US President Donald Trump says voters don’t care about his personal tax returns

American President Donald Trump is scoffing at Democrats’ attempts to pry loose his tax returns, saying his refusal to release the records as a candidate didn’t hurt him in 2016 and voters “didn’t care” about the issue.

A leading House Democrat has issued subpoenas for six years of Trump’s tax documents and given Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig a deadline of this coming Friday to deliver them.

Trump has privately made clear he has no intention of turning over the much-coveted material.

He is the first president since Watergate to decline to make his returns public, often claiming that he would release them if he were not under audit.

The subpoenas came from Rep. Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Friday, days after Mnuchin refused to comply with demands to turn over Trump’s returns. Mnuchin said the committee’s request “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose,” as Supreme Court precedent requires.

Neal, D-Mass., reminded the two Trump appointees in a letter that federal law states that the IRS “shall furnish” the tax returns of any individual upon the request of the chairmen of Congress’ tax-writing committees and that his committee “has never been denied” a request.

Trump tweeted on Saturday that he won in 2016 “partially based on no Tax Returns while I am under audit (which I still am), and the voters didn’t care. Now the Radical Left Democrats want to again relitigate this matter. Make it a part of the 2020 Election!” 

I won the 2016 Election partially based on no Tax Returns while I am under audit (which I still am), and the voters didn’t care. Now the Radical Left Democrats want to again relitigate this matter. Make it a part of the 2020 Election!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2019