After pledging to donate salary, Trump administration declines to release proof

[EC]

Equating the two - birth certificate and tax return - is silly. Because there is a specified constitutional requirement for the presidency, birth certificate is and should be required.

Tax returns - I'd prefer they get released for any elected position. It might go some way to slowing the feathering of nests from the public trough. However, it's not required. If it should be - make a law about it.

[Emjay]

I guess that must be your chosen word for the day and thread. 

Everything will be declared a 'nothing burger' with Trump.  Everything that is or is not a scandal, lie, obfuscation, misappropriation, misleading or outright accusation of wrongdoing.  True or not - it will be declared a 'nothing burger' by the ardent faithful.  Of this, I am certain given the behavior I have already been witness to.

The Trump acolytes in my meatworld sphere have already conceded that they will be happy if it is a *virtual wall* or just a *wall of law* that is applied to illegals.  They no longer care if bricks are actually laid or not.  They said what Limbaugh said some time ago: "we always knew he was never serious about building the wall - but he brought attention to the problem no one else would".  For them, that is enough - because Trump is their Pontifex Maximus.

I never said 'youse guys'.  Reread carefully.  If you identify with the term 'Trump faithful'/'Trump Acolytes'/Trump worshippers' - that is your problem. I'm referencing the memes, zeitgeist and arguments being made by the aforementioned.  I find it amusing the hypocrisy on display of people who wanted to scalp Obama over his birth certificate and college transcripts from Columbia - but have no problem with Trump reneging on his word to release his tax records.


I have read many rabid Trump supporters not only make such claims of obeisance,  but go so far as to suggest that Trump NEEDS to be a dictator in the current climate and to undo what Obama has done.  Whether anyone on this board will do likewise... yet to be seen.

*yawn*

 We were told it was silly to suggest Obama's birth certificate as released was fake too. 

If the argument is that Trump has no obligation to disclose any personal information to the public or the media, why is it *silly* to suggest that as such - no politician should have to disclose any *private records* including birth certificates, tax returns, college transcripts, medical history or anything that is deemed 'private'?    It's where the precedent will go.

I think I'll be happier with you on ignore.

[INVAR]

Equating the two - birth certificate and tax return - is silly. Because there is a specified constitutional requirement for the presidency, birth certificate is and should be required.

2008 may have proven that a moot point as far as Democrats go.

However, I'm taking the argument another poster made that there is no Constitutional requirement for any politician to disclose their personal and private business matters to application.  That means all the stuff I mentioned: birth certificates, college transcripts, medical history, business dealings/contracts and affairs, tax records and so forth.  All of that is considered *private* and personal.  The argument made was that a president (or candidate) is not required to disclose those things.  Fine then. 

Think like a Leftist for a moment and imagine what they will do with that argument should it succeed.  Imagine they toss up a possible foreign-born candidate in 2020 with this argument being made on Trump's behalf.  I can hear it now on MSNBC: 'Since tax returns have been deemed 'private' and not subject to disclosure - neither should any private records be permitted to be disclosed'.

I found that argument interesting in the light that so many who demanded of Obama to disclose his personal and private records, are good and fine with Trump refusing to disclose his.

I'm just noting the hypocrisy.

[XenaLee]

I disagree with his campaign statement he would release them.  Lots of campaign promises don't get kept, and this one won't kill him.

In a centuries old Republic (if you can keep it), a decades old "tradition" is a joke.  Kill it now, in the cradle.  It's wrong.  Forget that tradition carp, a tradition that traces it's lineage to Jimmy Carter can go hang.

I'm in the "pro total transparency" camp.  Obama promised to be the most transparent ever.  He was the exact opposite (just as the Clintons claimed they would have the most ethical administration ever and were the exact opposite).   Trump said he would release his tax records.  It's tradition that he, as president, does release them.  He should release them.
 

[Frank Cannon]

   Trump said he would release his tax records.  It's tradition that he, as president, does release them.  He should release them.

Tradition? Since when? No one gave a shit about this until Mitt ran and the only reason they cared then was because his dad got into an absurd pissing match with a reporter in 1968. Some presidents since then never bothered to disclose them and people seriously do not give a shit about this except for the hyper partisan nimrods.

[Chosen Daughter]

I'm in the "pro total transparency" camp.  Obama promised to be the most transparent ever.  He was the exact opposite (just as the Clintons claimed they would have the most ethical administration ever and were the exact opposite).   Trump said he would release his tax records.  It's tradition that he, as president, does release them.  He should release them.

I don't think transparency is the "Art of the Deal".

[XenaLee]

Tradition? Since when? No one gave a shit about this until Mitt ran and the only reason they cared then was because his dad got into an absurd pissing match with a reporter in 1968. Some presidents since then never bothered to disclose them and people seriously do not give a shit about this except for the hyper partisan nimrods.

Uh....

did you just call me a hyper partisan nimrod?  lolol

[Rivergirl]

It is quite amusing to see the lengths the cultists will go do defend their hero.  No different than the cabal that insisted...........they believe bill Clinton........when he insisted he did not have sex with that woman.

