# Trump & public tax returns **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547 "2019-04-14T19:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/41 "2019-04-15T17:50:22Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > And? People who clock on the View Thread link will get a very different impression from the one you paint. And those that have viewed your posts over the years might suggest that your own self-portrait might be a bit self-serving. Your OP is so skewed as to be worthless, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/42 "2019-04-15T18:03:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Not odd given the politics of this place. No actual answer, I see. > [@](#): > > And yet I’ve referred to him a a turd that will soon pass. Yet you think that [such attacks are diminishing the Straight Dope brand.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=819322) > [@](#): > > What have you got to hide? I see you aren’t even going to attempt to answer my question. Not much of a surprise there. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/43 "2019-04-15T18:20:39Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Nah. They won’t. > > We know you’re the guy who defends Trump, but then once every six weeks posts a thread stating that he’s not your cup of tea. I assure you, such fragility does not come across as principled – merely weak. Reminds me of this exchange: > [@Formerly active lurkers: Why don't you post any more?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-active-lurkers-why-dont-you-post-any-more/807474/30): > > Trump is deplorable but the way Dopers treat him is despicable. > [@Formerly active lurkers: Why don't you post any more?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-active-lurkers-why-dont-you-post-any-more/807474/31): > > Oh my god. I hadn’t heard any of this. Are Dopers sending him dead animals in the mail? Are they following his grandchildren at school and threatening them? Are Dopers slashing his tires? > > Despicable treatment? Sounds awful! He never responded. Care to elaborate on the “despicable” treatment of Trump? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/44 "2019-04-15T19:51:48Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Right…since Nixon. But that leaves many decades that this law was in where Congress didn’t use it. I think there needs to be some sort of reasonable reason for Congress TOO do this. In the case of Trump, I think that a case could be made if this is part of the Russia investigation or has to potential to demonstrate conflicts of interest that might exist wrt Trump the private CEOs business holdings or dealings and Trump, the US President. > … There is a reasonable reason- Trump ordered the AG not to release the Mueller report. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/45 "2019-04-15T21:28:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There is a reasonable reason- Trump ordered the AG not to release the Mueller report. That is certainly (another) red flag, but I think the ones I listed are the basic ones that justify action by Congress, and since the law is there already, I think it’s fine for them to use it to get the data. Whether they release that to the public will be their call. My guess is that it will get released at this point, both for the embarrassment factor and, more importantly, as the people just want to know if there is anything going on with all this smoke. Trump certainly is his own worst enemy, assuming there isn’t anything more in there than he is less rich than he claimed. If there is, then it would make sense for him to stir things up to obscure whatever is in there, but my WAG is there isn’t really anything in there that rises to the level of real conflict of interest and he’s doing it just because he’s an idiot. I HOPE there is something in there though, I admit… ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/46 "2019-04-15T22:26:56Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > We know you’re the guy who defends Trump, but then once every six weeks posts a thread stating that he’s not your cup of tea. I assure you, such fragility does not come across as principled – merely weak. I actually get the strong impression that he posts these weak anti-Trump threads about trivial subjects just in order to be able to link to them when he’s accused of being pro-Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/47 "2019-04-15T23:56:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I actually get the strong impression that he posts these weak anti-Trump threads about trivial subjects just in order to be able to link to them when he’s accused of being pro-Trump. Oh, totally. “See guys? I’m just being fair!” Similar to the pattern of sexism interspersed with an occasional example of a man white knighting to the rescue of a woman. “See guys? This guy did something great for a helpless female, and I support it!” I’m surprised he hasn’t posted a thread about a pleasant restaurant experience to offset the insult tip he left a waitress because his Hollandaise has “no discernible lemon.” (I swear, the two phrases this board has seared into my memory are **Aldebaran** ’s “My post is my cite” and **Quartz** ’s “no discernible lemon.”) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/48 "2019-04-16T01:11:50Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Oh, totally. “See guys? I’m just being fair!” > > Similar to the pattern of sexism interspersed with an occasional example of a man white knighting to the rescue of a woman. “See guys? This guy did something great for a helpless female, and I support it!” Yeah, those kind of threads by him came to mind too. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/49 "2019-04-16T01:26:52Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The issue of Trump and his tax returns is a bit of a puzzle for us on this island on side of the Atlantic. Our politicians don’t publish theirs. I fail to see any argument that the UK is to be commended in that respect. “Hey, our politicians can more easily embezzle and cheat the people! Why y’all not doing it like us??” Well…because that would be stupid. If your country has been able to claw out a decent set of anti-corruption measures against the people who actually make the laws - something that is traditionally almost impossible to accomplish - I fail to see the argument that you would want to get rid of it. It’s like complaining that someone was actually able to quit smoking…if you’re complaining out of sour grapes, then I suppose that’s fine. But there’s no argument that, somehow, smoking is good for you. If someone tried to make the argument that somehow it was bad to quit smoking, I’d generally be curious who was paying their wage and if it was somehow connected to the tobacco industry. And, in the case of the President of the United States, his office is defined by the Constitution. That same document also makes an explicit rule that the office holder cannot receive any payments or other goods of value from a foreign nation. It makes sense, on that basis, for the person to have their finances on the public record. > [@](#): > > So what if Trump said, “I’ll instruct the IRS to publish EVERYONE’s tax returns as of next year. Mine, yours, and Uncle Tom Cobbley’s.”