Regarding the claim that Candidate Trump promised to release his tax information, we have this response:
Below are just a few examples of the President allegedly "speaking without thinking." To maintain that he simply misspoke is to assert that he has some sort of uncontrolled pathology that makes him say things he doesn't intend. While that would explain a great many things, it also means that he should be removed from office by the 25th Amendment because of his incapacity.
February 25, 2015 - Interview - Hugh Hewitt Interviews Donald Trump on His Syndicated Radio Show
Hugh Hewitt:
Yeah, you're not shy. Let me ask you this. On the day you declare, how many years of tax returns will you release?
Candidate Trump:
Well, I'd certainly go over tax returns, and I will tell you nobody knows the tax return business or world better than me. And you have to understand, I'm a businessman, and I work for myself. And I have a phenomenal net worth, and a lot of cash and very little debt, and you'd see that. And actually, I did that, you know, I'm the only candidate in history that actually submitted his financials the last time, and I didn't run.
I actually submitted my financials, because to be honest with you, I'm very proud of my financials.
Hugh Hewitt:
But I mean, would you actually...
Candidate Trump:
And my financials now are much better.
Hugh Hewitt:
Would you release tax returns, though?
Candidate Trump:
I would release tax returns, and I would also explain to people that as a person that's looking to make money, you know, I'm in the business of making money until I do this. And if I won, I would make money for our country. I would make so much money for our country that they wouldn't have to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, that we would be able to have a strong, we would take the jobs back from China. We'd take the jobs back from Mexico.
I don't know if you know, the new great abuser in this country is Mexico. They're taking our jobs, they're killing us on the border. People are just fleeing across Mexico. If you want to become a citizen of Mexico, do you know it's probably the hardest or one of the hardest nations in the world to become a citizen of? And yet they let people flow across their borders, and they push them through our border, because we don't know what we're doing.
Hugh Hewitt:
I got it, but I want to stay focused on the tax returns. How many years back?
Candidate Trump:
So the answer is yeah, I would do it.
Hugh Hewitt:
I got it, but I want to stay focused on the tax returns. How many years back?
Candidate Trump:
So the answer is yeah, I would do it.
Hugh Hewitt:
Three years? Five years?
Candidate Trump:
I mean, I would do something, but I will tell you up front, as a private person, Hugh, I would be, and you know, I'm very proud of this. I want to pay as little taxes as I can as a private person.
Hugh Hewitt:
Of course. Of course. That's the American way, legally.
Candidate Trump:
You know, why should I be, why should I say I'm looking to pay a fortune in tax? It's part of the complexity of the tax system.
Hugh Hewitt:
How many years back would you go on the day you announce? Three? Five?
Candidate Trump:
Oh, I don't know. I mean, I actually have not even thought of that, but I would certainly show tax returns if it was necessary.
Hugh Hewitt:
At least a couple of years?
Candidate Trump:
Well, what have they been doing? They've been really doing one year, other than people that never made anything. But I would certainly, I'm very proud of what I've done. I do pay tax. But I'm very proud of what I did.
Hugh Hewitt:
At least a couple of years?
Candidate Trump:
Well, what have they been doing? They've been really doing one year, other than people that never made anything. But I would certainly, I'm very proud of what I've done. I do pay tax. But I'm very proud of what I did.
I will say this. You will see piles and piles and piles of paper stacked many feet into the air, because the system is so complex that it's disgraceful. And the tax system does have to be changed.
Hugh Hewitt:
That's what I, you know, I think two or three years would be great. I think anyone, if you did two or three years...
Candidate Trump:
But we'll take a good, strong look at that, Hugh. I mean, it's obviously not something I thought of, but you know, I've given any real thought to, but I have no objection to certainly showing tax returns.
February 25, 2016 - Debate: 10th Republican Presidential Candidate Debate in Houston, Texas
Let me just tell you, let me just -- which happens to be true. Check out the ratings. Look, let me just tell you something. Let me just tell you something. I want to release my tax returns but I can't release it while I'm under an audit. We're under a routine audit. I've had it for years, I get audited. And obviously if I'm being audited, I'm not going to release a return. As soon as the audit is done, I love it.
February 27, 2016 - Twitter @11:20am EST
Tax experts throughout the media agree that no sane person would give their tax returns during an audit. After the audit, no problem!
March 3, 2016 - Speech: Donald Trump in Portland, Maine
"...I think it's very unfair that they ordered me every year. But I've that they ordered me every year. But I've - that they ordered me every year, but I've been ordered every year for many years, been ordered every year for many years, been ordered every year for many years now when the audits finished, I'll now - when the audits finished, I'll now - when the audits finished, I'll release my tax returns, I have nothing but I don't want to do it and nobody in, but I don't want to do it and nobody in, but I don't want to do it. And nobody in this room would say you're being ordered. This room would say you're being ordered. This room would say you're being ordered and here's the tax return, you get order and here's the tax return, you get order and here's the tax return..."
May 11, 2016 - Twitter (likely Trump and not staff) @5:51pm EDT
In interview I told @AP that my taxes are under routine audit and I would release my tax returns when audit is complete, not after election!
May 13, 2016 - Interview: Donald Trump with O'Harrow, Boburg, Harwell - The Washington Post
"...the audit is done -- it's routine audit. But when the audit is done, I'll release my tax returns. Okay?..."
September 16, 2016 - 1st Presidential Debate
"...Well, I told you, I will release them as soon as the audit. Look, I’ve been under audit almost for 15 years. I know a lot of wealthy people that have never been audited. I said, do you get audited? I get audited almost every year. And in a way, I should be complaining. I’m not even complaining. I don’t mind it. It’s almost become a way of life. I get audited by the IRS. But other people don’t. I will say this. We have a situation in this country that has to be taken care of. I will release my tax returns — against my lawyer’s wishes — when she releases her 33,000 e-mails that have been deleted. As soon as she releases them, I will release. I will release my tax returns. And that’s against — my lawyers, they say, “Don’t do it.” I will tell you this. No — in fact, watching shows, they’re reading the papers. Almost every lawyer says, you don’t release your returns until the audit’s complete. When the audit’s complete, I’ll do it. But I would go against them if she releases her e-mails...."
