Keller @ Large: Trump Should End Speculation, Release Tax Returns
BOSTON (CBS) - "The only one (sic) that cares about my tax returns are the reporters," says President-elect Trump, but that is false.
As the website Politifact points out, a solid majority of the public do want to know what's in those returns. And it's not just Trump skeptics who want the truth – before the election honeymoon began, 62-percent of Republicans wanted them released, and the most recent poll shows 60-percent of the public in general still wants to see them.
Also false – Trump's claim that he can't release the returns because the IRS is auditing them, an assertion debunked by the IRS.
So, enquiring minds that aren't warped by partisanship want to know – why won't Trump release his tax returns?
Consider what a slam-dunk it would be on Trump critics if he did release them and they showed nothing damaging or remarkable?
And even if they revealed that, say, his boasts about his charitable giving were grossly exaggerated, I'm hard-pressed to see how that embarrassment would bother a man who wasn't notably embarrassed by the Access Hollywood tapes.
Perhaps Trump's returns show he has exaggerated his wealth. No one would care.
Perhaps they show he paid little or no tax. Again, big deal, we already know he has taken full advantage of tax loopholes in the past.
But maybe they show bad stuff.
As in, I lied when I said I had no Russian financial ties.
There's an easy way to stick a fork in that speculation.
Why won't Trump use it?
Listen to Jon's commentary:
