President Trump claims “the people don’t care” about his tax returns.
We believe the people care deeply, not only about his tax returns and what they may or may not reveal about Mr. Trump’s fitness for office, but also about honesty, transparency, and popular democracy.
Please help us demonstrate the continuing vitality of our democratic experiment by pledging to support US veterans with a donation that will be distributed if and only if President Trump, on his own volition, publicly releases his tax returns for 2011 through 2019, in their entirety, at least two weeks prior to the 2020 Presidential Election.
If President Trump has nothing to hide and truly prioritizes supporting
veterans, why would he stand in the way of converting our pledges into
actual financial aid? How much will it take for him to make good on a
simple promise? How much will it take for the mainstream media to pay attention to our campaign? Let’s find out.
*****
Here’s some background:
Donald Trump is the only major party presidential nominee since Watergate to have never released tax returns for public scrutiny. He did not release any during the 2016 campaign, nor during his presidency. He has not yet released any during the 2020 campaign.
President Trump's refusal to release his returns runs counter to his previous statements. In 2011, he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "I'd love to give my tax returns." In 2012, he claimed on Fox News that releasing his tax returns would be a "great thing" and "a positive." In 2014, he told Ireland's TV3, "If I decide to run for office, I'll produce my tax returns, absolutely." In 2015, he told radio host Hugh Hewitt, "I have no objection to certainly showing tax returns." In January 2016, he told NBC's Chuck Todd that, "we're working on [releasing tax returns] right now, and at the appropriate time, you'll be very satisfied," and weeks later he told NBC's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie that his returns would be released "probably over the next few months."
President Trump has provided no valid reason for not releasing his returns. In February 2016, he began to claim that he could not release his returns while under audit. President Nixon, however, released his tax returns while under audit in 1973, and in April 2019, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig confirmed in testimony to a House subcommittee
that there is "no rule that would prohibit the release of a tax return
because it's under audit.” Meanwhile, President Trump’s personal lawyer
Rudy Giuliani told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo in July 2020 that all audits previous to 2019 have concluded.
President Trump has attempted to brush the issue aside. In July 2016, he told Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren that “most people don’t care about it.” He reiterated this claim as recently as April 2019, when he told reporters: "Remember, I got elected last time — the same exact issue, with same intensity, which wasn’t very much because, frankly, the people don’t care."
The people do care. An August 2016 Quinnipiac University Poll found that 74 percent of respondents (and 62 percent of Republicans) believed that then-candidate Trump "should release his tax returns publicly,” and 59 percent of respondents in a September 2016 New York Times / CBS News Poll affirmed that "it is necessary” for him to do so. In June 2020, the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans (including 20 percent of Republicans) believed that President Trump “has a responsibility to publicly release his tax returns."
This campaign is not merely an attempt to demonstrate that President Trump is wrong about the people’s concern and to persuade him to open his record to further public scrutiny. It is also an attempt to show just how much the people care about the honesty and transparency of our elected officials, to shift our national focus to the core principles of democratic governance, and to invigorate a popular democracy based on ethics.
Please join us.
*****
In order for the funds pledged via this campaign to be released, President Trump must, on his own volition, make public his personal tax returns for 2011 through 2019, in their entirety, by 12:01 AM on Tuesday, October 20, which is two weeks prior to Election Day. Should he do so, the funds will be distributed as follows:
- Fifty (50) percent to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (earmarked for services to veterans)
- Twelve and one-half (12.5) percent to each of the following organizations:
- Five (5) percent to each of the following organizations:
Additional information can be found on The People For Transparency website.
Who your money will go to
President Trump claims “the people don’t care” about his tax returns.
We believe the people care deeply, not only about his tax returns and what they may or may not reveal about Mr. Trump’s fitness for office, but also about honesty, transparency, and popular democracy.
Please help us demonstrate the continuing vitality of our democratic experiment by pledging to support US veterans with a donation that will be distributed if and only if President Trump, on his own volition, publicly releases his tax returns for 2011 through 2019, in their entirety, at least two weeks prior to the 2020 Presidential Election.
If President Trump has nothing to hide and truly prioritizes supporting
veterans, why would he stand in the way of converting our pledges into
actual financial aid? How much will it take for him to make good on a
simple promise? How much will it take for the mainstream media to pay attention to our campaign? Let’s find out.
*****
Here’s some background:
Donald Trump is the only major party presidential nominee since Watergate to have never released tax returns for public scrutiny. He did not release any during the 2016 campaign, nor during his presidency. He has not yet released any during the 2020 campaign.
President Trump's refusal to release his returns runs counter to his previous statements. In 2011, he told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, "I'd love to give my tax returns." In 2012, he claimed on Fox News that releasing his tax returns would be a "great thing" and "a positive." In 2014, he told Ireland's TV3, "If I decide to run for office, I'll produce my tax returns, absolutely." In 2015, he told radio host Hugh Hewitt, "I have no objection to certainly showing tax returns." In January 2016, he told NBC's Chuck Todd that, "we're working on [releasing tax returns] right now, and at the appropriate time, you'll be very satisfied," and weeks later he told NBC's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie that his returns would be released "probably over the next few months."
President Trump has provided no valid reason for not releasing his returns. In February 2016, he began to claim that he could not release his returns while under audit. President Nixon, however, released his tax returns while under audit in 1973, and in April 2019, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig confirmed in testimony to a House subcommittee
that there is "no rule that would prohibit the release of a tax return
because it's under audit.” Meanwhile, President Trump’s personal lawyer
Rudy Giuliani told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo in July 2020 that all audits previous to 2019 have concluded.
President Trump has attempted to brush the issue aside. In July 2016, he told Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren that “most people don’t care about it.” He reiterated this claim as recently as April 2019, when he told reporters: "Remember, I got elected last time — the same exact issue, with same intensity, which wasn’t very much because, frankly, the people don’t care."
The people do care. An August 2016 Quinnipiac University Poll found that 74 percent of respondents (and 62 percent of Republicans) believed that then-candidate Trump "should release his tax returns publicly,” and 59 percent of respondents in a September 2016 New York Times / CBS News Poll affirmed that "it is necessary” for him to do so. In June 2020, the Pew Research Center found that 56 percent of Americans (including 20 percent of Republicans) believed that President Trump “has a responsibility to publicly release his tax returns."
This campaign is not merely an attempt to demonstrate that President Trump is wrong about the people’s concern and to persuade him to open his record to further public scrutiny. It is also an attempt to show just how much the people care about the honesty and transparency of our elected officials, to shift our national focus to the core principles of democratic governance, and to invigorate a popular democracy based on ethics.
Please join us.
*****
In order for the funds pledged via this campaign to be released, President Trump must, on his own volition, make public his personal tax returns for 2011 through 2019, in their entirety, by 12:01 AM on Tuesday, October 20, which is two weeks prior to Election Day. Should he do so, the funds will be distributed as follows:
- Fifty (50) percent to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (earmarked for services to veterans)
- Twelve and one-half (12.5) percent to each of the following organizations:
- Five (5) percent to each of the following organizations:
Additional information can be found on The People For Transparency website.
