be harder to dismiss it as "fake news" and will further tarnish his "success" story and reveal him to be a loser and a fraud.
No wonder one of his priorities was to put "his" people at the top positions at IRS. As Times reported, Trump asked Sen. McConnell "to prioritize a confirmation vote for his nominee to be the chief counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, indicating that it was a higher priority than voting on the nomination of William P. Barr as attorney general...."
Think about that. Barr, who squelched the Muller Report, was a lower priority than the IRS chief counsel.
7
trumpist arguments on the issue:
—trump has nothing at all to hide, is the most transparent president in the history of the USA, but on principle won’t succumb to a witch hunt by resentful democrats
— notwithstanding his oath of office and public accountability and transparency, when it comes to privacy (and privacy only) trump is no different than any other citizen; even if he has something to hide, that’s his business
— he’s so wealthy and is such a financial genius that his taxes are far too complicated for members of congress and the public to understand
—trump promised to release his taxes during the campaign and broke his promise, but, hey, a majority voted for him anyway so it doesn't matter
—even though there’s no evidence that this is the case, even though it’s irrelevant to the question of public release: trump’s taxes are being audited
—if god wanted trump’s tax returns to be public He would make it so
— facts and arguments (such as those outlined in this editorial) don't matter: MAGA! LOCK THEM UP!!(etc. etc
3
I agree completely with what you've written...except for one thing: Trump supporters are wrong when they say that the majority of people voted for him anyway. Trump received Three (3) million fewer votes than his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
This simple fact invalidates every single claim Trump and his enablers make when they falsely claim that "he was what most voters wanted."
No he wasn't. And he's even less popular now, less than 3 years later.
1
Let's not forget that Trump is the master of making his opponent's chase shinny objects while he goes about about his business - his tax returns are like a laser pointer to a cat. Trump has had progressives chasing the little red dot for three years. He is laughing.
1
I wonder if Trump would be willing to arrange to have the U.S.A. go BK. He certainly has the tech savvy to put it all together.
Our debt is currently held by a bunch of capitalists, Red China and other foreign governments.
After solving the debt problem, we could move ahead with Medicare and health care reform. Do it D-man!
Your Headline should read, "What is trump hiding from his base?" The majority of us have a pretty good inkling what he is about; maybe just not the full extent.
4
The Carnival Barker’s platform can be debt laden big top or beholden Oligarchs Dacha. It’s the limelight and attention that sparkles their world.
What the 30% base fail to accept is Trump as a narcissists couldn’t care less about you. His MAGA attempts to win your trust are all fabrications that are part of his sick game. A severe soul loss and inability to show any form of empathy, he will say any lie and go to any extent to hide the stage props. Hint hint, tax returns, bank records, emoluments. These are a confidence gamers biggest fear.
A husk of a human being is a soulless whisp of a complete person.
2
One thing that is no mystery is what Trump owns. His real estate and other holdings are public information. Valuing his assets is difficult because much of it is one-of-a-kind real estate and golf courses. Forbes reported that Trump’s assets are worth $3.1 billion, but that is just a guess. Still, Trump is clearly not a pauper. It is unreasonable to conclude that he is a lifelong business failure. The guy is a liar and a cheat, which probably was the key to his acquiring lots of stuff and achieving substantial business success.
1
Donald Trump exemplifies something uniquely American that P.T. Barnum once exploited, that old time hucksterism, conning, lying right to your gullible face part of the American experience. More so than all that guff about the transcendence of individualism, this is the essence of the American way of life. This is and always has been the real American dream--once the many layers of mythic stories have been stripped away. As an expression of a frontier way of life, it has always relied on ignorance and mental lassitude to get the job done. Yet, it is also the reflection of a country that no longer understands what it means to develop and progress, to go beyond the superstitions and broken traditions of bygone times. It puts into perspective why there are so many antiquated, vestigial laws and amendments and thinking that continue to give power to these grifters and power mongers. It is time for Americans to finally walk away from that evanescent childhood of circuses and charlatans, menageries of enslaved animals and freaks, and understand that there is a better way to live.
1
Pelosi says she is equal but won’t release her tax return.
"In a piece published Tuesday evening, Ms. Craig and Mr. Buettner reported Mr. Trump “appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer” year after year in the late 1980s and the early 1990s."
...Or this is a fabrication to deflate his tax payments.
If Trump had to go to German banks to get loans as NO US BANKS would lend to him, where else did he go for money? If any intelligent person had any knowledge like this about someone wanting to do business with them, they would run as fast as they could in the other direction. And Trump views people who avoid taxes as 'smart'. Is that people who use legal loopholes as well as those who commit fraud? Only one way to find out. When it smells like a dead fish, it must be. The fact that 46% of Americans accept that as gourmet is amazing. Eventually the truth will come out. I wonder what all these people who are 'benefiting' from Trump's presidency will do when they see they fell for his sales pitch much as the Trump University and NY banks did. You really think Trump 'realized' he needed to be more honest as a result of his past 'failures'. Like so many others, Republicans and Trump's base will have to admit whether they were conned or pretend it never happened. Just like NY banks did. Get the pennies on the dollar versus nothing in return for their gullibility. Leopards do not change their spots.
1
I doubt that Trump has anything to hide. But by refusing to release his tax forms, he is letting the media work itself into a froth, only to be disgraced yet again when they find nothing wrong to report.
1
Here’s a question for all of you Fox News listeners and trump supporters. If President Obama had behaved in this manner, what would you be doing to rectify this situation? I know I’m preaching to the choir here.
2
The NYT has done a masterful job of exposing the history of financial fraud that is Trump. I think we can only assume his more recent returns would show not only more of that, but also the deep involvement of foreign money in his businesses.
2
If President Trump or someone totally like him was a Democrat and the Republicans controlled the House and Senate, he would have impeached and convicted months ago.
3
Sorry, but your personal admiration for Donald Trump---who actually wasn't the choice of the voters, losing to Hillary Rodham Clinton by approximately Three Million Votes---is irrelevant.
The crucial question is what is Trump hiding from the American people and why is he hiding it? He's obviously desperate to keep us from knowing the truth as he files multiple lawsuits and stonewalls Congress, absolutely refusing to cooperate and ordering others to do the same, behaving like a stereotype of an arrogant, thuggish "boss" of an organized crime syndicate, quietly panicked and privately threatening anyone who might cooperate with the lawful authorities and do the right thing.
Most importantly, has Trump been compromised by his private financial dealings? And is he using the White House for his own avaricious intentions, even if it risks our country's economic standing and national security?
If the man you think so highly of was absolutely honest and law-abiding, then why would he be fighting tooth and nail to cover up the truth about his finances and taxes?
As an enthusiastic Trump supporter, is one of the reasons you're so strongly defending his unprecedented cover-up due to a personal fear that you'll look foolish and duped if his taxes revealed fraud or criminality on his part?
And if so, is your need to avoid personal embarrassment more important than knowing if our president is a con artist, fraud, or even a traitor to our nation?
2
Through the timely investigative work of The New York Times we are finally getting to look inside the maneuverings our feckless president used over the years to live within a life style we've typically associated with only mobsters.
And that's simply the past-past and not the most recent past. So, let's get the full monty here and get on with it.
Let's see what he and his family-membered cabal have been up to in their dealing with the Russians and anyone associated with lending them any monies.
1
What is the big deal??? Only his base believes the was a successful real estate entrepreneur. The general public believes the opposite, he was a shady real estate broker from the Queens---and not very good at the shady part.
2
Is there anyone that did not know Trump lost money in the casinos r.e. dozens of years ago. Is there anyone that does not know that most corporations pay no taxes. Dems seem desperate for ideas. Please tell us how you will improve the economy, the climate before our 12 yrs are up, the anarchic state between nations. Stop horsing around.
The hidden crime which Corrupt Donnie's tax returns will demonstrate is the extent the tax code favors the rich and their sleight of hand in filing their taxes.
How can someone lose $1B+ and still be "rich?" Because the tax code allows it! That is also why Secretary Munchkin will help hide them. He is doing similar things to hide his income.
1
because they either (1) lied on their tax returns, (2) hid the money overseas, or (3) are making their living as a money launderer, which requires them to "lose" the money, only to have it reappear in an undocumented account
His investors have got to be the Russian mob. It's the only explanation that makes sense of the numerous dumbfounding mysteries-- why he groveled before Putin in Helsinki, why he took the translators' notes, why so many of his closest associates lied about their Russian contacts, the Soho law suit, why he lied about the Trump Tower meeting, why he lied about an audit allegedly preventing the release of his tax returns, and why he is desperately trying to cover them up.
And once we find that out, we can watch Mitch McConnell and the other sniveling cowards explain why it's not a problem that the Executive Branch of the United States of America is owned by the Russian mob.
We are cursed to be living in interesting times.
3
Of course his policies are lining his pockets, or they wouldn’t be his policies!
3
Trump is not hiding anything. He knows the Democrats just want to misrepresent information in his taxes because they know democrat voters are too dumb to understand the complex tax system for business. They certainly aren't going to change anyone's minds by exposing what is in Trump's tax returns. We don't care what is in his taxes. All we care about is what he will do for the country. The democrats offer nothing. They have nothing to offer so all they have is doing things like this to influence voters against Trump. It's not going to work. We don't care as long as Trump is doing positive things to help Americans and improve the economy.
2
So we need to see his tax returns to undermine him....I get it.
Since the NYT supports public disclosure of tax returns. how about publishing the returns of your owners and staffers? I personally don't care if anyone knows what I make, but most people are quite sensitive about this and it IS illegal to disclose that information.
What’s amazing is how clueless the democrats are. They are completely crazy, totally unhinged, and unable to think or act in a rational or sane manner. They are unfit to hold office at any level. And they are oblivious to the fact that this is how the vast majority of Americans see them!
1
@Larry A little confused about the facts, aren't you? Trump's base is the minority, not the majority. The majority are appalled by him.
1
It's not known who said it first, but we all know who said it most often (about his foes) "if you're not guilty, you have nothing to worry about".
So, Donald, what are you worried about? You're look'n kinda guilty there.
2
Exactly. Which is why Trump is fighting like a thuggish boss of an organized crime syndicate to keep them hidden. His absolutely panicked reaction tells us almost everything we need to know: Honest people are calm and cooperative because they've done nothing wrong.
Trump's adamant refusal---regarding absolutely everything called into question--- and his pathetic and laughable attempt to shift blame towards the FBI, Barack Obama, and, of course, Hillary Clinton, is SO completely unhinged and mendacious. And it also makes him even more of a laughingstock than he was previously.
5
There are procedures for enacting new laws. The NYT and the left cannot simply declare new requirements for the presidency such as releasing tax returns.
1
Well America, you allowed it. This will he the basic permanent decline in the stature of the United States. And it's some ways simply the wrap up to the juvenile Ronald Reagan and the entire basically permanent step backward the 1980's was.
The country was given a choice in the twentieth century to grow up. We handled it masterfully in the mid century.
But when 1980 rolled around enough people rolled over for Reagan, basically a sort of savant.
You broke it, you bought it.
1
PS. Just noting your comment on the Irish golf business-"revenues of $14mm, but a loss of $2mm". Well revenue does not equal net income. Second, if I bought a business, made significant capital investment and had depreciation (esp. if accelerated) I might show a GAAP and tax loss on the business but a positive cash flow.
If it’s wrong for Trump to pass a travel ban targeting Muslims, how is it right for NY state to pass a tax disclosure law targeting Trump?
Remember, if they can do it to Trump, they will do it to you.
This is not liberalism.
Apparently real estate folks have been taking “losses” as a means to evade being taxed. Same as venture capital firms and corporations. So by taking tax shelters they escape taxes but the poor and middle class have to account for every penny and clearly they are the ones who bear tax burdens for our entire country. No wonder no surprise then that our infrastructure is 3rd class, outdated and miserable. Our public works projects suffer. Our public schools work out of modular make shift structures instead of building new modern well equipped science labs. Then the wealthy complain they pay too much taxes and they don’t want to become socialist America
Like Europe and other developed countries with superior quality of life!!!!!!!
208
@petey tonei You said: "...but the poor and middle class have to account for every penny and clearly they are the ones who bear tax burdens for our entire country."... but in reality the top 1 percent of taxpayers pay more in income taxes than the bottom 90 percent combined. And the bottom 50 percent pay almost no income taxes at all.
1
@petey tonei It's not "evasion", it's "avoidance". From a legal perspective, there is tremendous difference. One gets you a trip to the pokey, while the other gets you a cigar and brandy.
7
@Tom, sheesh Tom you get lung cancer from cigar and liver cirrhosis from brandy...what good is tax avoidance!
4
Most people can make a distinction between one member of Congress and the person who occupies the Oval Office---the most powerful political position in the world.
Sorry that you think it's "OK"for that person to hide their personal financial records from the public and enable him to possibly manipulate this office for personal financial gain.
When my brother was being considered for a position as the CFO of a medium size company some years ago, they required him to go through an absolutely thorough investigation of his personal financial background before allowing him to work at their company.
Using your logic, I guess they should have allowed him to just "waltz in" to that position without verifying that he didn't have a dubious or questionable financial background, just as we citizens should blindly trust this guy who---as we all know---has NEVER lied about anything and has ALWAYS had a sterling reputation for absolute integrity in every one of his financial dealings for decades.
3
Trump has not been successful in business. In fact, he squandered his father's fortune. BUT he has, masterfully, used his inheritance, his name, the myth of his greatness as a dealmaker and the Electoral College to become the most powerful man on the planet. I think, MSNBC's Chris Hayes has it exactly right: Correctly understood, Trump is the "greatest grifter of all time".
9
The last-sentence conclusion is fully warranted because it is abundantly clear that Trump and his oligarchical coterie are hiding any and every fact that could reveal the nakedness of this would-be emperor. The contempt displayed is not merely for Congress but for every American who gets up in the mornings and contributes his, her, their talents to the economy with relatively little significant financial return.
25
None of this has anything to do with fairness. transparency, the rule of law or of the other spurious tropes that the Democrats and their media allies (like the NYT) routinely spew to sound profound.
The goal is to smear Trump - period. It's a partisian cooperative effort to influence poltical outcomes, pretending to be newsworthy.
By any means necessary, an angry mob wants to undo the last Presidential election, but will likely cause the next one to have the same outcome. Much of America sees through the nonsense - and manufactured faux outrage.
12
Few questions: if he hasn’t done anything wrong, how can it be an attempt to smear him? (Logically, releasing the returns would clear him.) Why is he the only president or party nominee in more than 40 years to refuse to release tax returns? Why does he repeatedly lie that an audit is preventing him from releasing his returns when it’s his decision? Why did he promise during the campaign he’d release them after the election? Why was it okay for him to demand Obama’s birth certificate while he’s too cowardly to release his own tax returns? What’s he hiding from his supporters?
What’s Donald Trump hiding?
142
Didn’t he promise to release his tax returns during his campaign? What, he cannot keep a promise? What does he have to hide?
63
@Fred Rick I beg to differ. Most of Americans want to see exactly those tax returns. Only those who drank the koolaid don't care. It is not only relevant, but should be seen as a Patriotic Duty of any public official to show their tax returns. And I highly suggest it should be incorporated into LAW.
77
What has happened to personal information and privacy? This is not a criminal trial, and Trump's tax returns are no one's else business. I am not a Republican or Trump apologist, but on this point I believe he is right.
When we invade the privacy and personal business of one person, we all stand to lose our privacy and personal business.
This is nothing more than political grandstanding!
31
@Michael
You are making a blanket assertion in the face of the many instances where there is a greater good for disclosure. Anyone undergoing a security clearance is well aware of the level of disclosure required of private information. Applying for a loan requires significant disclosure of private information. Even applying for university entrance requires disclosure.
What we are talking about in terms of Trump releasing his tax returns all comes back to context: he is the president of the United States, the highest public office in the land. As such, and in this case, he needs to be above suspicion regards financial impropriety and possible compromise. It is that simple.
350
@Michael--Donald Trump is not a private person, and turning over his tax returns to Congress is not a slippery slop that can affect private persons. Most presidents have done so voluntarily, and you and I have felt no repercussions. The American people deserve to know the man in charge of our government, our security, and ultimate our lives, and that includes whether he is more invested in self-interest or the interests of the country. I hope that Congress will pass a law that future candidates for president are required to turn over their personal financial records, including tax returns, and any other information needed to ascertain if any foreign government has influenced him/her.
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@Michael
Privacy aside, perhaps you might want to consider that the President of the United States is a public office, involving responsibility to the public.
190
Ha! The NY Times doesn’t even understand the tax transcripts it has. That Trump legally sheltered his business income 30 years ago using accelerated depreciation schedules - along with every other real estate investor at the time did - does not reflect whether his business was doing well and underscores nothing - let alone the need for more return information that the NYTimes won’t understand either.
8
@Stephen Gianelli
The same people who don't understand the relationship between withholding and refunds and who remain convinced over 80% of Americans didn't actually get a tax cut are suddenly going to find Russian collusion in Trump's tax returns?
5
Interesting that he was the biggest ‘loser ‘ in IRS history year after year. It would be interesting to see if he honestly represented his write offs or if he was fraudulent in his declarations.
1
If so, Trump should explain it himself. But saying “hit job” is not an explanation.
1
He is not hiding anything that I care or am interested in. There is no prior requirement that he release his tax papers, so the only ones interested appear to be the NYT and every Democratic politician.
The public is growing weary of the daily Trump attacks. Meanwhile we have a major crisis on our southern border which Ms Pelosi and Crying Chuck Schumer won't acknowledge or do a thing about. In the interim how bout a complete release of the Clinton Foundations assets and Mr. Obama's educational records.
5
@Samuel Spade
President's school records were released: Hawaii's standard Long Form; Degree from Columbia, Degree from Harvard Law. Trump was expelled from a Middle School military academy. He has never shown a degree from any university. He has an Honorary Degree from Wharton with no record of attendance, purchased by his father with huge sonation. Trump is a functioning illiterate.
4
@Samuel Spade I am the "public," and I am not weary of the daily Trump attacks. I welcome them, as do the majority of the U.S. population who did not vote for him, and Republicans with a conscience who have turned against him. May they never stop, until this charlatan goes down in flames.
7
@Samuel Spade I am the "public," and I am not weary of the daily Trump attacks. I welcome them, as do the majority of the U.S. population who did not vote for him, and Republicans with a conscience who have turned against him. May they never stop, until this charlatan goes down in flames.
The majority of questions posed in the article would not be answered by a review of tax returns, accountants' or tax attorneys' workpapers in support of the preparation of tax returns, or much of anything else having to do with Trump's, or anybody else's tax returns for that matter.
With each new article the only thing that becomes clear is the lack of the knowledge of the authors and the editors of the publications for whom the work.
It's laughable, quite frankly.
I'm a CPA.
@Charles
Tax returns are a good starting point.
That’s why lenders ask for them when you request a loan.
12
@Charles - glad to know that you’re a CPA. If I’m ever in need of a CPA in Memphis, I now know who to avoid hiring.
2
Knowing his financial dealings makes no difference in the end. He will still be supported by 1/2 the country and Dems in Congress don't have the numbers to impeach him, so this is only going to fuel Trump's base towards a more rabid state. We seem to be at a stalemate and the only way out is to tough it out until 2024 with the hope of restoring our values once he's gone. Perhaps it will be too late to save the USA, perhaps not. Time will tell.
