White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow flatly declared that Donald Trump will not be releasing his tax returns despite years of promises to do so, and repeatedly dodged questions about Trump’s excuse that he’s under audit, even telling one reporter “No you may not” ask about the audit.
During a brief gaggle with reporters on the White House driveway Monday morning, NBC News correspondent Kristen Welker immediately began trying to question Kudlow about Trump’s tax returns, but Kudlow opened by joking it up a little first.
“Larry, as you know, it is tax day…”Welker began, but Kudlow interrupted.
“Hi folks, did you all pay your taxes?” Kudlow asked. “I want to take a poll. Yes, up, down, thumbs up, did you pay your taxes?”
Welker and others answered “Yes.”
“Larry, since it’s tax day, should the president release his tax returns?” Welker asked.
“The president is not releasing his tax ref… his tax forms today,” Kudlow said, adding “I refer you to Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin all about that. It’s under audit. He’s submitted hundreds of pages, you know the arguments.”
“But past presidents have been under audit, Larry,” Welker pressed.
Kudlow ignored her, instead telling the reporters “One thing I want to say is echo the Secretary of the Treasury, my good friend Steve Mnuchin, this administration has no intention to weaponize the IRS the way the Nixon Administration did, and all this looks a little too political for us, but I’ll leave it there and refer you to the Treasury Secretary. That’s all I have on that.”
“Can I just ask you about the audit portion of that? Because past…” Welker began, but Kudlow cut her off.
“No you may not,” Kudlow said, adding “I have nothing else to say on the matter. I refer you to the Treasury Department.”
Trump’s own chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, recently admitted that even if Trump is under audit, that would not prevent him from releasing his tax returns.
Watch the clip above, via C-Span.
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