House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is using Tax Day to increase calls for President Trump to release his tax returns.
Pelosi said Tuesday’s tax deadline serves as a “sour reminder” of Trump’s disrespect for the American people. The California Democrat said the public has the right to know about any potential conflicts of interest the president may have.
“What are President Trump and the Republican Congress hiding? Every president since Gerald Ford, Democrat and Republican, had released his tax returns to the public,” Pelosi said Monday. “Despite the history, despite his own promises, President Trump and the Republicans in Congress are desperate to keep the American people in the dark.”
Pelosi’s calls come following a weekend of nationwide protests urging the president to release his tax returns. Protests in Berkeley, Calif., turned violent Saturday as more than a dozen demonstrators were arrested.
Trump remains under an IRS audit and has continually said he will not release his tax returns until he is no longer under the audit. However, the IRS said last year that Trump could voluntarily release his returns.
“The president is under audit, it’s a routine one and I think the American public know clearly where he stands,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during a press briefing Monday.
The pushback from the White House is not deterring Pelosi and other Democrats from their calls for the president to release his tax returns as they say it could shed more light on any connections to Russia.
“Who does the president owe? America needs to know. All roads lead back to the president’s tax returns – and the light they can shine on his actions and the Trump-Russia connection,” Pelosi said.
