New York – Thousands At U.S. Rallies Demand Trump Release Tax Returns

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    Demonstrators react as they march past Trump Tower as they protest through Manhattan demanding U.S. President Donald Trump release his tax returns, in New York, U.S., April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonNew York – Tens of thousands of people marched through midtown Manhattan and dozens of U.S. cities on Saturday to demand that President Donald Trump release his tax returns and to dispute his claim that the public does not care about the issue.

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    Organizers of “Tax March” in more than 150 cities across the country and beyond wanted to call attention to Trump’s refusal to disclose his tax history, as his White House predecessors have done for more than 40 years.

    The marches coincide with the traditional April 15 deadline for U.S. federal tax returns, though the filing date was pushed backed two days this year.

    There were no reports of violence or arrests, in contrast to a clash between Trump supporters and opponents that erupted at a rally in Berkeley, California, where nine people were arrested.

    Two of the biggest tax marches took place in New York and Los Angeles, with each drawing about 5,000 people, according to estimates by Reuters reporters. No official estimates were immediately available.

    In Manhattan, a good-natured crowd rallied at Bryant Park before marching up Sixth Avenue to Central Park.

    Among the marchers was an oversized inflatable rooster, sporting an angry expression and a sweeping metallic orange hairdo meant to resemble Trump’s signature style.

    “Thanks to Trump, I think that releasing your taxes when you run for president now has to be a law,” said New Yorker Marni Halasa, 51, who arrived in a tutu and leggings made of fake dollar bills and holding a sign that read “Show Me The Money!”
    Demonstrators gestures as they march past Trump Tower while protesting through Manhattan demanding U.S. President Donald Trump release his tax returns, U.S., April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
    In Washington, more than 1,500 protesters gathered on the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol, where members of Congress addressed the crowd before it marched to the Lincoln Memorial.

    “We are taking the gloves off to say knock off the secrecy Mr. President,” said Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which would play a leading role in tax reform measures being considered in Congress.

    He described Trump’s refusal to release his taxes as being “like a teenager trying to hide a lousy report card.”

    TAX REFORM

    Among the marchers was Melinda Colwell, 34, a stay-at-home-mother from Ledyard, Connecticut. She said she was concerned that conflicts of interest in Trump’s tax returns might foreshadow selfish interests in his tax reform policies.

    “I think it’s important to know how that could influence his decisions and how he could benefit from the decisions being made,” she said.

    As a candidate and as president, Trump has refused to release his tax returns, citing an ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS has said that Trump can release his tax returns even while under audit.

    The White House could not be reached immediately for comment on the marches.
    Demonstrators for (R) and against (L) U.S. President Donald Trump push a garbage container toward each other during a rally in Berkeley, California in Berkeley, California, U.S., April 15, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Lam
    Events were also planned in cities in Europe, Japan and New Zealand.

    The marches were launched by a single tweet, organizers said. A day after the massive Jan. 21 women’s march in Washington and other cities, comedy writer Frank Lesser tapped out on Twitter, “Trump claims no one cares about his taxes. The next mass protest should be on Tax Day to prove him wrong.” It has been retweeted more than 21,000 times.

    In Los Angeles, television director Mike Stutz turned up at the march dressed in costume as a Russian general and said he was called General Bullshitski. He carried a sign that read: “What Tax Returns? Putin paid cash. Trust your oligarchs,” referring to allegations of contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin.

    Joe Dinkin, spokesman for the Working Families Party, one of the groups organizing the marches, said investigations into the Trump campaign’s alleged connections to Russia underscore the need to disclose his returns.

    “Without seeing his taxes, we’ll never really know who he’s working for,” said Dinkin, who expects the marches to draw at least 100,000 protesters.

    There have been some glimpses into Trump’s tax history. Last month, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow reported on two pages of Trump’s 2005 return that were obtained by investigative reporter David Cay Johnston and released by DCReport.org. They showed Trump paid $38 million in taxes on more than $150 million in income.

    And in October, The New York Times reported that Trump had declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 federal tax return, citing three pages of documents from the return.


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    13 Comments
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    SandmanNY
    SandmanNY
    6 years ago

    These types of demonstrations are not random. They are paid for by Soros money for the purpose of distracting attention from the real issues. Trump’s tax returns are a non-issue to me. I could care less. He worked. He earned. He paid. We already saw that from the “big revelation” of 2005.

    This is just another attempt from the embittered left to bring down this administration. Let’s get back to the Clinton deceptions and wholesale corruption. Imagine where we’d be if she lived again at 1600 Penn.

    6 years ago

    qaxc, I am sure you were there leading.

    These guys are a bunch of sow losers.

    Formerly: The real TrumpISprez.

    6 years ago

    I wonder how many of them could even begin to understand the tax returns as complex as those.

    qazxc
    qazxc
    6 years ago

    So what is he hiding in his tax returns?

    Simplest way to get past the issue and to prove his detractors wrong. Just release your returns and prove you are the most honest person in world.

    Even
    Nixon a”h and Carter ym”s released theirs. So did Ford Reagan GHW Bush and GW Bush. So did Bubba.

    I’m left to conclude he has more to hide than any of them and possibly all of them combined.

    6 years ago

    #4 and #5 Just what is wrong with filling out a Russian tax return? Obama appointees filled out many (literally), as some had literally taken residence for years to manage their Russian business. I never complaint about it.

    But just for the record for those in the audience who are interested, among the problems with releasing the Trump U.S. tax returns is that events, such as the abominable attacks on the businesses of Trump relatives, and even personally on Trump relatives, is that anyone or anything with a Trump connection will be attacked/boycotted/whatever by these paid thugs. That is aside from confidential business information that could be used by Trump’s business’s competitors.

    6 years ago

    Just curious how much taxes did these protestors pay ? Can I see some of their returns ? Did they contribute anything ? Big talkers

    6 years ago

    To #4 - You are probably not familiar with the set of federal statutes, as codified in the United State Code. If you would take the time to go to a library, and read through the U.S. Code, there is not one page, one paragraph, or any law, which mandates any U.S. Presidential candidate, or U.S. President, to release his tax returns. President Herbert Hoover, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Harry S. Truman, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and President John F. Kennedy never released copies of their federal tax returns; therefore, why should President Donald J. Trump have to? He is under no legal obligation to do so. Even if he did, they are so complex and voluminous that the average person, would not understand them anyway. There is an old Yiddish expression, which Trump should tell those professional agitators; it is:

    “Gay c— in yam”

    qazxc
    qazxc
    6 years ago

    The release of 2005 returns likely points to him having something to hide in all the other returns.

    I didn’t lose.

    America did.

    6 years ago

    To #11 - What part of what I wrote, didn’t you understand? It doesn’t make an iota of difference if Nixon, and all of the succeeding Presidents through Obama released their tax returns. Legally, Trump doesn’t have to release his returns, nor should he. Even if he released his returns, individuals such as you would mock and question the returns, and question his deductions, and contributions. Therefore, Trump should hang tough, and not budge an inch on that matter.