1
During that subject 10 year period in the 1980’s and 1990’s within which Trump reported no income and only massive losses, didn’t his lenders, whether they were commercial banks or other financial institutions, forgive any of the loans that they made to Trump? If so, he was required to report any such forgiveness as income on his personal returns and clearly this wasn’t done. Why not? This subject certainly deserves additional reporting NYT!
4
I've never agreed that we should see a president's tax returns or anybodies for that matter. That is personal business and no one else's. I don't care if it's a democrat or republican, it's no one's business period. We elect presidents to manage the country, good or bad. The results so far with Trump are pretty darn good, and that's why we elected him. We did not want another typical politician because looks what it has gotten us. Leave him alone to do what's right for the country, he's doing a great job compared to the last six presidents going back to Carter in the '70's.
1
@Texan the tax returns actually are everyone’s business. Clearly for decades Presidents and candidates for office have released their returns as proof of their transparency and a back up to their word on exactly who they are and what their business dealings are. Trump on the other hand has simply asked the country to take his word on everything. As it turns out, he was elected with the help of Russia, has told over 10,000 lies in public since taking office, and likely has obstructed justice. We can no longer accept his word on anything. Trump could very well have been financed by Russia for the last 15 years. For all we know, Russia could actually own him.
5
@Texan -- you assume Trump is not a crook, in Richard Nixon's memorable phrase. But, in fact, Nixon was a tax cheat, as revealed his tax returns. Therefore, you assume Trump is not a crook without any assurance at all that he is. If Trump's a crook, as revealed by his tax returns, would that be a problem for you? From Trump's actions to prevent anyone from seeing his returns, it certainly must be for Trump....
1
Given how Trump brags about the sport of not paying taxes, perhaps we should see how he plays the sport.
Trump’s intransigence about releasing his tax returns suggests that he is hiding something. If he is, he becomes vulnerable to those who know what he is hiding. This becomes a national security risk.
Trump should be subject to the same public disclosure laws that Congressmen and women are subject to.
Citizens have a right to know about the finances of their leaders. We need to know if Trump has conflicts of interest that may impede his ability to make decisions in the best interests of the country.
Voting is a right that brings with the responsibility of exercising that right wisely. Just as lenders shouldn’t make loans without due diligence, neither should voters.
PS. Trump’s 1990’s losses were not paper losses.
167
@Rita "Citizens have a right to know about the finances of their leaders."
Then let's have a website where the tax returns of all sitting members of Congress and their spouses (if separately filed) may be reviewed as well.
If you want transparency - then let's have it - for all who take government compensation.
4
@Rita certainly you understand people don't want to pay a dime more than they have to. There are professionals who study the tax laws just for this purpose.
Why the interest in disclosure of past finances of someone who was not a politician? Were you as interested in Obama's past as much as Trump? Have you seen how he paid for his education? Did you see what he filled out his student loan application (if he had one)? He was a poor young man who went to harvard, and refused to release his transcript. I bet you were not raising a fuss about him, but suddenly you were brainwashed to hate Trump so much, you need to see his 30 year old tax returns.
3
@Tom I certainly am more interested in seeing politicians turned millionaires tax returns, than a billionaire turned politician.
2
Now that the NY State Senate has approved a law that would release his State returns to the House, perhaps Americans will finally find out what is going on with his finances. Of course it still has to go through the NY State House. I have no doubt that it will.
To my knowledge, and I’m certainly not an attorney, there are no laws barring this move. We shall see. Nuff said.
1
The sudden arrival of hundreds of millions of dollars from as yet unknown sources subsequently used to purchase real estate and to develop more which then loses fantastic amounts of money smells like money laundering. Who fronted the original millions? Feret out that little item, and you will know what he is hiding below all the rest of the smoke and mirrors. A good bet is that it comes from some very unsavory sources, not in the USA but to whom he is beholden. Now, who might that be?
13
As a competing businessperson in sabbatical, It's not the public's business as concerns Trump's taxes and earnings. Trump became President as a service to the US, having a much, much more enjoyable life previous, and rescuing this country from the economic consequences of neo-conservatism and non-centrist Democrat policies.
BTW, Hollywood studios never made a "profit" until becoming part of publicly-owned corporations - it's smart business.
2
@David H. Sorry, but you are 100% incorrect. As Mr. Trump’s employer, I have every right. And, I have every right to know the same from all of my Government Representatives. I and every American is his Employer. Secrecy from our public officials is not okay.
7
@David H. Someone with the ability to manipulate the market, as he is clearly doing, needs to divest his holdings and reveal who he owes.
1
So now we know what we long suspected, Trump does not pay taxes even though he lives like a king while the rest of us little people work hard and pay our taxes. Trump says it’s smart not to pay taxes. I say it’s unpatriotic and treasonous to refuse to pay taxes to support our country. And cadet Bone Spurs says he loves our military. Just not enough to pay his fair share of taxes to support it.
Don’t forget that all the money that the rich don’t pay in taxes will be made up for by you and your children and grandchildren.
22
I’m certain that his tax returns will reveal that:
1) He is not nearly as wealthy as he claims
2) He regularly cheats on his taxes
3) He has been laundering money for Russian oligarchs for decades.
4) He has committed a myriad of additional crimes that nobody could have even dreamt up. The unknown unknowns.
25
The "tax return" is just another diversion that the political class uses -- we never really learn anything. The presidents tax return is automatically audited .... that's enough for me.
What would we have learned if we had seen FDR's return .... that his mother owned everything. How about LBJ -- that his wife did?
We know that people don't run for office because of the intrusive nature of the process ... that's fine for the political class of lawyers.
We worry about the wrong things
Hiding? That like most empty TV content he’s designed to keep as many people watching as many commercials as possible as cheaply as possible. He is concealing his casted part’s fiction. In pre-reality TV, a fiction like The Apprentice would have been responsibly produced as comedy, with professional actors like Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan and cast in a setting where the spoof is apparent.
1
Unless pushed to the wall it will be difficult for the Congress to extract voluntary submission of Tax returns by Trump. For, Trump offers a unique toxic mix of a history of business frauds and tax evasion and the presidency to be used only to protect and expand the Trump family empire as also a hedge against any threat from the law. Invoking executive privilege eberytime he violates the law or the code of conduct seems to have become a standard practice for Trump. In short, the Trump presidency is a strange amalgam of business frauds, and curiously enough of the frauds on the constitution of the country.
6
"Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are."
In Oliver Bullough's new book, "Moneyland", he explains how shell companies are used by kleptocrats around the world to hide their stolen fortunes. He states that there are over 700 shell companies which currently own Trump developed real estate properties. The real owners of these properties are well hidden within multiple layers of shell companies. These shell companies may well be all owned by Russian (including Putin) kleptocrats - which would explain Trump's embrace of everything Russian.
Given Trump's visceral fear of releasing any of his financial information, I would posit that he also has numerous shell companies, set up by Manafort and Cohen, in which he is hiding his money - on which he has not paid any U.S. taxes. Now Trump has put his supporter Charles Rettig into office as the I.R.S. Commissioner - put in place to guard against this disclosure of tax fraud.
I would further posit that Mueller has discovered Trump's shell companies and realized that the situation is far beyond his investigative capabilities or authorization. Hence, his "hail Mary pass" to Congress to discover the truth.
"Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are."
- Russian Proverb
11
Mantra for May 2019:
NO one is above the law.
No ONE is above the law.
No one IS above the law.
No one is ABOVE the law.
No one is above THE law.
No one is above the LAW.
POSSIBLY, if enough of us repeat this mantra enough during each day, it will reach the ears of those charged with enacting it.
POSSIBLY, those believing it, will endure these years easier.
13
Trump has multiple businesses, real estate holdings, licensing agreements all managed by an army of accountants and tax lawyers -- Most Americans don't want to look at their OWN 1040s much less a stack like that. The only people that want to see Trumps taxes are the Democrats that want to cherry-pick something from them they can use in the run up to the 2020 election.
The NY Times story yesterday is just a preview - we got a OMG Trump lost a lot of money from 1985-94. You forgot to remind the readers of the whole NY Real Estate meltdown thing in the 80s though to give it any context, or tell anyone that you could read the entire story in Trump's Art of the Comeback (1997) where he tells about the billions he lost and how he came back from it.
The financial disclosure forms are out there for anyone that wants to see them - 104 pages of publicly available details lay out the Trump Organization pretty well. What they don't do is give the Democrats ammunition for 2020, and that is what the tax return nonsense is really all about.
6
You are absolutely correct, sir. All of this has been in the NY Post since those dicey NYC financial days of the 80s. No news here, if you think of news as something new.
The DEMs are making out like it's a current story so that they can continue to search for memes and themes that they can use to thrash Trump, thrash the REPs, search for something that will stick - having struck out on Russian collision, obstruction and whatever else they are imagining so far.
The NYT will be sorely challenged in the weeks going forward as they will have to decide whether or not to whip up their regular readers or actually report on the real new news that will be out there about Comey, Strzok, Page, Brennan, Clapper, Rice, Rhodes, Podesta, Abedin, Mook, Lynch and the whole bunch of big-time varsity teamers right up to and including Obama. And Mueller will not escape either. His job was to report and come to a conclusion. He chose to leave doors open for political purposes. DIdn't do his job.
@DH Barr and yet if it was a Democrat, especially a Clinton, withholding this info you would probable be screaming for their head.
This is a privacy issue. No citizen should be forced to share their financial records with the public. I'm appalled that Trump's returns were released and subsequently published. My feelings on this issue have nothing to do with Trump. The IRS audited his returns and were apparently satisfied that they were legally completed. If you feel that a candidate needs to release financial records. Then limit your choices to candidates who meet your requirements.
9
In Norway, EVERONE'S tax records are public. - To be the top, very powerful public servant in the US, a full disclosure of finances (thus, financial interests) should be required of every candidate, to avoid financial conflicts of interest. Americans have the right to know that THEIR interests are safeguarded.
7
@Douglas
No, this is an issue of transparency and public accountability and trust.
Members of congress, who take oaths of office to act in the public interest, are rightly subjected to higher levels of scrutiny and accountability — and greater demands for transparency— than are mere private citizens.
And private citizens certainly don’t have the power to issue executive orders or move and sign laws (including tax laws) into being — or to veto them.
(Your post’s unwillingness to distinguish between private citizen and public officials, and the fact that you are “appalled” don’t address the numerous reasonable arguments outlined in this editorial...
7
@h leznoff, How many congressman's financial records have you seen? If full disclosure is your requirement. Then only vote for candidates who meet your requirements. See how easy that is? We didn't have to take away anyone's privacy rights either.
When the Illegitimate One said he wouldn't benefit from the 2017 Tax Bill he may have actually been telling the truth for once. Because he often pays ZERO in federal income taxes, so if you don't pay anything you cannot benefit from a tax cut.
13
If he has such huge losses and said he would not take a salary for being president -what is he living on?
10
@Geraldine Mitchell You do realize the NYTimes re released this. You do realize that this was a story in the 80's-90's and that the Trump Companies suffered during the real estate crash? Or that there were different laws then? And that he re negotiated his loans and paid them back, unlike other companies that just put it on the taxpayers? Hello????
@Geraldine Mitchell The same account Obama used to go to prestigious colleges he couldn't pay for himself.
My bet is that Trump's reluctance to lift the kimono on his taxes boils down to two things: embarrassment on how little he's given to charity and how he's (legally) avoided paying taxes by taking advantage of real estate depreciation and tax loss carryforwards laws. This is more about protecting his ego than preventing probing for illegal activity.
6
I think Trump's tax returns will show he inflated his losses to avoid paying taxes. That is enough to put him in jail.
16
@Stan The only problem with that theory is the returns for the years in question were audited by the IRS.
1
Any person living in the NYC area over the last few decades knows Trump to be an unsavory type. My shock is that “flyover” country folks bought the Trump myth lock, stock, and barrel. They think Trump is on par with Buffet, Gates, and Jobs. This is why we are in the mess we are in.
32
@Elniconickcbr
Trump won Florida and the last time I checked, this is not "flyover" country. Misogyny (see Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny) and Russian interference (see Mueller report) played a huge role in Trump's victory.
Enough with the flyover insults already--they are divisive and unpatriotic since they also played a key role in Trump's victory.
Reading the comments, I agree. Trump supporters are incredibly naive about Trump and believe him to be a good person who’s trying to rescue the country. This myth is staggering for the rest of us, especially in New York where his greed and arrogance have been on display decades.
I’m still trying to process how I feel about this level of naivety. On the one hand, I see in it desperation for a leader who appears to care about them - clearly they haven’t felt cared about by the political class for a long time. On the other hand, they have been willing to ignore their senses in order to go on believing the myth. Birtherism, Charlottesville, lies each and every day, cruelty to asylum seekers, breaking ties with international allies while embracing international enemies, the list goes on and on and on. The myth that Trump is good is a blindfold faith.
1
This conflict between Trump and the Congress has shown clearly the inadequacy of the US Constitution in modern times. It was drawn up by decent people at a time when integrity, honesty, and honor had some meaning. They could not have foreseen a president so devoid of any moral or ethical values that the Constitution apparently provides no quick or easy way to get rid of him, especially when the Senate seems to have abdicated all its rights to the tyrant-wannabe sitting in the White House.
20
@JB Actually, the electoral college was supposed to protect us from his like reaching office.
The facts reported over the past couple of years strongly suggest that Mr. Trump's full financial story would reveal criminality (not just tax fraud but money laundering and perhaps more) and would unmask him as not just a con artist but a flitting charlatan who has draped himself in a billionaire's lifestyle by catching the drippings from dubious projects and money-moving schemes. And since we're talking about the person who occupies the presidency, nobody should want to keep all that under the rug just because they can't stand "liberals."
12
@Jonathan The returns in question were audited by the IRS, who apparently found nothing -- certainly nothing criminal.
If Trump has constantly failed and never succeeded, it is hard to understand how he owns billions in assets. The real issue isn’t that he’s really a pauper and a lifelong failure. The real issue is that he lies on his tax returns.
10
Trump “appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer”
Djt book should be titled, "The art of the deal and the 'sport' of tax evasion." (See his May8th Tweet)
The guy is paranoid about his tax return discloser because it is a narative about where he has invested and hides his tax free money. My guess is that it is peppered in forgein investments. This dirty money is temporarily held in a trust as reported in AP news;
“New documents confirm that President Donald Trump retains a direct tie to his business interests through a revocable trust now being overseen by one of his adult sons, (my guess his John Jr.) and a longtime executive of the Trump Organization.”
The Democratic Congress must officially begin the process of impeachment. This is the only vehicle to expedite and strengthen their case in court making it a lot easier to get wittnessed testimony from those who are avoiding it like a plaque.
And yes it is a Constitution Crisis for our young and experimental Democratic system of governing. No One is above The Rule of Law. We are not a Monarchy.
6
Thank you, NY Times, for laying out the rational reasons for Trump to release his tax returns.
I fear, after having watched his presidency, tweet storms and rallies for the past two years, that even if released he and his Vichy Republicans will simply spin and talking point away anything contained in them. And their cult base won't care one bit.
12
The Republican Tax Cuts for Billionaires Act gave special tax breaks to real estate developers and golf course owners. Of course Individual-1 benefitted. Everything Individual-1 does is for his benefit.
10
I find it obscure all the people who want to exam his tax returns, I could care less.
The Democrats are handing him reelection. Mueller report had nothing, now Congress is holding officials in contempt...when another civil war comes I will blame the democrats.
3
The IRS is clear that if you are not the taxpayer seeking tax transcripts, those are unavailable to prying eyes. The NYT has no right to publish tax returns of any one private citizen, or not, because of privacy reasons and the legal aspects of doing so. Whoever provided those returns to the NYT should be held accountable.
Aside from that, the NYT editorial board is not in the business of interpreting tax returns, and attempting to do so, without context, or in-depth understanding of the businesses is not reliable. Unless you know the exact reason for every deduction or write-off and the business itself, the NYT should not be commenting.
The average taxpayer, let alone most CPA's could not begin to understand Trump's many tax returns. Trump isn't hiding anything, and the NYT must respect the privacy of taxpayers. If I understand correctly, Trump has many tax returns, subject to laws and taxes in multiple jurisdictions, both nationally and internationally. The oversimplification of Trump's taxes, without definitions or context, is irresponsible at best, fraught with misunderstanding and ignorance at worst. The article seems to be more propaganda than fact.
3
@Jon, You're 100% correct. It's nobody's business but the IRS. If a person insists on full disclosure from a candidate. Then only vote for candidates who provide full disclosure. Easy
he editorial board of the NYT seems just as unaware of American judicial practices as does Robert Mueller's staff. Mueller's people seem to believe that Americans are no longer innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Instead, we must each now depend on the Justice Department to somehow exonerate us of any proposed crime. So likewise does the NYT believe that any failure to comply with some unwritten rule about opening up one's entire tax and investment history to scrutiny is worth the extreme violation of privacy base only upon the assumption that failure to do so means that the individual is "hiding something".
5
We can speculate about what Trump is hiding, but for sure we know he is hiding something.That is what is scary.He has a chaotic foreign policy-how much of that is a result of where he has gotten his money?Trump can keep yelling “witch hunt”- it is a search for the source of his creditors as in “which” entity is he indebted to?
9
If Trump had nothing to hide he would show his returns.
7
@Fed Up With DC, Let's see yours.
So, those 10 years proved what many suspected: Trump is a loser in the area he most brags about. He did win is his current job with a little help from his friends. Commey and Putin.
The following 20 years will deliver us what he is hiding: criminal activity. It is a pattern. Same MO as with obstruction of justice. He even Tweets it. The guy ran his campaign saying he would get away with anything and proved it.
Nothing happens. There he is, having the time of his life rallying in Florida for re-election. It seems that when Trump wins, America loses. We need his recent tax returns.
6
@Aurace Rengifo, The IRS is the designated government agency for auditing taxpayer returns,not you!
Someone who couldn't qualify for a security clearance was elected president.
11
It's funny that you mention "what's he hiding" in the title and then never really get back to that. It is abundantly clear that there is something there he doesn't want the world to see. Given how hard he is resting, it's gotta be something big.
5
No other President has owned on going businesses that would be threatened by such disclosure. Releasing tax filings is voluntary. Full financial disclosure is not, which the President has done, but that isn’t worth writing about.
“Lining his pockets”? Let’s get serious. He donated his salary. The Clintons’ were self declared “broke”, and Obama borrowed money from a shaky friend to buy a house.
Now they are part of the 1%. And we are worried about a guy who came to the game already in the 1%? Ridiculous.
4
What are congressional Republicans hiding?
We know what Trump is hiding -- he has a long history of proven corrupt business practices.
Where are the headlines and articles about all the Republicans refusing to do their Constitutional duty?
Why are Republicans so subservient and willing to hand the keys over to such a corrupt and odious man?
Where are the articles about the Republicans committing obstruction of justice?
7
So what's news? Anyone who visited the Taj Mahal back in the day could have told you this. After paying for the frou-frou at the front entrance and the ceiling-fixtures-by-the-pound in the main arcades, the guy ran out of money.