Mostly it's people who will never admit their own faulty judgement.

To quote DT.........SAD

[XenaLee]

Rush is making a good point here about the downside of Trump releasing his tax returns.  I'm torn on this now.  While this release of the 2005 return has made fools of the idiot left, which is so much fun to see, I do get Rush's point about how they are still using it to bash Trump, even though there's really nothing there to bash over.  Crap.   

[Cyber Liberty]

Rush is making a good point here about the downside of Trump releasing his tax returns.  I'm torn on this now.  While this release of the 2005 return has made fools of the idiot left, which is so much fun to see, I do get Rush's point about how they are still using it to bash Trump, even though there's really nothing there to bash over.  Crap.   

Exactly the point many of us have been trying to make.   

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

While last night was pretty funny, the point remains that Trump said he would release his tax return over an "audit" and while I don't care about tax returns (and neither do a lot of people), now he looks like he has something to hide.


Won't get past this IMO.

[Emjay]

I got up late (insomniac) today and haven't had time to read all the posts.  So thanks for that info.

Dammit, Mystery, you are spoiling everyone's fun.  That is what I assumed from the start.

[Emjay]

Then, of course, he would be accused by the idiot left of grandstanding and just doing it for the photo-op PR purposes.

Remember how that worked during the Bush years?  Everything Bush did that was received well was accused of being a photo-op.

I hope he will do it quietly at the end of the first term and people will have to dig like crazy to ferret it out.

[Emjay]

Politicians file Tax Returns that are tailored to fit their needs.  They forgo many legitimate deductions because they "look bad" and will be shot up by their political opponents.  It's a cost of doing business in their world.  Even Romney's were like that, and he still got picked at for his. 

Trump has been a business mogul for many years, and his Tax Returns are therefore tailored to HIS needs, which means he took every deduction available to him.  He will be destroyed if he releases the Tax Returns.

Well, the first available return has been released and as far as I know, he is still president.  But most people take every possible deduction .... which tempts corruption and is one of the main reasons we need to do a flat tax and abolish the tyranny of the IRS.

[Emjay]

Tradition? Since when? No one gave a shit about this until Mitt ran and the only reason they cared then was because his dad got into an absurd pissing match with a reporter in 1968. Some presidents since then never bothered to disclose them and people seriously do not give a shit about this except for the hyper partisan nimrods.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

[Wingnut]

Have I told you lately that I love you?

You tattooed it on his left butt cheek with a rusty needle?   :nometalk:

[Emjay]

You tattooed it on his left butt cheek with a rusty needle?   :nometalk:

I love him for his mind, his common sense and his humor.  Not for either butt cheek.

[Wingnut]

I love him for his mind, his common sense and his humor.  Not for either butt cheek.

You could bounce a quarter off it and get back 15 cents change....

er    ah  not that I would know that for a fact...

[Cyber Liberty]

You could bounce a quarter off it and get back 15 cents change....

er    ah  not that I would know that for a fact...

Mine aren't what they used to be, since the hip replacements.  Nine-inch scars and all....

[Emjay]

Uh....

did you just call me a hyper partisan nimrod?  lolol

He wouldn't dare.  He knows you have a black belt in verbal karate.

[Cyber Liberty]

Well, the first available return has been released and as far as I know, he is still president.  But most people take every possible deduction .... which tempts corruption and is one of the main reasons we need to do a flat tax and abolish the tyranny of the IRS.

You get no argument from me there...

[ConservativeGranny]

Deeper sigh .... maybe because the President hasn't chosen where his salary will be donated.  You know ... busy running the country and everything.

Besides, truly rich people don't focus on a monthly paycheck.  Ever.   ^-^

It's hard to keep track of everything that has been said but from what I researched this is what I remember and found while searching news articles and video to refresh my memory.

During the campaign Trump said he was not going to take a salary at all. Then it was determined that legally, the POTUS had to accept a salary. Or at least that was the interpretation. Back in March when the same question arose about this same thing. Sean Spicer said that the POTUS hadn't decided yet where the money was to go and would donate at the "end of the year". He also said the media was going to choose the charity.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the press it was going to be donated back to the US Treasury.

Then on April 3 of this year Spicer said in a press conference that the President was going to donate his first quarter salary to the National Park Service. The Interior Secretary actually accepted the check at the podium and said it was to be used to support the infrastructure on our country's battlefields.

Trump is no longer just the average rich guy. He has made promises repeatedly and the expectation is that as POTUS it is a priority of his to keep those promises. It also seems to me that with all of the different statements made by his administration that Trump has thought about his monthly salary a lot. When pressed about it at least.

Trump also promised to donate any profits made from his hotels and other businesses back to the Treasury Dept. As of March of this year no accounting has been made or plan submitted from the law firm that made the announcement in Trump's behalf.

[Rivergirl]

If he could take money that was explicitly donated to St. Jude and keep it, he certainly can keep his salary.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Why the hell is this resurrected?

Trump Donates First-Quarter Salary to National Park Service
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/us/politics/national-park-service-trump-salary.html?_r=0