# Poll: Will SCOTUS rule that Trump's tax returns must be released? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 8, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780 "2020-07-08T21:03:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/1 "2020-07-08T21:03:23Z")
Supposedly the decision is to be announced tomorrow. Which do you believe? _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/1))_ ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/2 "2020-07-09T03:31:16Z")
I voted only New York will get the returns. HOWEVER, the statement released today by the Court only said the remaining opinions that are _ready_ will be released tomorrow. The use of the word ready could mean they are punting those decisions until after the election. There is still one other case not related to Trump taxes that needs to be released. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/3 "2020-07-09T03:49:58Z")
Interesting. That would be a real kick in the pants but wouldn’t surprise me at all. ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/4 "2020-07-09T04:37:58Z")
The SCOTUS has been so politicalized that it is hard to say. I do expect at the maximum that there will be no information released to the public, but it may be released to some entity but wrapped in a gag order of some sort. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/5 "2020-07-09T10:39:08Z")
It doesn’t matter. Even if the court rules Trump must turn over his records, he won’t. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/6 "2020-07-09T10:52:41Z")
I voted neither. I hope I’m wrong – the congressional request is so obviously legal and within their powers that SCOTUS siding with Trump will be an obviously political result and essentially a constitutional crisis. Trump’s claim is that everything about him is immune to any subpoenas, and that can’t really be the right result. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/7 "2020-07-09T11:34:54Z")
I voted “something else”. Out of all the possibilities, the one with the plurality of the chance is that they kick the can until closer to or even after the election. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/8 "2020-07-09T11:59:32Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > It doesn’t matter. Even if the court rules Trump must turn over his records, he won’t. Except that it wouldn’t be Trump turning over his records. The suits are by the State of New York and the House of Representatives against Mazars (Trump’s accounting firm) and Deutsche Bank for an order for them to dish the records, which they have said they will do if the courts make a final ruling that they should. Trump sued to stop them. If the court rules that the records must be delivered, then it doesn’t seem like there’s anything more that Trump can do to prevent that. But… We’ll see if he comes up with something! ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/9 "2020-07-09T13:17:07Z")
I voted New York gets them, Congress does not. I suspect the reasoning will be that answering the Congress question is a political matter, and hence they won’t. They’ll say if Congress has a problem with the president’s behavior the remedy is impeachment. For New York, it’ll be 5-4 but state the president is not immune from state criminal investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/10 "2020-07-09T13:18:27Z")
SCOTUS has surprised me a couple of times already this Term, so I’m _really_ hopeful they’ll order a release of the tax returns, but I think it’s more likely they’ll allow Trump to keep them secret so as not to have them be a big political issue in the midst of a presidential election year - with the court credited/blamed for making them so. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/11 "2020-07-09T13:35:13Z")
This. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/12 "2020-07-09T13:38:15Z")
I think that both are going to be released. I believe that the argument that incumbent presidents cannot be investigated is preposterous. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/13 "2020-07-09T14:22:52Z")
Welp, all 9 justices agreed that no sitting president is immune to subpoenas. But, they’re punting this back to the local district courts. So no one’s seeing his financials anytime soon… but it’s still a good legal loss for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/14 "2020-07-09T14:29:06Z")
Here’s CNN on the breaking story: [Live updates: Supreme court decision on Trump's finances](https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/supreme-court-trump-decision-07-09-20/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/15 "2020-07-09T14:53:40Z")
> [@](#): > > _Breaking: Supreme Court blocks House Democrats from accessing Trump’s financial records, for now_ > > _The high court sent the cases back to lower courts for more consideration of “significant separation of powers concerns implicated by congressional subpoenas for the President’s information.” Earlier Thursday, the justices said a New York prosecutor was entitled to access the president’s personal financial information._ > **[Supreme Court says Manhattan prosecutor may pursue Trump’s financial records,...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-trump-tax-returns-financial-records/2020/07/09/8f274352-c1e2-11ea-9fdd-b7ac6b051dc8_story.html)** > > In 7-to-2 rulings in both cases, the justices rejected the president’s assertion that he enjoys absolute immunity while in office. Trump nominees Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh joined the majorities. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/16 "2020-07-09T15:00:09Z")
Even Kavanaugh and Gorsuch voted with the majority. Color me surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/17 "2020-07-09T15:01:35Z")
Does this mean I “win”? 🥴 ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/18 "2020-07-09T15:11:59Z")
So, I guess the answer is that only NY State will get the returns? I was wrong on that front, since I thought neither would. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/19 "2020-07-09T17:18:46Z")
Arguably, given 26 USC 6103, Congress had a better statutory claim to see the tax returns, but this is fine with me. I just hope the lower courts don’t dick around with the case now and then say, in a month or two, “Oh, it’s too close to the election for us to issue some bombshell ruling _now_.” ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780/20 "2020-07-09T18:12:12Z")
I voted “something else” because I was curious to see the vote and the results are apparently not visible unless you vote. As the decisions were already out when I voted this vote should be disregarded. ETA: I think “something else” would have been the right vote in any case, however. One and possibly both of them will probably get at least some of the documents eventually, but not right away. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-will-scotus-rule-that-trumps-tax-returns-must-be-released/914780.md?page=2)