Pennsylvania historians note this is in contrast with the folks that built our state capital building, the one Teddy Roosevelt remarked was "the handsomest he'd ever seen." After paying for the frou-frou and the ceiling-fixtures-by-the-pound, well, they kept on going until the job was completely complete, until William H. Berry put its architect, its building contractor, and the state treasurer who preceded him all in the pokey.
Pennsylvania never forgave Berry. New York Times gave him a nice obituary. Newspapers around here buried his death notice in the back pages, and historians still refer to him as "he who shall not be named."
I don’t really think the idea that Trump is hiding his taxes because he isn’t as rich as he has told everyone holds water. Any one with a brain already knows that, would someone worth 10 billion have anything to do with the Trump university scam? Turn their winter home into a private club for profit? No never. He is afraid of the financial crimes and tax fraud he has committed for decades. That is why he will do everything possible to hide them if I was a betting man I would go with the state of NY.
6
Folks, we didn't elect Trump because we give even one iota about Trumps tax returns, morality or experience as a politician. We elected Trump because he wasn't a politician or bought. The Times has done nothing more than reenforced the support for Trump across America. The more the demoncrats and media continue to attack the more we find ourselves disliking them even more than we already do. Compare the likeability of Trump to the demoncrats or the media. The people have made their decision.
4
No, no, no! Trump has no obligation to reveal what his tax returns say, but the government does have an obligation to keep his returns confidential. The Post hates Trump? Fine. Try to beat him in 2020. People who voted for him in 2016 knew what sort of man he was, but they figured at least he wasn't Hillary Clinton. If they were wrong, the Post should try to persuade them to change their vote instead of continuing to do everything in its power to sink his presidency.
3
Why isn't Mueller just going on some of the political TV programs?
Bypass the whole DT stonewalling circus.
The Times is now re-hashing a story they ran in October 2016 in an attempt to harm him before Election Day.
Now that Mueller report cleared Trump this reappears.
Surely we’ll be hearing about Stormy Daniels next week.
3
@Tuco
The Muller report didn't "clear" him. People need to stop repeating this lie.
1
What is the occupant hiding? Anything and everything that has to do with money, that's what. His and OURS.
Go get him, New York!
5
@MC If anyone says it is not about the money, you can be sure it is about the money
The 4th Amendment reads as follows: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. These rights are President Trumps rights as well.
Our Patriotic President, President Trump has handed his taxes over willingly every year of his life that he has earned an income requiring him to do so. If he had not it would be a matter of public record because it is a felony to not file a tax form if you have earned over a certain amount of income.
Also it is a felony for anyone at the IRS to hand over another honest individuals private tax and income information to say an Obama or a Clinton or a member of their staff like say a Susan Rice or even a lackey like Loretta Lynch or even a bug eyed Adam Schiff or a Creepy Joe Biden, if in fact the President has complied with the tax law every year he has earned a living. If he had not or had been found guilty of tax evasion or some other illegal act involving his tax filings, he would be audited and if found in violation depending on what that violation is, it could become a matter of public record and you and I could read about it in the New York Times or hear about it all day long on CNN.
4
Too much attention is paid to the leader of the crime syndicate and not enough time spent looking at his groveling enablers, including his cabinet members and family members. Their stories are of equal importance because without sycophants he's nothing.
2
How about passing a law that requires all NY Times employees and subscribers to have their income tax returns for the past 30 years published annually in the Times (online only, of course)?
Then we could all know about their hypocrasy, payments to ex-spouses, mistrisses and gigolos, financial failures, dubious and/or illicit financial gains and misrepresentations of wealth. We would then know if they stood to gain financially from the positions that they advocate in these pages.
The IRS audits the income tax returns of the President and Vice President every year. As a high profile real-estate developer, Mr. Trump would have had frequent aggressive IRS audits. The absence of tax court civil or criminal proceedings argues against significant wrongdoing.
The only interest that the Times has in obtaining Mr. Trump’s tax returns is to spin them for use as a political cudgel against him, having failed after leviathan efforts to overturn his legitimate election by every other conceivable means.
If the IRS doesn’t have a case against Mr. Trump, then neither does the Times.
3
"and because the integrity of our system of government requires everyone, particularly the president, to obey the law."
How can you publish this line with a straight face? The avalanche of evidence from the past 20 years, both Republican and Democrat, proves otherwise. You can't hold only one person situationally to a higher standard. You, NYTimes, need to reflect about integrity.
1
It's nobody's business what Trump's taxes look like... Have some class please...
3
Does he not do what every American that files tax returns does? Look for every legitimate deduction he can take? If in the end it means he grossed billions of dollars and paid no tax, then I say he's every businessman's dream. Let's see the NYT tax return and I bet they did the same thing. I think it makes him a great President for being able to run this country like a businessman instead of a community organizer giving everything away both nationally and internationally.
2
@Jon Do we really want someone who thinks so little of this nation that he avoids supporting its services through taxes to lead it? Where’s his patriotism? His skin in the game?
I suspect many who voted for Trump were expressing their disgust with the political miasma in Washington and saw in Trump an outsider who could clean up the mess. They were less concerned about his shady reputation and more concerned with making a statement. Now that we are 2+ years into his presidency, we observe the same shady character as a totally incompetent and corrupt president desperately trying to hold on to his office, lashing out at those who want to bring him to justice, and hiding all his shameful acts of self-aggrandizement at the expense of our national security. Trump's relationship with Putin - fawning over his unbridled power, expressing trust in him over our intelligence agencies, avoiding the type of bombastic epithets he heaps on anyone who disagrees with him or questions his actions, leaves us with the single most important question: Is Donald Trump a puppet of our greatest adversary? Congressional Democrats are debating among themselves if impeachment is politically viable. There should be no debate. The Mueller report itself is an indictment that this president committed acts that warrant impeachment, and the more Trump continues to hide and stonewall, the more reason to impeach. Even if the Republican senators refuse to remove Trump, it puts the onus on them to explain why this man should continue to remain in office.
2
"If you have nothing to hide, why do you object to be stopped by the police"? The Editorial Board would never utter such words. Trump has turned them upside down, causing them to take preposterous positions they would never hold otherwise.
3
Dems are sad and desperate and just can't get over losing the election. They're making it easy for Trump in 2020!!
4
I don't know very much about how one hides money from the IRS. I don't make enough to hide anything.
Having said that, the first thought that came to my mind was maybe, just maybe, he did not lose money on those deals. He and his lawyers are very good at scamming the American system. I would suspect tax fraud and apparently the IRS may think the same as perhaps he really is under audit by the IRS.
1
The President will not voluntarily comply with the norm that Presidents publish their tax returns. He will fight in the Courts to prevent Congress or New York State getting access and will sue to prevent counter parties to provide information.
This is standard procedure for Mr Trump ans it suggests that there is something wrong.
He has a lot at stake politically and probably even more with respect to his business. He will fight to the death.
Having said all that he did manage to stay afloat after 1995 and maintain an enviable lifestyle and then run for and win The Presidency. Others, especially banks and other possibly overseas sources of funds permitted him to do this.
The public interest is firstly, whether any of this recovery was funded illicitly and whether Mr. Trump knew it was so. There are indications. Raising money internationally is an everyday practice and providers of such funds are very unlikely to have political influence in mind at least before 2015.
The second issue of political interest is whether any tax breaks were illegally taken. There are indications.
The third issue is whether the tax regime legally applied is what we should want and have.
All this is the public interest and Congress should explain it as such to the American people.
2
When an unsubstantiated report about an incident (i.e. a rumor) is the only information available, I intend to assume the worst. So, as I stand in the booth at the polls contemplating voting for Donald Trump, I will not give him the benefit of the doubt.
4
Democrats will not be satisfied until and unless they find something damaging on President Trump. The Mueller report is in and yet we still hear claims of "Russian collusion." Given the politicization of the IRS and the intelligence services under President Obama, if then Mr. Trump had broken the law, it would have been found and leaked. The tax return issue is another straw being grasped at in hopes of embarrassing the President.
6
The mueller report did not show definitive proof of “collusion” by trump himself, but it clearly showed Russian interference, and implicated plenty of his former staff.
Thus it is important to know who trump is dealing with financially (as it is important to know about any president, it’s not trump specific).
And no one is expecting a tax crime, so the point about the IRS is irrelevant.
13
@Scotty the Democrat made up a bunch of lies about Russia and then demanded an investigation. They got their investigation and it proved that President Honest Don was totally innocent. Now the insane democrats are back on the tax return charade. What will they turn to when the tax return issue once again thwarts their plan for a coup?
@Scotty
Democrats are trying to get at the truth. If it turns out to be damaging, that's on Trump.
If you want Trump's tax returns you must require all Americans to produce their tax returns for public scrutiny. Are you willing to do that? Or change our Constitution to require it as a pre-requisite for becoming President. Apparently no one is willing to do it the correct way - which tells you a lot about why they are doing what they are doing.
9
Except trump promised multiple times to release them, and now he is not. And you can bet if Obama had not released his, Republicans would have called for his head.
2
@Martin, Breaking campaign promises is not against the law. If it were all politicians would be jailed.
One set of unanswered questions trump's taxes might illuminate: When Don Jr. stated in 2008 that the trump organization had 'lots of money coming in from Russia', how much was 'a lot', did it rescue trump from financial collapse, and which Russians, exactly, did the money come from?
30
@John where and when did he state that?
Perhaps he meant that wealthy Russians were buying condos in NYC from Trump. Nothing Shady or illegal about that. Russians are free to buy and rent property, 2008 was long before he ran for President. No problem unless you have an issue with the capitalist system.
2
@joe from scranton That's how the Russians launder their kleptocratic money. It's well documented. Not talking about capitalism here but "white collar crime." Paul Manafort being caught -- just the tip of the iceberg.
1
@John - There was no greater blackmailer's mark in the 1980s and 90s than Donald J. Trump. In debt up to his eyeballs, coked up to the point of irrationality, guilty of all Seven Deadly Sins, incredibly susceptible to flattery - Putin saw him coming, sent a few hundreds of millions his way, commented favorably publicly on his personality, and Donnie got down on both knees. The kompromat tapes (dozens of them, to be sure) were all that were needed to get and keep him in line.
How much do you want to bet that that 1 and a half hour long telephone call with Putin was along the lines of 'I HAVE to win in 2020 or they'll put me in jail' and making plans?
We don't have a President. We have a Russian psychosis inhabiting our White House and our nightmares.
1
We must now assume that the Mueller report -- as it was FILED with the AG -- is the product of an investigation that was halted and possibly thwarted behind closed doors.
Let's find out TODAY!
18
@FritzTOF, Why do you need to assume the worst? Mueller didn't say the investigation was interfered with.
When a reporter asked him about his taxes, in one of the debates leading up tp the election, Trump said, "I don't pay taxes, I'm smart".
He probably takes business "losses" (real or not), as tax deductions, and his lawyers and accountants may do that for him.
7
Every good reason you give for Trump to release his taxes will be the same good reasons he can't comply. Between Barr, Mnuchin and the rest of the shady non-leaders he has in his cabinet and as his advisers, Congress will continue to bang its head against a barrier they cannot break through.
The President and the Republican Congress has to be considerate of America and neither are.
8
@Steve
I want to see democrat leadership tax returns too. Particularly Pelosi as I don't understand how they got to be so wealthy -- you know, the less than 1% you hate?
1
What most in the media and democrat party still don't get, is that the millions of Americans who voted for and support Trump did so because of the issues he stands for and they believed he is the person who will actually do what he said! And he is.
They care less about his tax returns or his past. They want things done for our country, such as jobs and wage increases. He is fearless leader, not intimidated by the media, even attacks them when they're wrong or attacks him first. Uses commonsense over political correctness when applicable. And is doing things for our country, both domestic and foreign, that other presidents knew should be done but wouldn't take the heat.
14
People keep saying that, but what has he done for the country that’s so great? He has alienated out friends, coddled up to out enemies, caused a gigantic deficit that will require massive tax increases in the future, just to name a few.
All so he can enrich himself.
He says things that make his supporters feel good about themselves, but he doesn’t do anything for them
10
@Vince Hugh
Bottom line: Trump delivers. Like few other before him, and he doesn't need Congress to do his heavy lifting like Obama did with Congress and Obamacare.
1
@Vince Hugh common sense. Like separating families and caging them at the border or perhaps you prefer providing security clearances to people who do not meet criteria or paying hush money or flattering dictators like Kim in NK even tough he has begun to shoot rockets. Or ignore issues around climate change or balloon the deficit. Or work to weaken health care with no solution or improvement or denigrate and weaken our institutions like the FBI or our intelligence swrvices. Great commonsense solutions that will have impact for years to come.
What is Donald Trump hiding?
In his own mind no doubt the biggest thing is that his brand—which he sought to burnish in his run for president—is very likely nothing more than smoke and mirrors. In the public interest no doubt the biggest thing is that he may well be beholden to foreign powers for those enormous influxes of cash that kept his businesses not just afloat but dramatically expanding despite massive losses.
The bigger mystery is why the GOP is doing its dead level best to help this man—a known grifter, a proven tax cheat, an obvious profiteer from his office, an office that should be subject to the highest standards of integrity—keep the answers to these questions protected from congressional oversight and out of the public eye.
So the question is not just what Trump is hiding but why on earth the GOP would do so much to help him hide it.
49
@Steel Magnolia - The answer to that is already known - they want to be re-elected. Just look at who in the GOP party is and is not running again in 2020. The ones running again know that if they oppose Trump, the GOP will withhold money and support. The ones not running again are hoping for a cushy political appointment and don't want to put that in jeopardy. Or, as they smugly say, they "want to spend more time with the family". Right.
You can gauge how much the GOP actually supports families by the cuts they are making to social programs that support families.
9
@MJM. So they sacrifice the integrity of the office of the presidency for the “power” and “privilege” of retaining a job where the man who holds that office requires them to sacrifice not only their own integrity but their self respect? That is the mystery.
1
@MJM And this was different when Obama ran for reelection, how?
It should be required by law that every Presidential candidate reveal their taxes for at least 10 prior years and render
a full financial disclosure of their wealth to be independently audited by IRS professionals.
Then if elected the President must divest his wealth and place it in a blind trust as a requirement for assuming his office and minimizing conflicts of interest. Congress needs to pass these laws since Trump shows that these voluntary traditions can be easily ignored and violated without any political consequences. The emoluments clause needs to be strictly enforced and monitored again by law with violations leading to forfeiture of office and monetary penalties. The public requires such open scrutiny to maintain the integrity of this office and the prestige of the Presidency.
Trump’s avoidance of scrutiny suggests that he is hiding financial and tax improprieties and possibly criminal activities. When will Congress act? The House should introduce bills to deal forcefully with these issues now!
44
Mitch McConnell has already pledged to block any Democratic legislation that comes before the Senate. Why? Who’s greasing McConnell’s palm?
1
@IN It is impossible for a person who personally built and owns a corporation to "divest his wealth and place it in a blind trust."
What you are asking is that anyone who is successful in that way should impoverish themselves.
Some very significant companies and incredibly wonderful people fall into that group. You do not know what you are demanding.
@IN All you need is a constitutional amendment to get these changes. Get cracking.
I am not a Trump supporter in any way, but he is a very successful real estate operator. He has survived and thrived for years in Manhattan real estate development. He has taken advantage of accounting laws and bankruptcy laws to maximize his cash flow and minimize his debts. He is shrewd and cunning in a very high-stakes game.
You might find him distasteful, as I do. But he has proven himself to be a formidable opponent on many stages.
11
@Mike Trump has shown how depending on honesty and normative behavior has landed us a crook at the top, one that prides himself on that as well. He has shown how badly we need laws to protect us from this ever happening again because we cannot depend on leaders in Congress even to be a check on him and we cannot even depend on the public being informed enough to be alarmed, to act, to reflect in polling enough opposition, of not outrage, to such behavior . Trump has shown us that we have invested way too much power in the presidency, the executive branch.
25
@Potter
Ceding power to the Executive branch by Congress has been going on for decades. It certainly didn't start with Trump. Much has been written on the risks of such movement. Avail yourself.
1
@Mike All this is relevant to whether he has undisclosed foreign funders for his business interests that might be influencing his actions as President because.....why?
1
Clearly even Trump knew that public scrutiny of his taxes would make him unelectable.
He sends out lawyers to fight tooth-and-nail to keep hidden his taxes, DeutscheBank loans, even his school grades and SAT scores.
Just as Jared and Ivanka failed their security background checks for their nepotistic “jobs”, the “President” knows that he couldn’t pass one either.
Among the many horrors and sick jokes that will fascinate and appall future historians about our idiocracy is this:
We do more and better vetting of a junior Navy or Air Force officer who might possibly come near nuclear weapons, than we do for the person who controls the entire arsenal. Think about that.
59
@Evangelos
This is laughable because Trump's finances were well known by anyone bothering to notice. It wasn't a lack of vetting that allowed Trump to win. It was the belief that he would deliver in areas Americans considered important, like the economy and immigration.
And he has delivered. That's the only vetting many Americans will use to re-elect him.
4
@Evangelos Clearly Obama knew that public scrutiny of his college activities and representations would make him unelectable.
For some reason, it cost him far less to keep his information hidden from a compliant press.
Yep. We do more and better vetting of a junior officer with access to nuclear weapons, than we do for the person who controls the entire arsenal.
The key to all this: the American People elect presidents. The president is also the authority over the entire security and vetting system. By definition, if we elect someone, we entrust them with our entire nation's security.
3
@Evangelos. Trump's tax returns are as much business of the public as yours are. Are you prepared to release your tax returns to the public?
At this point, given what is already known about this president and his cronies, is it the least bit plausible that his tax returns are any more trustworthy than he? Last time I checked there isn't a line for money laundering revenues, and I seriously doubt that Russian oligarchs are in the habit of issuing 1099 forms for interest payments. No, to get to the core facts of his criminal enterprise one must subpoena the records of all financial institutions with whom he and his organizations have dealt, and trace the money flows there versus amounts reported in his returns. I'm sure Mr. Mueller and his team did that in conjunction with their investigation, probably referring the evidence to other jurisdictions specifically charged with enforcing such laws. Keep in mind that Mueller's charge was very narrow - conspiracy and obstruction. He proved obstruction beyond all doubt, not that it appears to matter. But recall also that Trump has gone most ballistic over efforts to investigate his financial dealings. That's the honey pot, of that I am certain.
23
Michael, in case you haven;t heard, the Mueller report is in. No collusion no obstruction.
4
@N Riano
No amount of hearings or subpoenas will change the fact that Mueller failed to recommend criminal charges. Democrats are just trolling for controversies at this point. Small battles when they've essentially lost the war.
Ah.... But there was obstruction. There is also a lame DOJ rule that indicates the inability to bring charges against a sitting president. The "rule" needs to be challenged in a court of law.
It is clear that Trump assumed that release of his tax returns would have doomed his chances to be elected, possibly even before the nomination. Therefor, it is imperative that that the tax returns be released. Most companies expect disclosure of senior executives financial standing before the Board would offer a contract. The role of the president is vastly more consequential. The president owes it to the American people that they know who he is.
Mr. Trump was very well known in New York City where he garnered roughly 20% of the vote compared to Clinton's 80%. Those that knew Trump and Clinton directly chose to vote Clinton.
38
@Vid Beldavs
I live and work in NYC my entire life. Manhattan is full of blind liberals. It took a mayor as bad as Dinkins for Guiliani to get elected. NYC would go for Karl Marx if he were still alive.
