Steven Mnuchin claims 2016 Trump voters 'knew he wasn't releasing his tax returns.' Trump said otherwise.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin needs a lesson in recent history.
After officially denying the House Oversight Committee's request for President Trump's tax returns last week, Mnuchin appeared before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday to discuss an unrelated topic. Except the tax returns inevitably came up, and when they did, Mnuchin made a provably false claim about Trump's commitment to releasing them.
In Wednesday's hearing, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Co.) asked Mnuchin to explain how the "tradition of other presidents releasing their tax returns" factored into Mnuchin's rejection of the House's tax return subpoena. "It didn't," Mnuchin answered, and went on to say "the American public knew that [Trump] wasn't releasing his tax returns prior to voting for him and they made that decision."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Here's the thing: The American public didn't know that. Back in 2014, Trump told an Irish TV station that "if I decide to run for office, I'll produce my tax returns, absolutely. I'd love to do that." He gave several similar remarks up until Sept. 2016, CNN documents. Trump then started claiming he was "under a routine audit" and that he couldn't release his returns until it ended. As of last month, Trump was still claiming that audit was still underway, though the IRS commissioner quickly made it clear there's no rule stopping Trump from releasing his returns anyway.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
5 sleeper hit cartoons about Trump's struggles to stay awake in court
Cartoons Artists take on courtroom tranquility, war on wokeness, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The true story of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
In depth The writer's fall from grace with his high-flying socialite friends in 1960s Manhattan is captured in a new Disney+ series
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Scottie Scheffler: victory for the 'pre-eminent golfer of this era'
Why Everyone's Talking About Masters victory is Scheffler's second in three years
By The Week Staff Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published