? Dopers don’t have anything to hide, do they? The basis of such a system is in place in Norway, so it’s possible. It’s against the law. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/50 "2019-04-16T02:35:19Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > It’s against the law. I believe his argument is that since the law says that someone who is arguably the most powerful person in the world, with immense ability to influence finances and trade, has to release his tax returns, then it’s only fair that every other single person in the country should also have to release theirs. And if you disagree with this, it’s obviously just because you’re biased against Trump. Gotcha! That’s a guess, however, since he’s made no attempt to actually explain what his point was. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/51 "2019-04-16T06:12:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I believe his argument is that since the law says that someone who is arguably the most powerful person in the world, with immense ability to influence finances and trade, has to release his tax returns, then it’s only fair that every other single person in the country should also have to release theirs. And if you disagree with this, it’s obviously just because you’re biased against Trump. Gotcha! > > That’s a guess, however, since he’s made no attempt to actually explain what his point was. People with stupid arguments like to drag you into the weeds of lunacy, so that it crowds out the fundamental facts and reason of the matter. I have no interest in that. There was a question with a factual answer. I answered it factually. Everything else is redundant given the fact of the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/52 "2019-04-16T09:22:35Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > That’s a guess, however, since he’s made no attempt to actually explain what his point was. There is no ‘point’; it’s a question. You’re letting your blind bias show. Try actually answering my OP. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/53 "2019-04-16T10:02:13Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I fail to see any argument that the UK is to be commended in that respect. > > “Hey, our politicians can more easily embezzle and cheat the people! Why y’all not doing it like us??” We don’t. Our politicians have to register all their interests. We check up front, not after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/54 "2019-04-16T10:13:47Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > We don’t. Our politicians have to register all their interests. We check up front, not after the fact. So, I take it that all of your citizens do as well? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/55 "2019-04-16T10:39:27Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There is no ‘point’; it’s a question. You’re letting your blind bias show. Try actually answering my OP. It’s been answered several times over. Your post is your bias. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/56 "2019-04-16T14:48:49Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There is no ‘point’; it’s a question. You’re letting your blind bias show. Try actually answering my OP. I’ve answered it several times., as have others. You haven’t provided any substantive response to anyone, but avoided it. What is your position on the OP? That nobody should have to reveal their returns, or that everyone should? If so, what are the reasons for that? And the fact that you’re ignoring my answers while accusing me of bias pretty much validates the suggestions for the reasons you started the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/57 "2019-04-16T15:01:25Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > So what if Trump said, “I’ll instruct the IRS to publish EVERYONE’s tax returns as of next year. Mine, yours, and Uncle Tom Cobbley’s.”? Dopers don’t have anything to hide, do they? The basis of such a system is in place in Norway, so it’s possible. It’s illegal, and what purpose would it serve? This is just a game of “ho ho, I’ll scare you by threatening to release your taxes so you won’t come after mine.” > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > As has been already noted, it _not_ legally required, but it’s become a norm / expectation among, at least, major-party presidential candidates here for at least three or four decades. I’m too lazy to look up cites, but I suspect it happened on the heels of Watergate, and Nixon’s abuses of power, and the distrust in government which resulted from this. It started after Nixon released his taxes to prove he was “not a crook”, that he wasn’t cheating on his taxes. Except they proved that he _was_ a crook. Then candidates began the practice of releasing their taxes to show they were not a Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/58 "2019-04-16T15:20:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The issue of Trump and his tax returns is a bit of a puzzle for us on this island… No. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547/59 "2019-04-16T17:15:08Z")
**Moderator Action** This thread is all over the place. There are a lot of comments that are more suitable to GD than IMHO. There is also very little focus on the actual OP, which is about whether it is fair to demand everyone’s tax returns. While this question is undoubtedly inspired by the Trump tax returns issue, responses are focusing only on the broader issue and the actual OP seems to have gotten lost. I think this thread is too scattered to save at this point. It has strayed too far out of IMHO territory to rein it back in, and is too unfocused to just move it to GD. Those wishing to discuss Trump’s tax returns in general are free to do so in one of the many already existing threads. If anyone wishes to discuss the proposal framed i the OP of this thread, again, GD would probably be a better place, and I would recommend stating very clearly in the OP that you wish to restrict the topic of the thread to that aspect of the topic. This thread is closed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-public-tax-returns/832547.md?page=2)