Pretty confident that Mr. Mnuchin will provide, very soon, a redacted version of the Trump's tax returns.
And a few days later, the (upright) Senator McConnell will be able to fiercely announce to the World: "closed case".
It happens every day: innocent people strive very hard to hide the proofs of their innocence.
52
Speaking of hiding things, Who Got To Mueller?
Bob Mueller has as much experience investigating things as just about anybody on the planet.
He had to have been very interested in the Steele dossier that has, of course, been thoroughly exposed as opposition research done with the help of Russian intel agents and which earned Brit intel agent aneight figure sum.
After all, the faked dossier was ALL the U.S. government had to justify spying on the Trump campaign.
The Bob Mueller that the law enforcement community has come to know whould have decided within a month that there was NO justification for any investigation based on the dossier.
But he didn't. Why?
4
@The Observer
It is more than the "dossier"; we will know all that after all of the report is published.
But for now and without the report, only judging by the undisputed info that anybody on the planet has Trump doesn't look good.
24
@The Observer Dossier was not only reason for the investigation.
5
Larry Nadler said last night that one of the things he wants to ask Mr. Mueller is whether or not the investigation was shut down by William Barr. I would also like to know if there were areas he was restricted from investigating, like the dossier, and specifically Trump Tower/Moscow. I hope Bob Mueller does the right thing and doesn’t comply with the Justice Department refusing to let him testify.
9
I believe that almost everything Trump does is calculated to improve the business prospects of his family business. But then, I'm stating the obvious, right?
53
@KO Of course. Anyone's family interest will be considered in any decision. I don't want my kids to die in a nuclear war - so, I might pursue an arms agreement. I want my kids to have maximal opportunities in life so, I might pursue laws surrounding equal opportunity. Do you want that any presidential candidate should first divest themselves of their family?
@KO
Given that we know Trump is a master at branding, having 95% of the news trash him every day, creating a slice of America that absolutely hates him, isnt exactly "improving the prospects of his family business", is it?
How about we pass legislation requiring candidates to release the past 5 years taxes if they want to run for POTUS. Let's ensure we don't have this problem again in the future.
83
Jennifer:
Here are some men who lost billions in ONE DAY via Yahoo News. This will make you feel MUCH better about Trump's real estate deals.
Jeff Bezos saw his Amazon stock drop 5.9% on Oct. 24, 2018. That dropped his personal value by $8.2 billion.
Mark Zuckerberg personally lost $15 billion on July 26, 2018 when Facebook stock dropped 19%.
On Oct. 10, 2018, Warren Buffett lost $4.5 billion when Berkshire Hathaway stock dropped 4.9%.
So Trump was one of the guys who had a tax loss of a billion in a 365-day year?
As if proving Trump is a fraud by technicality will change the minds of Cult45?
In America, success is defined by final outcomes (that whole “it’s OK to fail” mantra), so even if it’s obvious to everyone watching that the president is a con man, he successfully parlayed that con into the most successful outcome possible — being elected president — and therefore is not a con man, but rather a success.
Let’s just admit we need the economy to collapse before the next election. Or alternatively, that America is a lost cause.
21
@PB
So Madoff was also a success until he wasn't...?
And as for you wish that economy will collapse as an aid to america coming to it's senses; it will collapse, as all will collapse if for no other reason than because of global warming and extinction of species.
And not in a distant future but (if no action taken) in 10-12 years.
Even if Trump and his party were paragons of virtue in all else this one aspect of their policy; namely climate change denial reveals them all as so many Hamelin pipers.
11
@PB We need much higher registration and turnout of eligible voters, not an economic collapse!
Speculation on my part. Is it possible that Trump does not want anyone to compare his tax returns with his loan applications to Deutsche Bank?
69
As an American, I want to know to whom Donald Trump is financially beholden. As a former New Yorker, I am keenly aware that no American bank would underwrite any Trump project. We have a president of questionable character, and loyalties, and it is incumbent on the American people to find the truth. Thank you Gail for a straightforward accounting of what and why he is hiding.
82
@Judith Lacher
Questionable loyalties? To who, Russia?
Perhaps you havent kept up with current events, but that was a hoax.
I sit as an elected member of my small town’s Planning Board. All members of the board recuse themselves from any issues before us if we live within a certain distance of a project, or have any professional or financial dealings with the party before us.
We also state “why” we are recusing, or if there is a relationship, but we believe it is too minor, we state so, and others may object. In a small town of 17,000 it is hard NOT to know everyone, or live close to a project.
We won’t even have a holiday get-together with board and families, lest it be construed as a violation of open meeting laws.
Hard to believe that our small town Planning Board has 1000 times the integrity of the president, his family, and the Republican leadership.
Trump is hiding a lot- and I fear his financial entanglements jeopardize not only our country’s financial future, but the safety and health of our whole planet.
120
@Karen,
You really do not want the integrity of Trump, his family, and the Republican leadership 1000 times or even a million times. I000 times 0 is zero. Even a million times zero remains ZERO.
1
@Karen
Thank you for your comment. It is not hard to believe that your board has a 1000 times more integrity than the Trump administration.
2
I'm so glad this editorial starts with the fact that he promised during the election to release his returns. so much reporting fails to mention this lie, but really, it is important.
74
So we should just nod and let Trump lower the standards that should be applied to him? “Nobody expects politicians to keep their promises. Nixon obstructed, everybody does it.”
28
It’s the classic con, the bait and switch. We were running up to the football to give it a swift kick,
and he pulled it back at the last moment. Or he NEVER had any intention of releasing those returns in the first place. Voters hired a professional con artist and liar to be President of the United States...and got what they voted for. Keep that thought in mind and do your homework for the 2020 elections. If you know something about a Candidate, speak up. Risk managers in the US banking industry were too cowardly to come forward with the truth.
@Dan Backus
Yes but holding Trump to promises he made is like holding a 2 yr old to a promise. It's a meaningless act. And Trump does what he likes, promises or no promises. So I find that argument a bit flimsy in this case, and decidedly beside the point.
10
Yes.
Trump needs to keep his promises, and the people deserve to know who their President is.
And by the way, Steve Mnuchin seems to think that he is also above the law.
He needs to understand, in no uncertain terms, that he is not.
With the level of corruption that we have come to accept, he will probably not face any consequences.
That’s why we are in the mess we are in.
Mitch McConnell should never have been able to get away with the Merrick Garland stunt.
77
Donald Trump makes the financial failures of George W. Bush look absolutely "bush league" in comparison. Both sons of wealthy men who bankrolled their kids' attempts at duplicating daddy's success, and failed spectacularly -- and both walked away leaving others to clean up the mess and bear the losses. Bush and his oil company and baseball team were nothing compared to the level and scope of Trump's investment shenanigans.
Trump's compulsion to gobble up more more more more is absolutely a serious mental derangement.
26
As the Board recognizes, tax transcripts and returns don't tell the whole story. It is curious then, that the paper reported that Trump had huge losses in the 90's. As most of us know tax losses are not the same as real life losses. Countless profitable corporations pay no taxes. Clearly, they report tax losses while earning huge real life profits. We need full financial disclosure from Trump, as the Board suggests. Otherwise we have little idea of his true finances, which we need to understand in order to evaluate the business history of the richest President ever.
8
We don’t need more information that the Media will misreport and/or fail to understand.
6
@Stephen Gianelli
Kicking and screaming over news you don't like doesn't change the fact the Mr. Trump lied to us that he would release his tax returns, and then lied about how much money he made. A billionaires or so lies.
@Stephen Gianelli
Aren't you free to understand and or/report on this info too?
Why are you afraid to be informed (and yet reading newspapers)?
DJT simply doesn't want anyone to know that he is nothing more than a fraud, living on a reputation built with smoke and mirrors, who lies as easily as he breathes. He is a masterful con man that has conned more people than probably anyone else in the US, the figure 60 million comes to mind, and takes money from wherever he can find it just to keep the fictional story from falling apart. Everything he gets involved with fails, and daddy isn't around anymore to bail him out. DJT is most afraid of everyone finding out that he has been in the pocket of shady characters from shady countries, laundering their dirty money. No wonder he gets along with Putin so well.
65
@Michael Gilbert "you can keep your insurance", "you can keep your doctor", "families save $2400" were all far bigger cons and impacted more people then anything Trump has ever pulled in his life.
New York State lawmakers will "out" trump shortly.
44
At one time “virtuous,” “honest” and “exemplary” were assumed—or desired—adjectives associated with the character of our leaders.
In making those associations, were we naïve or simply didn’t have the no-holds-barred, pervasive media we have now?
If the exposure of character flaws in our leaders is unavoidable, perhaps it is time to regulate “acceptable” flaws and attempt to choose leaders from the survivors. To do otherwise is to abandon myths long associated with successful parenting and prepare for generations of dysfunctional cynics.
2
Is this what will happen every time a President is elected without winning New York and California? Continuous harassment about his or her past and no credit for low unemployment and high economic growth? It is tiresome and boring.
5
@Joseph Falconejoe
This is what happens when the Congress fixed the electoral college from representing population changes in an early 1900s.
Heavily populated states are now underrepresented while lightly populated states are now overrepresented.
As more time goes by, the 1900's law makes things worse.
And you are right, this is tiresome and boring and has to be changed
24
Most of us are not feeling this so-called economic growth and I am never bored with the uncovering of the next Bernie Madoff.
15
@Laurie The Electoral College worked exactly how it was designed. The United States is a Republic and the electoral college insures all parts of the country will be represented in the national election. If you look at how many counties Trump wo, it looks like a colossal landslide. The college prevents mob rule and also prevents very small portions of the country make decisions for the entire population
2
Payoff the Russians. For the right amount, they'll provide enough dirt on Trump to bury his whole family. Trump's usefulness to them declines daily. Putin is likely near the understanding that his interests long term will be best served by aiding democrats. As this transpires republican lawmakers will pivot from their position that any Russian buddy of Trumps is their buddy as well, to Russians and democrats are colluding to tear apart their beloved constitution.
5
@Jaden Cy I dearly hope that your prophecy stays untrue but it certainly rings like truth.
Mr. Trump's taxes, whatever they may look like, will certainly be complex beyond the ability, or even inclination, of the average voter to understand. Democrats want this information for the very reason that its complexity lends itself to biased interpretation. Expect accusations of illegality, impropriety, collusion, corrupt practice, etc. Very little if any of this will be provable but it will create a political smoke cloud with Dems dancing around shouting, 'where there's smoke, there's fire'. As ever, their goal is to make Mr. Trump himself the issue, never mind about their own raft of extreme leftist policy proposals which they don't really want to talk about because they know they don't garner sufficient voter support to get any of their candidates into the White House.
3
Oh, they’re too complicated. I see. That’s why we have accountants. Any more strawman arguments, or is that it?
37
@Ronald B. Duke
Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 3.8M national votes. She lost the Electoral College vote because she didn't campaign in PA, WI and MI. The Democrats swept the mid-terms.
Surgeries are also very complicated, that is why we have surgeons
He is hiding Russian and Chinese off show accounts and with those accounts no taxes payed to America. We need to see them now and lock him up before our economy gets permanently damaged from these tariffs. Every state must demand that men running for office must show their current taxes. We end up having a phony in the White House that has never earned a profit or payed taxes.
13
Without Trump being honest and forthcoming, we can only imagine the crimes he has committed. Trump is an unethical and corrupt man with a large ego. He could be hiding the fact that he was not the successful businessman he was projecting himself to be. He liked the fawning of the media, when they perceived him as a very wealthy successful man. When he ran into even more financial trouble than was shown in the nine years of tax information the NYT's was able to expose, he was so afraid the world would know what a fraud he really was. When more of his business started collapsing, his ego was not willing to go through the public humiliation of those business failures. He was willing to do almost anything to keep his "fake" image intact. To protect his "fake" image, he build a whole organization to hide behind. When we actually get the truth, we may find out worse information than Trump selling his soul to Russia. That may be just the tip of the iceberg in regard to his corruption, dishonesty and throwing America under the bus to save his own image. If Trump wants us to stop imagining him to be the corrupt criminal mafia boss he is showing us he is, he would be more honest and forthcoming with the truth. Even when he stands in front of his adoring worshipers at his campaign rally, he has to feel that a lot of energy from 2016 has dissipated and it has become more of a show than an event and most of the world no longer believes him or cares what he has to say.
19
Trump is afraid that his massive debt to the Russians will come out and reveal his traitorous actions to obey Putins commands.
29
@Elizabeth Wong. I'm sure that your assessment is right on target.
if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear
- Numerous dictators over the centuries.
When did America become a place where you had to relinquish your privacy in order to, "prove" your innocence?
2016.
9
@Larry
I think the answer is that your privacy should be protected when you chose to stay a private citizen. When you jump into "public" service, everything should be out in the open, particularly when you occupy the highest elected office in the land.
33
@Larry
Why would you think for a minute that there is innocence associated with Trump with 126 Russian contacts during he election, significant number of incidences of obstruction of justice and the barrel-full loads of refusing to comply with subpoenas.
Crime syndicates have to be treated as such, even when the crime syndicate is called President Trump.
12
@Robert Bunch
Going into Public Service should not abrogate your rights under the Constitution.
We need to keep in mind the the entirety of the Republican Party is 100% behind Trump and allowing him a complete pass on any of the misdeeds that may come to light from the ongoing investigations and interests in his tax returns. If the entirety of the Republican Party is representing the interests of their constituents, then apparently, most Americans do not care about any of this-and are in fact also 100% behind everything he does.
How do we reconcile the hue and cry for more transparency on Trump's finances with the idea that the Republican party that backs Trump all the way (yes this includes the misogyny, racism and nationalism) represents the interests of so many Americans?
Maybe someday the tax cuts for the rich will filter down? Maybe when the tsunami of the brown menace at our southern border is vanquished I'll be paid more? Maybe when America is completely isolated on the world stage I'll be paid more? Maybe we will finally get hard right conservative Christian courts at all levels of the American judicial system?
What is the dynamic causing the strength of Trump's support by the Republican Party and so many Americans, when clearly he is lying about just about everything and clearly doing things to only help the small white wealthy male segment of the population?
28
Great questions, all. One can only conclude that Republicans hate Democrats so much while loving power even more that they'd happily burn down the republic to turn democracy into tyranny.
That is the constitutional crisis Jerry Nadler spoke about yesterday. You can't have a country where one party feels its above the law while their opponents can be punished at will.
I place the blame for this dark era squarely on 3 people: Mitch McConnell, Donald Trump, and William Barr. Oh, I almost forgot and left out Vladimir Putin and ALEC, the program backed by the Kochs to ensure favored treatment for American oligarchy.
20
I don't have much quarrel with the rest, but just how did you go from "the entirety of the Republican party" to "most Americans"?
Didn't Trump lose the popular vote?
@Johninnapa
Absolutely. We support Trump just the way democrats supported the grifters, Bill and Hillary Clinton. After all, Hillary just received millions of votes, which signaled pretty clearly that "morality" isn't all that important to voters.
By now everyone knows Hillary targeted her husband's sexual assault victims and tried to destroy their reputations. These are the same people expressing outrage over Biden's treatment of Anita Hill. And the same women crying #MeToo.
Spare us the morality lectures. Anyone who ever voted for a Clinton is no position to lecture anyone else.
“We get the narrative from our leadership that we all got elected on health care and the economy and all of that, but we also got elected to impose checks and balances on a president who is unchecked and unbalanced.”
Well said, Representative Gerald E. Connolly, Democrat of Virginia.
Trump's strategy is to bog up Congressional committees with endless obfuscation, evasive tactics, and non-response responses.
Secretary Mnuchin declined the Congressional request to provide Trump's tax returns. Mnuchin does not get to decide the legitimate purposes of Congressional inquiries. When he took this job, Mnuchin swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States without any purpose of evasion. Mnuchin's statements in his letter all but rescinds that portion of the oath that he took 14 months.
Ways and Means should immediately issue Mnuchin a subpoena for Trump's returns. When Mnuchin ignores the subpoena, the Committee should immediately call a vote on a resolution of contempt on Mnuchin's actions.
After The House passes the resolution, Congress should immediately refer it to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, who will immediately refer it to a grand jury for action.
Contempt of Congress has criminal penalties of not less than one month nor more than twelve months in jail and a fine of not more than $100,000.
All of those efforts will be time and money well spent, for the good of America and the world.
Let the chips fall where they may.
23
@Ed
I would hope that Congress ensures the contempt citation comes with teeth. Sharp teeth. Anyone threatening this democracy needs to understand we will protect and defend her.
1
I believe Trump has filed for bankruptcy several times. My question is whether any of these bankruptcies were fraudulent? The tax returns should be studied and investigated along that line. Many people, little people, contractors of all ilks, are hurt by bankruptcy, which Trump considers sport as it enables him to claim tax reductions for years even though he kept his own money carefully sequestered. The American people, including his supporters, should know this, and it is even worse if the bankruptcy was obtained by fraudulent means.
21
@Harold Johnson
The media don't want you to understand that there are multiple kinds of bankruptcy:
- Trump has never filed personal bankruptcy. His personal finances are immaterial.
- A few of his hundreds of corporations have filed for "reorganization" bankruptcy. As part of those court processes, he has had to relinquish many assets, control of the corporation, etc. That's a business deal, not a personal deal.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Donald Trump “appears to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer” year after year in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. But Trump’s disastrous decade is an old story. The New York Times chronicled Trump’s 1980s financial collapse as it was occurring. But in 1995, it published an article headlined “Crowning the Comeback King” that chronicled his recovery.
The Times reported, “Mr. Trump, the developer who came to epitomize opulent wealth during the 80's before tumbling into deep financial trouble, has managed to erase much of his debt and is moving ahead with major projects at a time other developers are idling.”
The Times noted, “After the collapse of the real estate market of the 1980's, Mr. Trump's company was left holding some $8.8 billion in debt, causing his personal net worth to drop to a low of about $1 billion in the red by 1991.
“But since then, his fortunes have changed. He continues to pursue the trademark trophy-style projects he is known for, such as a hotel and condominium project on the southwest corner of Central Park that is expected to open by late 1996.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/25/nyregion/crowning-the-comeback-king.html
6
At my age, I'm not one to wish away time but I can't wait for 2020 and vote for the Democratic ticket.
The Trump presidency and its administration is an abomination and a disgrace to not only the citizens of the United States but also hurts our world standing.
Enough is enough!
63
@David: God yes! The very fact that I am up at 1:00 a.m. reading and replying to my fellow NY Times readers for therapeutic purposes provides sufficient evidence of the enormous stress the criminal-in-chief triggers. Like you I am on the last leg of my timeline too, actuarially speaking (I feel fine BTW, but for that stress).
Please Ds, give the country--the entire country--a ticket they can embrace for all the reasons that consume the 24/7 news cycle. Give us a ticket that tells the truth, shares the tax returns, answers questions coherently, demonstrates compassion for all, and can pass a rigorous background check for integrity and loyalty to the Constitution. Is that really so much to ask?
Our fundamental freedoms, lives and livelihoods depend on it!
25
@David
I can assure you that there are just as many Americans who don't appreciate the relentless efforts to make Trump a "half-term" president. You have been bellowing for impeachment since he was elected. All you've done is stiffen the spines of his supporters and turned off other Americans, who don't support the never-ending Russian collusion saga.
@Peggy I'm watching from the other side of the world in Australia, and you have my sympathies. I wake up early each day to read what other abominations that man has committed.
I too am in the twilight of my years and can remember back to Nixon and keep comparing then to now and fear little has been learnt. Just re-read All the President's Men and also The Final Days - scary the similarities. Please US citizens take action in 2020 to rid the world of this blight.
We should definitely have access to this liar's tax returns - if for no other reason than a good faith measure. But expecting a good faith anything from this two bit hustler...More than likely, he hasn't paid taxes in years, is not a billionaire, etc. None of this will matter to his base of course, even though part of their support always blindly swallowed that he was this gifted businessman, when, really, he just played one on TV. He might be hiding something, might be defrauding the federal gov't, might be doing all sorts of dubious - but legal - maneuvering. However, that's not why he won't release his taxes. He won't release his taxes, because he won't release his taxes. And that's it. As per his mentor (and the guy he abandoned on his deathbed) Roy Cohn, he never apologizes, never caves in. He's a coward and is deathly afraid of confrontation, so this is him pretending to be a tough guy. Kind of the way he's been pretending to be a successful businessman.
24
@Pamela Grimstad "As per" is a construction that none but poseurs employ.
How is it that some fancy-pants New York City philandering bloviator became the poster-boy for populist republicans? How did coal miners, displaced blue-collar workers and white supremacists adopt some TV pitchman who is a living caricature of a snake-oil con-artist? Do people who supported Trump in 2016 really think their choice was going to be good for America? One has to wonder what our fellow citizens envision as America's best interest while they drape themselves in flag-wear, MAGA merchandise, and fawn over Trump in a manner reminiscent of rallies held prior to WWII in Germany by a clinically deranged demagogue. Perhaps Trump supporters are in-fact fake patriots empowering a fake leader towards the certainty of a frightening future.
62
I ask myself these exact same questions at least every 3 hours.
13
I hate to say this, but many in the non-American world is fed up with President Trump and the US. Please take your tariffs off Canada. We are not a national security threat, but we have had enough. Please just go away.
18
@albeaumont, we're all fed up with him. We've all had enough. The U.S. is Canada's biggest trading partner, and vice-versa. If any commenter in this newspaper had the power to lift those tariffs, we would. We need everyone's support to stop this man.
12
Canada has very high tariffs on some US dairy exports. I’m perfectly happy to see US tariffs go to zero provided our friends to the north do the same.
This is the headline I've been waiting for! Why all the legal machinations if DDT (okay, DT) is not hiding something very serious--more than embarrassing--that he does not want revealed. If the illegality is exposed on the tax form, he can't claim ignorance or the tax report filed was incorrect. Both of those scenarios have their own repercussions.
There is a lot of speculation about legal maneuvers, let's see some speculation about what is being covered up.
The Teapot Dome scandal was finally exposed, this one will as well--he can hide but the dogged journalists (tu NYT) and prosecutors will prevail.
The wait, however, is excruciating.
BTW - What's up with Mueller?
9
Contrary to NYT's self-affirming argument -- there is no substantive legislative reason for Trump to provide his tax returns.
10
@Ami
Ways and Means needs NO legislative purpose. The committee can simply request to see the tax return of anyone. They are not allowed to make it public.
15
@Ami, the law doesn't require a "legislative purpose," a red herring invented by the administration to confuse people.
10
@Ami
Ways and Means does not need to state a reason for tax return requests. It is part of their oversight powers.
4
"a republic if we can keep it" ?; Well Mr. Franklin, I do not think we desire to keep it.
And What of "Rule of Law"? Forget About it.....
4
As an accountant who specialized in real estate accounting in a major (big 8/big 6) accounting firm in NYC in the 1980's and early 1990's, I know quite well how real estate developers would legally use depreciation and other non cash deductions to create losses for tax purposes. It is totally legal and was standard practice. The NYT alludes to this while at the same time slanting its article and judgements the other way. Since the majority of the readers may not understand the accounting involved, the NYT should explain these standard practice accounting rules so an uninformed reader can see how this works and not cast so much judgement that is contrary to the actual rules which make an uninformed reader come to the wrong conclusions. Unless that is the NYT's ultimate objective.
9
@bored critic Beyond real estate, any finance-oriented person knows net profit is a targetted and manipulated value. The real measure of profitability is cash flow.
3
@bored critic
Legal, perhaps, but what about fairness?
Ways and Means needs to change the IRS code if a "billionaire real estate" developer does not pay any tax for years and years. We, the people are paying for trump's military, roads, schools, etc. Not him.
10
@bored critic, I think everyone is aware of real estate depreciation rules. That isn't what led to Trump's record losses. Why do you think Trump is hiding his returns?
5
My worry is there is nothing worth hiding in the full mueller report. Trump and his entourage are withholding it to create a red herring. They will fight tooth and nail to not release it. When it is finally subpoenaed, it reveals nothing new and trump can continue to claim the Dems are out to get him. Meanwhile the obvious Russian connections get drowned out by trump supporters cries of persecution.
Just arrest these traitors with the information we have already. Don’t make the un-redacted mueller report into the end all be all
1
What is Donald Trump hiding? In a word, everything. I would too, if I were as morally compromised. We have made a fatal error in the last presidential election, and despite the claims of his “MAGA” nonsense, he I’d dragging the country into his familiar territory - the dirt.
6
Honest Don obviously is hiding financial fraud on an epic scale, and it is outrageous that the IRS has not charged him with multiple crimes long ago. Talk about getting the kid-glove treatment!
15
Would would Sean Hannity and Fox News be saying if this were president Obama?
The hypocrisy of far-right media outlets (and those who watch/listen to it) is truly astounding.
23
The whole time I was reading the special investigative report here in the Times about Trump’s past use of a billion dollars in losses for tax write-offs and wondered in all those years why he was never prosecuted if they were so illegal? Apparently they weren’t, which then begs the question for me, why do his more recent taxes matter since the same accountant’s been doing them for years? I can only assume that it infuriates the Board that the man they’ve been calling “stupid” for the last two years maybe isn’t that after all?
1
@John Doe, Trump is being investigated for tax fraud as we speak. I don't assume that the IRS has done these investigations.
Btw, I do mind if he committed tax fraud years ago, but his latest tax returns are more important because we need to know where he gets his money and to whom he is indebted. Does he have entanglements that compromise him in Russia? Is he personally benefitting from the legislation he signs?
9
Everyone knows what Trump is hiding, he’s a fraud. Everyone knows this, even his supporters.
The real question is, what does anyone (supporters, Republican congress, enablers) hope to gain from supporting such a clearly incompetent fraudster, and how could you possibly ever think this will end well for them .
There is a steady stream of evidence that he has no loyalty other than to himself and constantly throws anyone under the bus. And those people that thought they might get something out of their loyalty get nothing. They are fired, face disgrace, and sometimes even go to jail.
What sort of universe do you have to be living in to think that “your loyalty” to Trump will be rewarded any differently when this house of cards collapses.
17
@Miguel sanchez - Manafort and Stone think on that.
What is Donald Trump Hiding? Based upon the payoffs we already know about, the more serious question is whether there is anything about Donald Trump's life, financial status, or business activities that he is not actively attempting to hide..... Pull back the curtain and follow the money----it will not be very pretty.
11
What is Trump hiding? When you have a life of lies, deceit, unlawful and criminal activities, you have innumerable things to hide. If he could tell over 10,000 lies while in the White House for less than two years is it not imaginable how many personal and business secrets Trump owns.
May be someday he will implode from all the lies laying within himself.
7
It's not new revelations, it's been in press 30 years ago.
2
He's hiding what we already know. He runs the Presidency like he ran his businesses. AKA not on the level. He hides behind lawyers, finds loopholes and uses puppets who take the fall for him.
9
Finally, some people are asking the right questions and are pushing for answers! The truth will come out, as complicated as it might be.
Investigate
Impeach, based on the evidence
Vote in 2020!
7
the conman who became president is a liar, therefore, his business losses are full of suspicious veracity. somehow, he had enough losses on paper to avoid taxes probably always, and yet had enough assets on paper to convince foreign bank full of russian oligarch money to loan him billions when no other banks would. in both situations i would expect he lied. as president, this lying is troubling because there is potential that his financial "sport" has compromised him, has him obligated to putin, or saudis or other entity whose money has kept him in his garish golden lifestyle. since he has used other people's money in much of his dealings, there are so many that he scammed and were never paid, or paid back..contractors were stiffed over and over. when you're a star, you don't have to pay them, you just grab them by the neck and threaten to sue.
10
I can just imagine Mr. Trump's inner voice in the years of large losses described in the Times' article: "If I only had control of everything I wouldn't be such a LOOSER"
1
“What’s he hiding?”
Let that be the chant at all Democratic candidate events from now through Election Day 2020.
8
Wait a second —-
How can the most transparent president in history be hiding something?
Oh oh oh. I guess incongruous is not in his vocabulary.
1
The obvious answer to the editorial’s posed question is a resounding LOTS! Financial fraud and other illegal practices have permeated this Fake President’s life for decades, while he has remarkably escaped any commensurate accountability. The chickens are coming home to roost at last, for this amoral, depraved individual.
3
The man is likely hiding something between a range of illegal behavior to immoral behavior. His and those who support him beliefs that "the King can do no wrong" is childish nonsense. This guy needs to be removed, if not now than certainly in 2020.
3
What would Sean Hannity and Fox News be saying if this were president Obama?
The hypocrisy of right-wing media is truly astounding.
3
Maybe he' afraid because he also lied to the mob about his wealth, owes them loads and once revealed what his true worth is - well, one can only imagine...
6
Its not only his taxes and money laundering we should bear in mind.
Attention must be paid to the raw fact that he leads the Kleptocratic Authoritarian Republican Party.
The number of grifters who had and those it now has in the WH and cabinets is astonishing.
11
Trump likes to say that everything he does is the greatest in history. But he is afraid to show his tax returns because he will be exposed as the greatest of all con artists.
9
He did loose more money than anybody else, probably in the history of taxes. Is this winning? Are we tired yet?
5
I admit, I have tax problems. After four major surgeries in five years, everything for an individual taxpayer builds up. But donald trump has the best people available to sort his taxes and ensure they get paid on time. So what's the problem, donald? You're also clinging with cold dead fingers onto the Mueller report. Donald, you declared yourself 'completely exonerated'. The entire Mueller investigation should be an open book to Congress. So should your taxes, if the $numbers align. Despite exoneration, don, you're still acting like you have a lot to hide. Why is this, for an American president? What are you and your family hiding?
7
Is the biggest risk to Trump from his tax information becoming public that he'll be embarrassed, because this is an individual who can't be embarrassed or shamed. Is it that this proven liar who has told over 10,000 documented lies while in office will again be shown to be a liar? If his tax returns contained evidence of illegalities and tax evasion would not the IRS have prosecuted him by now, since it seems that they've been auditing him forever? Embarrassment and being shown again as a liar are not going to get Trump out of office or defeat him in 2020. I'm not sure that being shown as someone who has legally avoided paying taxes for years will either. If there's no criminality in his tax returns, I hope we're all not just getting our hopes up to be dashed again.
@Penguin, I suspect he's hiding a lot more than embarrassing details about his wealth, but we won't know until we see the returns.
3
No serious person doubts that Donald Trump is mentally unstable, is fixated on his own personal interests to the virtual exclusion of the interests of the country, is a chronic and pathological liar and is in thrall to Putin for reasons that remain unclear.
Or doubts that he was a draft dodger, cheats on his taxes, has engaged in many criminal business practices, treats women as casual playthings, harbors deep racial and religious prejudices and has no prior experience, knowledge or interest in learning the actual workings of government.
The Barrs, Lindsey Grahams McConnells of the world who deny this are deluding themselves or are so desperate for change that they are willing to tolerate the presence of a deeply flawed and failing man in the highest office in the land on the off-chance that he may somehow do them and the country some good; notwithstanding the enormous damage he has already done to the country.
How do we get rid of him now? By continuing to challenge in every venue available to us the the idea that he has ever been anything but a snake oil salesman and a crook. And by letting Trump be Trump. The evidence is all around us now that his ship is sinking fast. The S.S. Trump has hit an iceberg. Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Nadler are after him. Though I do not think it will be easy or happen all in one day , I expect to see him and many of the passengers on board his ship disappearing under the waves before the year is over.
7
The Barrs, Lindsey Grahams and Mitch McConnells ....
1
some media, and some Dem politicians seem obsessed with "getting Trump", no matter the cost, energy and distraction it brings us.
After two years and an exhaustive investigation, Trump seems to be a buffoon but not a criminal or conspirator.
It is time to move on. Obsessive minds won't let go.
definition of insanity?
inability to see reality
paranoia and conspiracy theories seem real
obsessive thought habits
obsessive emotional habits (hating Trump?_
obsessive behaviors (we just must get Trump, somehow)
continuing behavior patterns that aren't beneficial, and expecting different results (let's get Trump!_
so sad. Trump has driven them insane.
it is time to move on, for everyone's sake
3
@Joe Yoh, the Mueller investigation was narrowly constrained to Russian cyberattacks on our election and any criminal conspiracy that might involve Americans. it was a thorough, although not exhaustive, investigation of that matter--and I say it wasn't exhaustive because the report also lays out a case for Trump having committed a felony, obstruction of justice, which significantly impeded the investigation. Trump is a lot more dangerous than a buffoon.
I'm sorry that you don't recognize the importance of this inflection point in our democracy. I promise you that it isn't about Trump, the individual, but about our democratic institutions. I hope you'll be able to see this as congressional investigations continue.
1
"What is Donald Trump hiding?"
An equally pertinent and important question is, "Why do the Republican Congress not want to know what Donald Trump is hiding?"
A fox will be fox. We know well now Trump's behaviors. However, are all of the GOP foxes too? Are all of Americans who support Trump now foxes too?"
The era of Trump administration is a great revelation of the dark side of American character, who like to think themselves good guys, but are now revealed to be anything but. Trump supporters are not duped or manipulated by cunning lying politicians. They are really just like Trump and his minions -- prejudiced, unfair, cruel, selfish, dishonest, crooked, and if need be, criminal.
The saddest fact is that despite this, the Republican voters are nevertheless victimized by the politicians they support. In fact, their support is the very tool used to victimize them. Sigh.
6
Forcing a man like Trump to do anything he does not want to do is much like trying to force a very spoiled child into cooperating. As often as not, Trump's behavior is vindictive and lacks any compassion. He views attempts to see his taxes as an attack on him. There seems much to hide in so far as he is concerned. It is less about his taxes and more about what he fears from revealing them. It is likely that he believes or knows that the 2016 election was a scam and he really did not win. That alone could explain his tight hold. Add to that, we may find out he is worth much less financially than he has claimed. All of this may puncture his fragile ego. His ego seems to be the only thing he perceives as worth protecting and he spends full time at it.
5
There is far, far greater credibility to the idea that President Trump is beholden to others, probably foreign actors, for the wealth he professes, than to the idea that President Obama was born in Kenya.
5
With the records divulged in fascinating detail by the Times, I guess we can first of all discount his claims of having a "brilliant gut." Apparently he never learned that when you find yourself in a (financial) hole, stop digging. But, beyond that, there is the all-important question of who would lend this con artist money?
If past reports are true, virtually no American bank would risk loaning to him and that is why he turned to Deutsche Bank. I have to believe that Deutsche Bank isn't reckless either. Therefore, did someone co-sign for our president? If so, who?
And, perhaps the question isn't who....but what country?
5
What Is Donald Trump Hiding? Well, it could be evidence of a life spent on the wrong side of the law, or he may just be protecting his id.
1
What Trump is trying to hide is what is painfully obvious to us all. He is a petty, greedy, unscrupulous huckster. He has likely padded his tax returns with losses to avoid taxes (perhaps legally, perhaps not) and has hidden his sources of income with the same goal in mind. The source of his huge cash expenditures in recent years are unexplained, and we need to know how deep in it he is with our adversaries. We need to know if he's broken the law.
He's leading our nation's finances into a gigantic deficit situation and doesn't care because he's just thinking of himself - he figures he and his family members will never pay their share on that debt. Perhaps he would look good in stripes.
7
I would say that he is hiding his laundering of billions of dollars for corrupt Russian oligarchs, his campaign's collusion with Putin's interference in the 2016 election, and his stunning incompetence as a businessman. However, by now, all of this is painfully obvious. You can't hide what's already in plain sight. His tax returns and unreacted Muller report will only further confirm the obvious what we already know.
6
The quickest way to get to Trumps tax returns, get him out of office. The quickest way to get him out of office, have a racially balanced Presidential ticket. The quickest way to have a racially balanced ticket, have Kamala Harris run with Joe Biden. If the Democrats get hung up on policies and legislation after the election they risk losing sight of the real problem. Get Donald Trump out of office. Period.
5
A person who sits at the very top of the food chain of power should and must be scutinized in every way possible. Faith in our government depends on it !
4
No other way to say it. THANK YOU NEW YORK TIMES!
In these times when much of the press has shrunk from their responsibility you stand tall in your quest to " Print All the News Fit to Print". I for one appreciate it.
The country is under attack from the person who is suppose to defend us from evil. What is concerning is there is still many people defending Trump. At the core of the issue is Trump has no morals and morals matter.
The Mueller report made clear that Russia did their best to interfere and influence our election. They wanted Trump to win and did their best to make it happen. Despite this we have a President who cuddles up to Putin. All of Trump's fans should ask why. It is obvious.
Trump sold his soul and America to get his Moscow tower built. Many people compare Trump to Richard Nixon. Compared to Trump, Richard Nixon looks like an alter boy. Nixon was the first president I voted for.
Yes Nixon broke into Watergate to gain information to get reelected and that was bad. However, Nixon wanted to do what was right for the country and he was trying to get an edge to get reelected.
Trump sold us out for twelve pieces of silver called the Moscow Trump Tower.
What is most troubling is he still has a large following. What does that say about America? What does it say that the only meetings he has are with leaders that rank high our list of concerns including Russia, China and North Korea.
Wake up America!
3
Trump lies a lot but when he talks about what they were doing in the 80's and 90's to avoid income he is actually speaking the truth. Imagine that!
Does this mean that the NYTs could obtain my tax returns and publish them? I don’t like that idea. My return is boring with a capital B but my privacy has a capital P. I don’t think anyone should feel good about their federally protected privacy being so easily ignored.
2
@William Only if you promised to release them to the public.
1
@William, unless you become president, nobody wants to see your tax returns. This is about transparency and public faith in the government.
1
@William - However if decided to become the law maker in chief and run the country, presumably you can see how people might want to rigorously scrutinise your own law keeping.
The people knew who is Donald Trump before his started the 2016 campaign. Do you not remember his TV show? From other side, you, the media are making his image grows. What are you seeking now?
@Trassens, here in America we expect our presidents to be transparent about their tax returns. It's a democratic norm, not a law, but our democracy depends on our political leaders following democratic norms.
1
Trump is hiding his overwhelming dependence on Russian oligarchs's and Saudi money and the money laundering by Russians and Saudis. Bet on it. The loans and money laundering are why Putin controls Trump.
5
Donald Trump will willingly release his tax returns.
Mexico will pay for the wall.
Both statements have the same level of veracity.
3
Given all that has been revealed about this guy I can only imagine what's in his tax returns, something he simply doesn't want to see the light of day, must be toxic even by his lowly standards.
4
Seems like every commentator says what is he hiding? President Trump doesn’t like to do what you want him to.
He loves to yank your chain. And he is really getting to y’all.
The Dims in Congress will be called to task, then people realize how much time and money is wasted on the Mueller report and Trumps tax returns.
We could have been building infrastructure and solving illegal immigration issues.
Trump will be a reelected in 2020. Watch it happen!
There s another column in this paper about marginal losers now conceding elections. I think it is naive to think that Trump will concede any election not matter how close or far apart it is. He is determined to become the dictator of this country and nothing else will satisfy him. Get used to it or plan to thwart his plan.
1
Promise, what promise? "I was joking.!"
1
Donald Trump is hiding his entire adult life. Clearly he’s an abhorrent individual, ethically and morally challenged. As a businessman, he’s a typical NY real estate developer: not so much geniuses as crook. That’s how NYC real estate developers fortunes were created. Working families were pushed out to the curb to create luxury housing that was sold to international crooks. Even Bloomberg didn’t pay any taxes, reminiscent of Leona Helmsley who famously said: “ only the little people pay taxes.” Translation: working families.
5
@upClose: I am also concerned with this President's job performance and all I see is a hidden, personal-driven agenda and poor character traits in this man that negatively impact his duty to this country and fellow Americans ~ to whom does he owe money, and thus his allegiance? Why does he lie about almost everything? Why not consult with experts in the areas he knows nothing about? Why Tweet so much and say ugly, thuggish things? Why make everything about him? Why do his staff keep complicated matters away from him and treat him like an imbecile? Why does he go through so many attorneys and important staff/cabinet members? I could go on ... you get the drift. Performance is poor and character is sorely lacking.
3
The only thing Trump is NOT hiding is his arrogance.
2
So the Times, which claims all kinds of privlidges for itself, now grabs purloined documents which were supposed to have the seal of confidentiality. The real issue is that the country voted for Trump, how dare it do that, how dare it oppose its betters and not do as told.
1
@wjl, ah, the old trope that anyone who disagrees with you must be an arrogant elite. The NYT, like other responsible news sources, is providing an editorial opinion, not telling you what to think. The voters have a right to see any president's tax returns. You give up the right to conceal your financial ties and dealings when you run for president.
1
Let's see what foreign groups or individuals loaned or paid him money...Saudis, Israelis, Russians...lots of possibilities out there. Knowing that information is relevant to the proper functioning of our democracy and clearly constitutes a valid legislative purpose.
4
Trump doesn't want anyone to know he's not the savvy business man he portrays himself to be and that he's worth far less than he actually is. There's more royalties for the use of his name, not true ownership of the asset. And he probably donates only to his own charity - the grift that keeps on giving. Nothing that we don't already suspect, but with hard facts he can't deny. What's he going to say-- I lied on my taxes to make it look like I made less money?? (well, he IS dumb enough to add an IRS investigation to his 'party')
1
Get over it already. Hillary lost, period. Nobody made her skip visiting Wisconsin. Democrats are flirting with genuine irrelevance.
5
This has nothing to do with the Clintons. Get over them. He was a good president. She would have been. Trump isn’t.
8
@Gerithegreek518 It has everything to do with Hillary. Still unwilling to accept her loss, Democrats are now conducting a faux impeachment of Trump. I say 'faux' because they haven't the courage to actually do it. They look really small right now. And the House GOP made Bill Clinton look better than he was.
3
@Once From Rome, the only ones obsessing about Hillary Clinton are Trump's apologists. Your line is getting very old. (On the other hand, I assume you're not commenting in good faith.)
2
What makes you think that Trump's tax filings have been honest?Do you think he has always listed all of his foreign holdings? Do you think that all of his deductions have been legitimate, including claimed donations to charity?Do you think he has honestly reported ALL of his income?
1
The Times and Democrats are giddy about the leaked Trump tax data showing what an allegedly poor businessman Trump is. However, if these are returns from the 1980's, what is not being explained is that real estate partnerships were an incredibly popular tool that allowed partners to pass through expenses, depreciation and losses and these could be used against income from other investments. We don't know for sure if this is exactly the case with Trump's returns. It's not clear what years we are talking about. It would not surprise me in the least if the returns in question are from the 1980's. A reminder though. Democrats controlled the House the entire decade - Trump was operating under their tax laws.
2
Mr. Donald Trump, should present his tax returns.
All past Presidents have done so.
Past Presidents declared their tax returns when they were at the stage of being a Presidential candidate.
It is only because, Mr. Trump not declaring his tax returns, that there are questions why he is not doing so. And what the reasons could be?
2
Reading this article led me to think about 1984 when Ben and Jerry's was beginning distribution in Boston and elsewhere. Pillsbury had just purchased Haagen Dazs and told its distributors if they carried Ben and Jerry's they would lose Haagen Dazs. Since Haagen Dazs was so lucrative, this was a no-brainer. No to B&J! Ben and Jerry discovered it could take years and millions of dollars to fight in the courts so instead they fought on their own terms. Thus the "What's the Dough Boy Afraid Of?" campaign began. Low cost advertising, strong messaging, and a grass roots effort made the distributors back down and tell Pillsbury no. It is time for the Democrats and concerned people to ask what is trump afraid of? Release of his tax forms, the Mueller report, our Constitution and democratic system of government? What is trump afraid of?
3
Actually, if we all adopt Trump's tax strategy, we will solve the ongoing issue of his wall: just stop paying taxes, and there will be no money to pay for it.
Oh, that's right, he undoubtedly has a strategy for that possibility also: get donations from his cult followers, and then hire cheap, illegal workers to build it, much as he has done with service workers at his properties. (I say "his properties" advisedly, understanding that some Russian bank or Saudi oil prince may actually hold the 100% mortgage on them.)
No wait, he wouldn't even have to stoop to hiring "illegals." He could just grant all of them H-1B visas, and then cancel the visas once the wall was built.
Of course in that case he would have to remember to have a door built in the wall to shove them all back through.
4
@Steve Fankuchen
I think you make great points. LOL! MAGA!
There is zero credible reason to get the President’s tax returns. Nothing in here is a valid reason. It’s just Trump haters and liberals looking for all sorts of silly problems. I was a tax CPA. Nothing meaningful can be found about his dealings, and taxes are a personal matter. And whether he paid no taxes is of no relevance as long as he’s within the law. Finally, anyone who thinks the President makes policy based in how he personally benefits, has lost the plot. It’s an utterly absurd assertion.
5
I am a CPA also, an]d there is plenty to learn from his tax returns. Read "Decade in the Red" in today's NYT. @David Berman
3
@David Berman - Jared Kushner went all over looking for investors for his debacle at 666 Manhattan in New York. The Emir of Qatar turned him down and suddenly, daddie Donald declares Qatar a terrorist hotbead even though we have troops stationed there. No, the Donald would never set policy to personally benefit himself or his family. Never!
3
@David Berman, why is it absurd to think Trump promotes legislation that benefits him? Did he divest his holdings? Did he sign the 2017 GOP tax bill? Does he openly monetize the presidency? Personally, I suspect he profited from laundered money from Russia.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons to see every president's tax returns. I can think of no legitimate reason for any president to refuse to disclose them. Can you?
1
Pretty simple. No laws are being broke by not sharing the tax returns. It becomes a political issue. If we are going to require all future candidates to be financially vetted before an election then have congress pass a law requiring it. Then have the IRS do the review and have the findings made public. To do so otherwise it just comes across as politics as usual. As an example how many non Dems are asking for this. An how many Republicans wanted disclosure around the Clinton Foundation. It never stops...... Now ask yourself would you be willing to provide your tax returns to a prospective employer? How about having them made public. And finally why are the Dems digging? Its called playing politics hoping to find something and use it in the swamp Game of Thrones
2
@Just 4 Play, there already is a law requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to turn over the tax returns of any citizen upon request by the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation. It's called section 6103 of the tax code, and it was passed shortly after the Teapot Dome scandal.
The Trump administration knows that the law is on the side of Congress. They're just delaying the inevitable to rile up Trump's base and confuse the public.
This has nothing to do with whether you as a private citizen would want your returns made public. First, section 6103 requires Congress to keep the returns confidential. I do believe there should be a new law requiring all presidents and presidential candidates to make 10 years of tax returns public, but you're talking apples and oranges.
2
NYT is definitely doing this right; right time to publish this; right time to write this op-ed.
I always thought that the GOP's maximalist position on everything, long before Trump showed up, left them ripe for some judo, because if anything the Democrats do is welcomed with "They're crazy socialist lunatics"--which is the case--then the Democrats are actually free to do what they want. The response will be X, no matter what you do. So do what you want.
2
He doesn't owe you anything. You don't have the right to see anybody's tax returns. You aren't the IRS. The New York Times, which has endorsed a Democrat for President every election since 1956, just wants to hurt President Trump any way they can.
4
@James, on the contrary, Trump has a legal obligation, per section 6103 of the tax code, to share his returns upon written request by the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. That doesn't mean we voters see them--the Ways and Means Committee sees them.
I disagree with your opinion that Trump doesn't owe the voters his tax returns. It's been a democratic norm since Nixon that presidents share their tax returns every year, and that presidential candidates do the same in an election. You may not think they're important, but the rest of us want to see them. It's all about transparency and public faith in our elected officials.
2
"...because politicians should keep their promises.." Does that apply to Congress? "...the public deserves to know whether his policies are lining his pockets.." I think the public deserves to know how Senators and Representatives go to Washington and become millionaires on their $175,000 salary.
5
Most Americans pay their taxes year in and year out. They comply voluntarily and fund the Federal and State Governments for common services.
If someone fails to pay what they owe, they are in fact cheating those who do pay their taxes.
Obviously NOT MY PRESIDENT had unlimited inherited wealth from his father to offset his poor business practices during the period of the 80's into the 90's.
He got a free ride on the backs of the average American during this period. Let that thought think in. We paid for his lavish life style then, and we are still paying now.
6
Tucked deep into that lengthy article and in depth analysis which requires an accounting degree to understand, which I have and completely understand the concept of tax vs book accounting and how depreciation, a non cash deduction, can account for large tax losses, was the statement that trumps tax information was mailed to the NYT by an anonymous individual. Well, so much for source credibility. And the NYT had no idea of the source or the accuracy/credibility of the info, yet managed to do all this in depth analysis and expect us to believe it? yeah ok.
2
@bored critic, respected news organizations like the NYT always do extensive verification of anonymous sources. Editors don't simply accept the word of any random person off the street. You can be sure this information has been thoroughly vetted--in fact the reporters for the front page article have been investigating Trump's taxes for years. They know who the source is.
1
This seems to have gotten lost in the NY Times comment queue.
Trump ceased being a private citizen when it came to taxes the moment he announced his run for the presidency. He may not like that fact. He doesn't like a lot of facts. That dislike doesn't change the facts. His pathetic attempt to put himself and his family above the law won't protect him or immunize him from prosecution once he returns to being a private citizen. If he was a mensch he'd bite the bullet and release his tax returns. Then he'd deal with the consequences.
Donald J. Trump is not a mensch, a genius, or above the law. Gravity doesn't stop working just because you want it to. At some point Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP are going have to decide who they work for: Trump and the rich or us. If they keep on supporting Trump they will betray the United States, our constitution, and everything we claim to stand for. History is not kind to traitors. I have little hope of the GOP coming to its collective senses. I used to hope that the judiciary would work on our behalf. Since Barr "exonerated" Trump I have my doubts.
Trump has, with the assistance of the GOP and his AG, William Barr, created a constitutional crisis. Nixon tried the same tricks. But we had a different GOP back then. Now there's not a shred of integrity about any of them. The only question left is whether or not McConnell will grow up and become a mensch. Me, I have my doubts.
5/8/2019 9:08pm
8
I’ve read the books, and seen the movies. The gangsters always go down on tax evasion charges. Trump is no exception.
3
Trump's desperate. The big con is about to be revealed.
He says losses are always "shown" for "tax purposes", which, to me means he manufactured losses to avoid paying taxes. He wants to have it both ways -- be seen as a successful rich billionaire and to show big losses to the IRS.
We can see, consistently across Trump's life, that he's a compulsive liar and a cheat. Like Icarus, he flew too high -- into the WH, against even his own expectations -- and it will be his downfall.
6
To answer the question, What is Trump hiding? As a fraud: Everything! Only through the exclusive power of the presidency, which the Constitution wisely guarantees, is he, as president, able to finesse and manipulate as he does in service to self. Our system after all, ultimately dependent on good faith for effecting the good, has limitations. We are dealing with Trump an accomplished scoundrel ... which basically descent people are not used to. Let’s hope he doesn’t start a war to gain public support. How can anyone, no matter political-party affiliation, not see this? That, to me, is even worse.
2
What is he afraid of?
That it reveals he was a swindler all along, that it is mostly a house a cards based on his lies, pretenses, and huge egomania. Many won't care though and that is the problem.
1
Trump continues to say that he will release his tax returns once he is no longer under audit. One would imagine that the auditing process for his tax returns from five, ten, twenty years ago has been completed. Why is he not being confronted about releasing his tax returns that have been audited? Or perhaps the auditing narrative is just another of his long string of lies.
4
@donaldo
"Perhaps"?
The appalling truth is that Trump doesn't have skeletons IN the closet. His dark side IS what we see. Much of his legal wheeling-dealing has been accomplished by exploiting his (father's) money, name, the greed of others, and the tax code - and he's proud of it.
The stock pump and dump maneuvers reported by the Times, involving his fake takeover ploys, would have been illegal for a broker, but (?) not for an individual. Martha Stewart actually served time for her puny stock scandal, technically only for lying about it to the FBI.
Trump's evasion of any responsibility for the far larger harms he has caused is a signal that not only is the game rigged, but that much of our laws - especially tax regulations - are there to protect such beasts.
An aside re: the so-called Trump State Park gift to NYS. He initiated an application to the Town of Yorktown for a golf course, but never submitted a complete plan, required for an review. Perhaps this was only a charade anyway to make it the property appear more valuable than it was, or perhaps it became clear that this wasn't going to be a goldmine. Wikipedia reports that he claimed a 2006 value of $100 million as a write off, on a $2 million investment, no source given. The conman rules.
We peons sweat accurately reporting piddling interest income, documenting donations, and getting our withheld income tax correct. So -yes, I'd like to see those Trump returns. Every single, separate IRS form. The tracings of his soul.
6
Considering how much he has lost of his own money.....imagine how he i going to leave the economy in time.
3
Not least, it would also be interesting to know if POTUS is financially beholden to foreign interests - whether governments, banks or even criminal organizations.
4
What is Trump hiding? Everything. He is a King by his own narrow view when actually he is a financial fraud who lied for years about his actual financial position to lenders, sellers, and America.
3
I hate to bring up Rush Limbaugh, as it's likely to get my subscription cancelled. Rush played a cut from S1E1 of "The Apprentice". Donald Trump said he had made and lost a lot of money.
And, with his financial disclosure statements, he's told, anyone paying attention, as much.
To prove my point, there are no gasping talking heads, trying to tell us Trump lost millions of dollars. It is more like, "What is he hiding?"
As it turns out, not much. Maybe Congress should pass a law, no doubt welcomed by the unwashed masses, everyone filing to run for public office must have at least 5 years of state and federal tax returns. Let's see who seconds that. Bernie?
@Mike
How is that you know he’s not hiding much? Do you have his tax returns, do you have a direct access to IRS that even congress lacks?
And that last comment about tax returns... majority democratic candidates don’t have to— their records are already public.
Answer me one thing:
DT promised before election to make his tax return public but he has reneged on that promised multiple times?
Why?
3
@Ash. How do you know he is?
What is more enlightening is that there are no Republicans standing up and asking these same questions. Our nation should not only be ashamed of their indecency, immorality and criminality but vote them all out of office.
2
It hard to tell anymore, whether it is DT's dementia, or his lying that is holding sway over him. He doesn't owe the American public a fuller accounting of his financial dealings, as 63 million of them voted for him in spite of that fact, and that his companies had been bankrupt a number of times, he was a reality television star, had been a womanizer, and was on his third wife. The fact that he had been a pathological liar his entire life didn't seem to faze his voters, Evangelicals, or Netanyahu, and his followers here in America. Religion, and small town tribal behavior is something that those of us who have lived among it for over 4 decades learned to navigate by not being around them at all. Just assume that not only the Trump Organization, but the Kushner Holdings, owe plenty of billions to nefarious characters in both Russia, and the middle east. It is isn't rocket science, folks. Of course, another war in the middle east, might be the only thing that would knock some sense into some of those who voted for him. I hope we, and they don't have to find out that way.
2
Not addressed in the article: Trump is known to be morally and ethically bankrupt, and has now been in control of the presidency long enough to have installed equally corrupt collaborators throughout the federal government. Given this, if Trump were to make his tax returns public, how could we be assured that the tax documents themselves were not as false, deceptive, and inaccurate as Trump himself?
1
Why must we bludgeon the man to death? It seems apparent that all this won’t stop until the man is buried and to my thinking, all because he’s not cut from the same bolt of cloth that all other politicians, Republican or Democratic, are cut from.
1
The fact that Trump was one of America's largest losers among American taxpayers in the timeline outlined in the NYT's article, while he published a book on how to be successful, is so Trumpian. He is a living contradiction. A more appropriate name for the book: "The Art of the Spiel."
3
First of all, he doesn't feel he owes the American people *anything.* He has never felt any responsibility or accountability to anyone outside his own family.
Second, many of the American people - at least 40% of them - agree with him.
Third, the entitlement mentality is strongest among the wealthy and powerful. They don't tolerate any questioning of their status or methods, or doubts about their entitlement.
Fourth, laws are for the little people.
Fifth, morality is for chumps.
I'm giving 5 to 3 this disgrace of a human being is re-elected.
I'm not a lawyer and have a simple question. If Trump is claiming $100 million in losses every year for over a decade and the banks are also writing of those losses as unpaid loans, then isn't that fraud?
We already know he filed for bankruptcy six times and didn't repay hundreds of millions of dollars. It sounds like the workings of a conman- borrow millions of dollars, never pay it back, and then claim it as losses so you don't pay taxes. Great scam until you're caught.
2
This will not end well for Trump. His diversionary tactics, his lies and his outright disregard of our laws, constitution and using the oval office for his own benefit and not the country’s is in of itself an indictment of a man who is beyond morally corrupt and unfit to lead. He has conned Americans into believing he is the savior of the country when in reality he is the one the country needs saving from. Many ask, what is Trump hiding? All I can say is eventually, the inevitable truth will be revealed. I am not sure when or how but I do know one thing, the truth will be so damming that even Trump will be shocked.
1
Apprentice contestant, and disgraced former Illinois governor Rob Blagojevich was famously recorded describing his desire to enrich himself by auctioning off Barack Obama's old Senate seat... "I've got this thing and it's golden, and I'm just not giving it up for nothing." Since he only ever lost money as a businessman, Trump seems determined to use his office the same way.
2
WHAT DOES DONALD HAVE TO HIDE? Having grown up in NYC and being the same age as Trump, I followed his activities over the last 50 years rather closely. In my opinion, he is shameful as evidenced how he dealt with tenants, and the contractors he didn't pay. Perhaps the most deplorable act was connected to the Children's Cancer non profit he misused funds from.
It takes a special kind of person to steal from kids with cancer.
When he ran for president, a deep chill went down my spine but I was confident he wouldn't be elected. After all, anyone learning of his sordid past could not possibly want such an inexperienced, repeat bankruptcy filer, womanizer to represent our country.
When he won the electoral college, my deep chill changed to horror and after 2 years America is finally realizing what NYers like me already knew.
Trump has much to hide but thus far, too many people seem willing to look the other way even though he is assaulting our way of life and democracy.
I pray the Lord will extricate us from this terrible mess because it's obvious congress cannot.
5
If Trump can get away with this kind of tax scamming then why should any of us pay any taxes? This is the kind of question millions of Americans are beginning to ask.
2
I'm all for the scrutiny. However, NYTimes' conclusions about Trump's business savvy are unsupported as of now. Big tax losses in a real estate business do not imply failure to create wealth for the developer. They also don't imply success - we just don't know enough to know if he was good or not. Looking forward to this newspaper someday producing a knowledgeable and fact-based analysis of the real estate tax game as played by Trump.
2
@John M., I think losing over a billion dollars in a decade and declaring bankruptcy six times qualifies as failure in business. He certainly wasn't creating wealth for his investors or contractors. His father tried to cover his losses, but Fred Trump knew his son was a money hole. The reason Trump survived financially is that he inherited over $400 million.
1
Donald Trump is hiding that fact that Saudi Arabia owns him. The Saudis have bailed him out of bankruptcy and bought some of Trump's properties at way over market price. MBS is holding most of those strings in the illustration. The first string has Trump demonizing and threatening Iran. The second string has Trump turning a blind eye to the Saudi war crimes in Yemen. The third string has Trump ignoring the Khashoggi murder. The fourth string has Trump selling sophisticated weapons and nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The fifth string has Trump starting a war against Iran on behalf of Saudi Arabia and MBS new partner Netanyhau.
2
The House Democrats should get the tax returns from NY State, then go over them with a fine tooth comb. Did he claim unwarranted deductions? Did he show income from sources that may be laundered money? Inquiring minds want to know.
1
Trump doesn’t care. He thinks this is his business and we, the long suffering public are his employees. This is unacceptable. Subpoenas, subpoenas, subpoenas are the way. Are we not a land of laws, where no one is above the law? All I can see are people gleefully breaking the law and nothing being done. Arrest these miscreants. This country is at stake and and we are not taking this seriously enough. March on Washington. Take Trump Down.
2
Donald Trump obviously finally did something right in business but he was clearly a very slow learner who would have ended up in the poor house if not for his father. He was as a businessman as he is as a President - uninformed, rigidly stuck on his opinions, unwilling to listen to others, brash and unthinking.
It's hard to know his supporters don't get it.
3
The carnival barker, con man, and master of smoke and mirrors who masquerades as the President of the United Staes will never willingly release his tax returns. Congress is hobbled by its legal restrictions, but I hope somehow the public will find out the truth. It may be that the only way the truth will be told is by our free press, and I salute the Times, its reporters and editors, and other courageous news organizations for holding at bay this would-be dictator and his sycophants. The public is behind you all the way. We must defend the First Amendment at all costs.
I am a subscriber, and if you raise the rates to cover the additional expenses of investigative reporting and your adherence to truth-telling, I will gladly pay more in support.
3
How can a person be a crook-in-the-open, have 40 or so associates meet regularly with Russians, have conversations-without-notes meeting with Valdemar Putin...
And not already be impeached, indicted and jailed? The answer is simple: Mitch McConnell, the most destructive politician in American history.
As long as Trump is allowed to hide behind Executive Privilege and receive all the cover he needs from Republicans, we cannot legitimately call ourselves a Constitutional Democracy.
If Trump and McConnell succeed, America loses. Simple as that.
4
This is Ancient Rome all over again. Remember, the republic fell not because Caesar demanded a crown, but because the Senate handed him one. In the long gaze of history, the true villain of our time, he most deserving of opprobrium, will be Mitch McConnell, a true traitor to his nation.
5
"benefit of the doubt",
"innocent until proven guilty":
such are the foundation of our relatively benign, emphatically non-Napoleonic legal code.
Mr djt appears, so far, innocent of any wrongdoing as established by a court of law.
If he believes, on legal advice, that he might well prevail in such a contest, why not be somewhat more revelatory, frank and open towards the nation at large, which, it is felt, he should somehow (temporarily) represent?
If his behavior is understood as implying he may have things to hide, then, of course, he should be pursued to the extent of (Constitutional, federal and relevant state) law.
Otherwise, he's just engaging in a ploy to strengthen the presidency, something at least some of his supporters might well support, but only as long as they can get the 'right' guy elected.
Would they desire a "strengthened presidency", were a Demo to win the contest?
2
This writer fails to see the insistence of anyone needing to see another citizens tax returns. Firstly, they are not only confidential and essentially no one's business other that the tax payer. Secondly, US Tax Code protects this confidentiality.
What we want from this president and any president for that matter is an effective administration who can deal with the phletora of problems and issues brought before it. These dealings to produce an outcome that will maintain our integrity as a nation and world leader.
2
@Dr. Charles B. Forster, Jr. We have a right to know if he is in debt to foreign powers and/or has committed tax fraud. He made public promises and voters relied upon them. If he is profiting from his office he should be impeached, it is unconstitutional.
4
@Dr. Charles B. Forster, Jr., we certainly got neither of those things. He's in way over his head, and he's working hard to undermine our position as a world leader.
However, as a matter of law the tax code (section 6103) requires the Secretary of the Treasury to turn over the tax returns of any individual upon request by the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation. You're talking about public disclosure, something different entirely, but tax returns are definitely the business of Congress.
The president is not simply another citizen. He needs to hold the public trust, which is why presidents since Nixon have shared their tax returns every year as a matter of democratic norm. It's not good to have over half the country wondering what the president is hiding.
2
Consider investigating how he treated the unfortunate suppliers of his along the way.
6
The law is clear, unequivocal and yet entirely omitted from this editorial. 26 U.S. Code § 6103. Confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information. That statute protects the President and all citizens from disclosure of tax returns. Period. It is one of the most important privileged documents for a free citizen. Congress does not have the right to review the President’s tax returns; I promise the SCOTUS decision will confirm statutes like 26 U.S. Code § 6103 apply even when liberals desire otherwise.
Also, as a tax lawyer, I would think the Editorial Board who know tax losses (especially for real estate developers) are neither related to, nor indicative of, financial losses. Depreciation of large buildings allows a paper loss, which shields active income from taxation. Trump did not lose 1 billion dollars; he shielded that sum of income from taxation. Be honest with your readers; Trump did not have his net worth go down by 1 billion because of these tax losses. Gains and losses are only taxed when realized, viz., when assets are sold. Trump may have earned 1 billion dollars over the time he realized the large depreciation losses, meaning he made 1 billion in income without taking into account any increase in assets he owned but did not sell.
I know you hate the President. You acceded his of treason, a capital crime, which Muller found to be entirely baseless. Now you want to investigate his alleged obstruction or taxes because the economy is roaring.
5
@EWG Mueller did not investigate the crime of treason, which has been defined by the SC as aiding the enemy during a legally declared war. He investigated him for conspiracy which he was unable to prove because of obstruction. He was unable to clear him of obstruction but declined to indict because he believed he was unable to charge and thought it was unfair to charge a crime which could not be immediately tried, as competing with due process. He said a President must be tried by Congress through impeachment.
4
Mr. Trump’s tax statements are just that: statements issued by Mr. Trump. As we have learned, any significant statements from this charlatan are likely to consist of poorly constructed lies that reveal themselves as such with only a minimum of analysis.
The Times has already established that Mr. Trump and his father have a history of enriching themselves while defrauding the tax code. Why should we expect more recent tax returns to reveal a different story?
4
@Hugh Wudathunket, forensic investigators will learn a lot from those tax returns. However, above and beyond what he may have done in the past, we need to know if he's beholden to foreign interests.
2
"...The best answer remains for Mr. Trump to keep his promise and release his returns voluntarily."
Trump doesn't keep promises. He doesn't care about the Law, ethics, precedent nor good manner.
He uses the Courts to financially exhaust ordinary people who want justice and he uses them to run out the clock on the American congress and the American public who want answers before the 2020 elections. This is no time for the Dems to go along to get along. Duty calls.
6
Trump and his administration are indirectly, yet actively, working with Russia to subvert US democratic norms. We've seen it flagrantly displayed on TV, no less.
5
@JC res ipsa loquitor. The thing speaks for itself.
If trumps taxes are released, (as Ricky said to Lucy)- he's gonna have a lot of 'splainin to do.
2
It's been pretty clear all along why Trump doesn't want his tax returns, the Mueller report, and many other items to see the light of day. These documents, but in particular his tax returns, will disclose not only how poorly he has run his business (apparently, he's a perpetual bankrupt) but the sources of money he used to cover his losses. One good guess would be indebtedness to Russian oligarchs. But whoever has covered the losses of Trump's spectacular business ineptitude, that entity is or that group of individuals are, to coin an old piece of slang, hinky.
4
Donald Trump is a public servant, with a public trust.How can anyone in Congress be opposed to getting a definitive answer as to whether or not he is being truthful and ethical about his financial dealings?
If Trump is in the clear, ethical and aboveboard, that result would vindicate Trump and his GOP defenders.
If he isn't, I would think that result would also be of utmost interest to everyone sincerely interested in the integrity of the system, be they Democrats or Republicans.
But I've just heard Republicans objecting vehemently to settling the question- by accusing the people who want to settle it of being political partisans! It's a classic gaslighting narrative, a favorite of abusive dominator mentalities.
3
Here's how the real accounting works. Forget the incorrect judgments and opinions in the article.
Take out a loan
Debit-cash
Credit-loan payable
Balance sheet accounting, no profit/loss
Pay for construction
Debit-building
Credit-cash
Balance sheet accounting, no profit/loss
Once the building is put in service an annual non cash depreciation expense is recorded
Debit-depreciation expense
Credit-accumulated depreciation-building
The depreciation expense is a non-cash expense that lowers your income on your tax return. The accumulated depreciation stays on your balance sheet and offsets the value of your building. You are basically reducing your income by the cost of building your building. This creates big tax expenses that are not cash expenditures in this tax year. Because you spent the money when you built the building. But for accounting that money was a balance sheet transaction, from cash to building, no tax deduction but remember the cash came from the bank so it wasnt your cash to begin with. Now after its built you get big deductions. And then you get rental income and your depreciation lowers that income. So now you have big cash income from rent little tax income (or losses) because you get big tax deductions for depreciation. I know this may sound a bit convoluted but its really simple. It's quite legal and is common practice.
The NYT did not explain this at all in their article and about trumps huge losses and made you think he didnt make any money
@bored criticP. No American banks would lend to him. Dueschebank was fined hugely for laundering about 10 billion Russian dollars. Dueschebank loaned Trump money with Justice Kennedy's son reputedly working at that bank in charge of real estate loans. How many other Republicans made big bucks in/through Russia? Trump Towers around the world washed a lot of foreign cash. Our government is deeply compromised by individuals with foreign loyalties or none at all.
2
What he is hiding? Who knows?
Maybe he is beholden to Putin?
Maybe his empire is just an interlocking series of borrowed money and contracts for his brand in trade for income and no where near as big as he asserts?
Maybe he is misrepresenting his assets and the IRS has not the resources to check all of his claims? Once the figures are out lots of organizations with more resources may unravel the Gordian Knot of his financial records.
Maybe he just objects to disclosing his tax returns and thinks it strengthens the loyalty of his base?
What if he isn't hiding anything nefarious, but is simply trying to keep the American public from knowing just what a horrendous businessman he truly is? Trump likely has less to lose in revealing his taxes than he thinks, since the economy is chugging along so well. Still, if he doesn't want folks to see his tax records, it's his right. Sure wish Congress would focus on meat and potatoes issues and leave this stuff for another lifetime.
@Christopher P. Neither Trump nor the Republican Senate have any interest in
meat and potatoes.
@Christopher P. No American banks would lend to him. Dueschebank was fined hugely for laundering about 10 billion Russian dollars. Dueschebank loaned Trump money with Justice Kennedy's son reputedly working at that bank in charge of real estate loans. How many other Republicans made big bucks in/through Russia? Trump Towers around the world washed a lot of foreign cash. Our government is deeply compromised by individuals with foreign loyalties or none at all.
@Christopher P., sorry, but Trump is breaking the law when he refuses to share his tax returns with the House Ways and Means Committee. (U.S. Code Sec. 3103). No one has the right to defy the law.
1
Evidence tendered under oath strongly suggests Trump has commited campaign finance fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud and obstruction of justice.
We need to hear from Mueller, now.
6
Given Trump's pathological propensity to lie relentlessly, how can anyone have any confidence in the 'annual financial disclosures' he filed with the FEC?
Let's have a forensic audit!
1
I find it kind of ironic that BBC AMERICA has the movie The Untouchables on tonight, and am now watching how Capone is brought down for tax-cheating.
"Follow the Money" of Trump will hopefully land him in prison as well once voted out of office.
2
Certainly all the reasons laid out in this article underscore the need fro Trump to reveal his tax returns, but the one that stands out foremost for me is to determine what, if any, indebtedness Trump has to people/countries who may be enemies of the United States. Given all the reports of his dealings with Putin and the Russians, Deutsche Bank, and other bad actors, it's certainly plausible that he's been compromised, and therefore the security of out nation has been also, sine he's the Commander-in-Chief.
And this is one of the prime reasons for the Emoluments Clause - to guard against a President being indebted to those whose interests are not in line with those of the United States. We know for a fact that Trump has not fully divested himself of business dealings that involve money from foreign entities, and I have to ask why? Of course the answer is that he believes himself above the law, and his Republican toadies in Congress do noting to counter that belief.
And Trump knows all of this will come to light once his tax returns are produced. He knows full how compromised he is, and fears that if his rabid supporters actually discover this, they may actually, finally, be moved to question him.
The Founders and subsequent Congresses have put in place the requirements for Presidents to reveal where their money comes from because they knew that corrupted money produces corrupted people. Show us your taxes Donald!
@Kingfish52 It appears much of Congress is likewise compromised. Putin spread that Deusche-washed 10 billion around rather liberally it appears. And has expertly exploited pre-existing American regional divisions.
1
What's he hiding? Nothing.
Trump is broke, has long been broke, and he is using the Presidency to promote himself and his family business (hence, the kids in the White House) and make money.
It has been THAT OBVIOUS since day one. But apparently, no one was paying attention.
4
Its a good question. What is he hiding, since his criminality is in such plain view, what he is hiding must be really terrible.
That guy is the refuse of the Earth, goes contrary to all values that we grew up cherishing. It has been a secret in plain view that with some creative accounting people have been stealing from taxpayers; he has taken that to a whole new level.
If he had to spend a day in jail for every 10 dollars he has stolen, the universe would probably end around the time he completes his sentence.
2
If you want to be elected the most powerful single individual in the nation and on the planet, the electorate and its representatives must be absolutely sure where are your interests lie. All of the convoluted legal arguments against such disclosures are ludicrous. No single person has that much power, therefore they do not have the right to hide their significant financial dealings from the people. Congress is charged with ensuring the executive branch is meeting its constitutional duty and that the presidents interests are not in conflict with those of the nation.
5
Donald Trump is not hiding anything. He is simply thwarting a relentless, ad hominem fishing expedition that has no specific wrongdoing in mind. Rather it is in the 24/7 business of deflecting attention from the President's myriad achievements in economic , domestic and foreign policy in order to render him unelectable on the basis of innuendo come 2020. By fighting this witch hunt Trump is defending not only himself but the democratic process by which he got duly elected against the wishes of liberal elites who cannot abide the fact that Americans disobeyed their diktats.
2
@JJ Gross, do you remember when Nixon called the Watergate investigation a witch hunt? When he insisted it was nothing but a partisan attack on his presidency? That happened right before the Saturday Night Massacre.
Trump is undermining democratic norms, not defending them. Btw, diktats are issued by those in power, not some imaginary "liberal elite." Diktats are issued by authoritarians.
1
The article says Trump lost a lot of money. A bit more accurately, he lost a lot of other people's money. That makes him a con artist. More importantly, it's important to understand whose money he lost. If he's being conned then we, the people, deserve to know.
4
Donald Trump is trying to hide:
tax fraud,
lying on bank loan applications,
campaign finance violations,
conspiracy to cover up the campaign violation,
witness tampering,
fraud against students at his fake university,
violations of the NY state charities laws,
possible tax fraud for claiming contributions to a fake charity,
possible misuse of inauguration funds,
and obstruction of justice,
And that's just what's been revealed so far.
Donald Trump the con man has used bluster, threats of law suits and manipulating publicity to intimidate many in law enforcement to allow him to pay civil fines rather than face criminal charges. Those days might be coming to an end.
As congressional and federal prosecutor investigations continue Trump's legal problems will only increase.
Trump has much to hide and is slowly discovering that the president cannot turn the United States government into his own private corporation.
2
It's should be a requirement for running for the presidency 5 years of tax returns. Don't hold your breath until Congress passes it. We are told for example that Congressional oversight is part of Checks and Balances. In reality there is minimal possible oversight against a recalcitrant President. Should Trump ever stop being President (stage a coup ...) then it might be appropriate to pass Congressional oversight with teeth. I wouldn't hold my breath.
1
Common speculation is that Trump is beholden to Russian oligarchs for financing his speculative high risk ventures. Why? These oligarchs are playing the long game, and have as much to gain from a destabilized USA as Nationalist Russia. Leading the birther propaganda as well as the destructive 2016 presidential campaign seem to be plausible quid pro quo for financing. Becoming elected was ultimately a surprise to both parties, as plan A would have Trump continue the nation splitting as a celebrity ex-candidate, a victim of the liberal elite. Trump as president is a pickle for both parties as the tax returns are now an investigative focus.
3
I want to see an honest accounting of where all of teflon Don's money comes from. What does he have to hide? I was thinking back to my mom, who was a fundamentalist Christian before she died. She used to say the "anti-Christ" would rule and people would blindly follow him. Maybe he's here in the form of tRump?
2
Rosenstein's brief letter of instruction stated that Mueller shall investigate: "(ii) any matter that arose or may arise directly from the investigation;"
One reporter said that the integrity of the report will depend on the interpretation of the word "directly." Now I wonder whether Mueller was constrained by Rosenstein from looking at trump's businesses in relation to Russian interference.
If so, we - who footed the bill for the investigation - were ill-served. Is this what Rosenstein meant when he told trump, "don't worry, I can land this plane."? I.e., don't fire me - I'll take care of you and keep Mueller well behind your red line.
1
"But despite Mr. Trump’s best efforts, facts remain stubborn things with special power..." I wish! If that were so he'd be in jail, not in the White House.
Promised to release his tax returns, the reneged, call it what it is, just another lie along with several thousand others.
Lost $millions but still get loans from where? One we know of is Deutschebank, and that money has been traced back to the bank of Cypress, where Oleg Deripaska was a VP and Wibur Ross was the chairman. Why did help him save the mortgage on his Chicago hotel? We see that both of them are getting favorable treatment from him.
Look into his business practices, his forcing 2000 small contractors to sue him, then paying the 50% of the contract, is not just a few who did unsatisfactory work, it is swindling, it is racketeering. The university suit was filed under the RICO statute, his business fits the definition of a criminal organization. His use of personal property for government income is without doubt a violation of the emoluments clause.
All this has been documented, and the Republicans are supporting him,that is called enabling, and makes them complicit in criminal enterprises. Now we have a president that refuse to recognize the constitutional power of the House of Representatives. Worse yet the AG supports him, instead of the public, he needs to be impeached also.
1
Taxes should be private for all, or public for all. Nothing in between.
@Simon. so you think the practice of presidents since Nixon of sharing their returns is wrong? Do you think the section of the tax code requiring the IRS to share any returns requested with the Ways and Means Committee is wrong?
1
@SandraH.
I believe presidents et al should not share such private matters. I further believe that tax records should only be accessible via search warrant.
1
The president's entire life is a gigantic lie. There is already plenty of evidence that his businesses have been built upon criminal activities.
It's very clear that his entire life is not compatible with the truth. If fairness and justice still exists in America (which is in serious doubt), then the legal system will rein down upon this man and his family some day. The sooner the better.
I think we have a pretty good idea what Trump is hiding. His failure as a businessman. His questionable treatment of business losses (e.g., claiming as his own losses the amounts written off by banks -- which most definitely also, more legitimately, claimed those losses on their own returns). The truth about his wealth (i.e., that, while not a pauper, he's got far less than he claims). The sources of financing for his "projects". The sources of cash. To whom he is beholden. We don't need his tax returns to know all we need to know about Trump. A supremely talented con artist and grifter. A mob boss. Someone who stiffed contractors and vendors routinely, and who thugishly threatened and bullied them with threats of lawsuits and actual lawsuits.
4
Congress has no legitimate legislative purpose to obtain President Trump's tax returns, going back to the years before he took office -- not oversight of the office of president, not to assist it in drafting legislation, nothing. Before Mr. Trump took office, he was fully subject to criminal prosecution for tax-code violations like any other private citizen. The IRS did its job. I need my president to do his job. Stop harassing him already.
@SHerman, U.S. Code Sec. 3103 doesn't require a "legislative purpose." That's just smoke from the White House. He needs to obey the law like everyone else.
1
It becomes clearer and clearer that Trump is incapable of making a profit and so the next question quickly seems to be- how much money could a wood chuck launder if a wood chuck could launder wood? Me thinks the answer is a lot.
1
That we are even asking the question is proof that there are skeletons in Trump’s closet.
1
I have not realized till now how much of the working of the top tier of our government is contingent upon norms based on good faith, but not actual laws. So Trump can refuse to release his tax return and AG appointed by him can withhold a report that is supposed to be independent, etc. etc .
These behaviors in fact make very good argument for law based regulations the Republican and conservatives in general detest. Clearly, crooks or wannabe crooks or simply bad faith flawed human beings cannot exercise self restraint from wrong or unethical deeds.
And the fact that their supporters do not care or cannot even see that their politicians act badly is both confounding and revealing. We Americans are perhaps not smart or the good guys we think ourselves to be.
1
He's no doubt hiding business dealings that expose his shady, if not downright illegal behavior. Feeling embarrassed is not in Trump's emotional lexicon -- he would surely spin the truth about his incompetence and blame his financial losses on others. Trump doesn't apologize or take responsibility for his actions. He throws others under the bus every time.
It keeps coming back to the advice given in the Watergate investigation: follow the money.
Thanks to reporting by the Times and other publicly available news, we know that Donald Trump has a long history of money problems and bad behavior. Ditto for the people he surrounds himself with, including family members.
The argument that Trump's taxes are his personal business and no one else's might have some validity if he were still a private citizen. He is not. He holds the highest public office in America. He has refused to divest himself from his business holdings. If there is anything in his financial dealings that leave him vulnerable to compromise, it is a national security issue of the highest order.
Given his long-standing business relations with Russian organized crime figures and oligarchs, given his obsequious behavior towards Vladimir Putin, given the questionable business deals that have already been revealed, given the enthusiasm with which he is using his office for personal enrichment, an accounting is long overdue.
Republicans had no qualms about investigating all aspects of the Clintons dealings over their Whitewater real estate deals. Put up or shut up.
3
It appears that big losses can lead to big gains, given the opportunities to "write off" losses on tax forms, and thus avoid paying large amounts of tax. In this process, the money from other sources can lead to big gains. Probably "the Midas" aspect of President Trump's past as Mr. Trump yields the revelation that he probably invested in gold royalty companies rather heavily, which yielded him considerable profits. To what extent he was able to conceal this and thus afford payment of taxes is likely to be the focus of any forthcoming investigation. It might be an over-estimation to maintain that he is not fiscally smart, but it does seem that time is flying close to the President in ways which might not be altogether too favorable as regards his elect-ability. Whether or not this is and has been his intention is another matter. I personally believe him when he said that he desired to be "a good President", but what that means (meant) to him is likely far different from what it might mean in common parlance.
While I am assuming that many Americans don’t understand taxation of capital gains as it applies to real estate development, I find it impossible to believe that NYT does not. When the government wants to stimulate the economy, they often lower the rate of taxation on capital gains to encourage the wealthy to invest in real property. They then lower the number of years in which a property can be depreciated to artificially create tax losses that can be written off against other income. They did this a LOT in the 80s. At one point during the early Reagan administration the total value of a property could be deprecated off in 7 years, showing, for tax purposes, what looked like huge losses. This scheme was very popular with dentists, pilots etc that had high incomes and few deductions. The wealthy would “invest” in a new building, tax depreciation would show a big loss, and the high income earner would thereby shelter a big portion of his income to the lower capital gains rate instead of the relatively higher income tax rate. It happened times a billion and I am sure a large developer like trump used the scheme to his advantage as long as he could. When the tax code was rewritten to eliminate some of the capital gains schemes the party was over. Again, I am sure NYT knows this and is playing you fools that want to laugh at trump’s “losses”, but trump was losing all the way to the bank. The buildings didn’t go away, they just depreciated for tax purposes, not in reality
5
@tim in seattle, nice try. I notice several commenters making the same pitch. The Times article acknowledges that a fraction of Trump's losses over that decade were due to depreciation allowances. A fraction. Trump's record-breaking losses were mostly the result of his really bad business sense--casinos going bust, a $365 million loss on Trump Airlines, big loss at the Plaza, making bad bets on Wall Street, etc. Read the article.
1
What of the once much discussed emoluments clause? Wouldn't that in itself dictate that a president must disclose his tax returns?
10
Very interesting. I counted a number of possible financial misdeeds. Money laundering, tax evasion and tax fraud among them.
9
@Partha NeogySame nothing burger as 2016!
As I and others have stated elsewhere, Trump is most likely hiding a history of money laundering via large real estate deals for Russian oligarchs who are part of Putin's central power structure. This will come out eventually but may not be seen directly in his tax returns. Following the money trail will take experts several years but will likely show that Trump obviously did not report his income from these illegal transactions or pay federal taxes on that income. That is tax fraud and there is no time limit on criminal charges for tax fraud. In the meantime, he must keep Putin and his rich circle pleased since they have the evidence to send him to jail.
31
The simplest explanation is usually (not always) the correct one. I bet history will proof you right.
3
Was it just last week that Hilary Clinton asked China to provide Trump's tax returns? It was an attempt to conflate documents which are US government property being suppressed and personal tax returns - she thinks we'll forget that detail.
Will the NYT say if they were received through agents of China and/or the Clintons?
I personally do not think I "need" to know Trump's tax returns. And I don't see any legitimate need on the part of the Democrats in Congress. I wouldn't share my own tax returns.
5
@Margo
"Was it just last week that Hilary Clinton asked China to provide Trump's tax returns?"
No it wasn't, because she didn't. She was drawing a hypothetical parallel between that and trump asking for Russia's assistance during the election campaign. (But she left it to the imagination how the oh-so-patriotic Republicans would have turned on her.)
"I wouldn't share my own tax returns."
Oh yes you would, if they were were subpoenaed by the House. Unlike trump, you could not falsely claim executive privilege as a delaying tactic.
23:40 EDT, 5/08
4
@Margo - I would publish my tax returns if I were running for public office because it’s all to the good — if you have nothing to hide.
1
@Margo No she didn't but she made a great point. Go actually watch the interview.
So he was billions in debt at the height of his career & an easy mark for the Russians. He could still be massively in debt to them and making decisions to help them. Could also prove he contributed nothing in the way of taxes. You should want congress to have the shady grifter's taxes. You're not important no one cares about yours.
2
So many questions. While far beyond my understanding it may be he owes hundreds of millions in back taxes and penalties. Perhaps this is his big fear, that after all the actual audits, and then fines, he is left with nothing or even less.
4
@CA John and jail.
I think that New York State and the Congress should see these tax returns. Our leader is hiding something and it will bring him down.
21
What is Donald Trump hiding? Of course this is a rhetorical question. He is hiding a treasure trove of felonies. He is hiding offenses beyond the pale, for which impeachment and removal of office would be a slap on the wrist. He is hiding his corruption, the unending list of frauds he has committed both before and after he took office. Quite simply, he is hiding that his fraud and concealment have given him the office of the presidency.
We know all this. And we know what he makes no pretense about hiding - his willful ignorance, his blatant racism, his xenophobia, his hatred of everything Obama accomplished - knowing he will never be fit to shine Obama's shoes. He isn't hiding his obvious mental instability as he careens this nation within a tweet of a nuclear conflict with North Korea. And he isn't hiding his enthusiasm as he destroys this nation's international reputation, integrity, and standing in the world. He isn't hiding his intention to destroy every single one of our international alliances. He isn't hiding that he is nothing more than the proverbial boy toy for Putin, with his disgraceful performance in Helsinki.
What Trump has demonstrated in plain sight is just as horrific as the crimes he has managed to hide. And he rightly understands that if he has been able to get away with the damage he has caused this country so far, he is now only limited by his imagination and the laws of physics. Nothing will check him. And he will leave only at a time of his choosing.
13
@Anton Colicos - We’ll see.
I would speculate that what Trump is hiding is his failure. Quite possibly he is a coward; vulnerable to flattery, a Tartuffe: weak, susceptible to exposure, always scared and fearful of a strong and dominant male (Fred) or female.
5
"Follow the money" that's what Deep Throat said to Bob Woodward during Watergate. This is the beginning of the end for the career criminal in the White House. Others in his administration and in the GOP and its donor class need to be investigated and audited by the IRS.
8
the man is a know liar, no doubt he lied on his tax returns so he didn't have to pay taxes... what else is new? maybe this is away to get him in jail... tax evasion... can't no imagine him every being honest or truthful, especially around money
6
@Margaret Ryan Be serious. Nobody would ask to see your tax returns out of sheer courtesy. And you aren’t most powerful on Earth, so there’s no comparison between your position and Trump’s.
DJT is trying to hide his years of dishonesty, grift, unpaid debts, non-payment to his contractors.
8
Would really like to know where he got that 400 million.
8
Well, allow me to hazard a wild guess here:
1-that he is broke.
2-and because he is broke, he laundered Putin's money.
I could be way, way, way off.
But remember:
This is the man whose meaning of his words you only need to invert to find the truth.
"I am a billionaire."
"I do not know Putin."
17
Can we make “Designated Survivor” a reality show? 😄
2
Donald Trump must constantly hide the truth to save his own hide.
3
Perhaps the most surprising part of the “Constitutional crisis” arising out of the Mueller Report is just how easy it has been to turn America’s Rule of Law and our so-called constitutional republic system of government into a shambles. Turns out all it took to do that was just two things: (1) A narcissistic con man in the Oval Office; and (2) A party of political cowards. Make America Great Again. Indeed. When the last chapter on America is written, no one will fare worse than the current GOP. If you think we are not that far displaced from Watergate, where all political parties came together to rid their country of a “crook”, then you have not been paying attention.
11
What is DJT hiding? The emperor has no clothes! Also rampant criminality on the part of himself and family.
9
@James A Criminal charges ARE coming= democrats turn!
What is Trump hiding? Just his entire life from the grand inheritance from his father that he lied about in the range of 200% to his false tax statements that ordinary Americans should repudiate.
The real question: Will Americans wake up to the incompetence and corruption of Donald Trump?
9
If Donnie lied like this as CEO of a public company, he'd be in jail long ago. His lies are not "harmless hyperbole" (a fat whopper lie about his lying). They are not jokes. They are criminal attempts to get what he otherwise would not, whether it is money or votes. There is abundant video evidence of the lies he told and irrefutable data that they are lies. From this revelation about his lies about his wealth, to lies about doing business with the Russians, to lies about having an affair with Daniels, to lies about being exonerated. Congress not only has a right, but it is a national emergency that this criminal be forced to testify during his impeachment trial about each of these lies so that he can brought to justice.
13
What is he hiding? The truth. He's a phony and a fraud.
14
trump must contest every aspect of exposure of his past simply because he has lied so much he no longer knows where all the bodies are buried.
7
The biggest question here is :has Donald Trump been compromised by any adversarial or hostile foreign power because he owes them vast amounts of money? It is in the best interest of our national security to know the answer to this question and to know the answer to this quickly. By not providing this information Donald Trump has betrayed the oath of office he has taken which means that he is no longer acting in the best interests of the United States of America . And while this is not as dramatic as conspiring to defraud the USA , by being compromised in this way Donald Trump as president would become vulnerable and so would the nation .
Now surely the Republicans in Congress cannot be this stupid to not to be aware of this. And because they are aware of this they to have a share in their having turned their backs on America. That’s something we should all keep in mind come November 2020 .
The New York Times has indeed put it very well, what is Donald Trump hiding?
498
@RD
Too many people are looking toward November 2020 to remove this man from office. He must go now. Isn't it clear that this man is a criminal saved only by the grace of the American precedent to not charge a sitting President. A criminal should not be allowed to place his or her name on the ballot, especially in states where criminals are not allowed to vote, where that would be the ultimate hypocrisy.
20
@RD Any evidence of that at all? Trump has been harder on Russia than Obama ever dreamed of being. Look it up.
1
@RD
It is just completely mind boggling that these spineless Republican congressional representatives do NOT stand up to this out-of-control president who, now daily, attempts to undermine them and strip them of their constitutional duty to exercise oversight on the executive branch.
11
It will be supremely ironic if Mr. Trump is able to stonewall the disclosure of his financial status, tying it up in slow-moving judicial process so he can "run out the clock" beyond the 2020 election. And his loyalist supporters, I think, do not care and are uninterested in the entire matter. What has been a regular and uncontroversial tradition of disclosure, as with so many other things related to presidential politics, has become highly irregular under Mr. Trump. That alone should be enough for American voters to sit up and take notice: something is fishy in the White House, and only the Republicans (the party of wealth, privilege, and--is it now being proved?--corruption) are unconcerned.
8
I've always been of the opinion that what he's hiding is that his net worth is probably somewhere between 8 and 9 figures below zero. Had anyone not born into money had credit that bad, they'd be out on the streets begging.
7
Hes going to do what ever he wants and say too bad. His base stands with him. Now what ?
3
Trump’s fight against truth makes perfect sense when seen against the backdrop of his thousands of lies. He hates truth and embraces lies. People used to be startled and universally alarmed to witness his lies against reality. Now, many people just shrug them off as just the regular business of politics. Russians react similarly to Putin; Saudis expect nothing different from their master. True democracies do not accept this behaviour. The Democrats won big in the midterms because enough Americans still value truth and decency. You still have strong, experienced, and capable Democratic leaders, but it’s frightening to watch Republicans hellbent on trying to seize power and escape truth with walls of lies.
9
@Rick GTA
Reverse your "Republican" and "Democrat" and then your picture actually works.
America The Beautiful is doing quite fine with President Trump's leadership and all your stinking illogical hate can't stop his progress.
-Try a different drug maybe?
@Rick GTA
Reverse your "Republican" and "Democrat" and then your picture actually works. America The Beautiful is doing quite fine with President Trump's leadership and all your stinking illogical hate can't stop his progress. -Try a different drug maybe?
Trump ceased being a private citizen when it came to taxes the moment he announced his run for the presidency. He may not like that fact. He doesn't like a lot of facts. That dislike doesn't change the facts. His pathetic attempt to put himself and his family above the law won't protect him or immunize him from prosecution once he returns to being a private citizen. If he was a mensch he'd bite the bullet and release his tax returns. Then he'd deal with the consequences.
Donald J. Trump is not a mensch, a genius, or above the law. Gravity doesn't stop working just because you want it to. At some point Mitch McConnell and the rest of the GOP are going have to decide who they work for: Trump and the rich or us. If they keep on supporting Trump they will betray the United States, our constitution, and everything we claim to stand for. History is not kind to traitors. I have little hope of the GOP coming to its collective senses. I used to hope that the judiciary would work on our behalf. Since Barr "exonerated" Trump I have my doubts.
Trump has, with the assistance of the GOP and his AG, William Barr, created a constitutional crisis. Nixon tried the same tricks. But we had a different GOP back then. Now there's not a shred of integrity about any of them. The only question left is whether or not McConnell will grow up and become a mensch. Me, I have my doubts.
5/8/2019 9:08pm
10
If the (uncensored portion) of the Mueller report has taught us anything, it is that Mr. Trump is serially dishonest and a fraud, but knows how to skirt criminal liability. Sometimes he's saved by his own thuggish ignorance, sometimes he avoids it by design, sometimes because he's able to make others complicit in protecting him. All are on display.
Which means his tax returns and other evidence uncovered by subpoena are likely to be just as anti-climactic, and just as criminally vague. The man has found that lying is very effective under most circumstances - in his marriages and businesses and other relationships - and he employs lies with relish and without limit.
Trump has power, and has surrounded himself with subordinates willing to unabashedly tell the public that the sky is just as yellow as Mr. Trump says it is. Worse, many are participating in the strategy of wholesale lying, on a wide range of topics. The GOP as a body has religiously embraced this behavior. And, are getting away with it.
That's partly because wall to wall lying poses a challenge not anticipated by American law or Constitution or politics. And, partially, because Democrats seem glacially slow to acknowledge that Republicans under Trump will never, ever find their better selves, and do the right thing by the American people.
Uncovering Trump's taxes and other activities isn't likely to change much. The question is whether the public values 'honest George' Washington, or lie like a rug Trump.
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What Is Donald Trump Hiding?
A lack of ethics, morality, fair play, integrity, reason, leadership, business acumen, a grasp of issues, respect for law, respect for women, empathy and more!
On second thought, he doesn't hide any of this. He's the most vapid politician alive.
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Of course Trump cheats on his taxes. What else would you expect? We may never know the full extent of his business ventures and sources of his income but demanding his tax returns is a start. The bottom line is that we have a liar and a cheat in the White House. We just need the tangible evidence for it, although I'm sure Trump's base and the sycophant GOP would explain it away. Teflon Don; there's a reason why he earned the moniker; no one can get to him. It's time for that to change.
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It's a symptom of his own narcissism that Trump believes he is entitled to the benefits of the presidency without having to oblige by its responsibilities.
His entire presidency is a result of bluster, self-aggrandisement, and a "trust me, I know what I'm doing" approach to policy. Any hard evidence that shows the wizard behind the curtain is poison to his mythmaking and he will do anything to quash it. That is extremely dangerous in any cog of a democracy, but at it's highest position it is entirely unacceptable.
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