Washington - US President Donald Trump's tax returns might be
published after all, but not until after he leaves office, the
president said in an interview published Thursday.
"Maybe I'll release them after I'm finished, because I'm very proud
of them actually," Trump told the Economist.
Trump maintained in the interview that only journalists care about
his tax returns, which first arose as an issue during the 2016
presidential campaign.
Trump, a multibillionaire real estate mogul, has consistently refused
to release his tax returns, which would shed light on his personal
wealth, charitable contributions and debts. He said he can't release
them because they are being audited, a claim which he repeated in the
interview with the Economist.
The magazine asked whether Trump would put releasing his tax returns
on the table in negotiations with Congress about a tax reform bill he
aims to push through.
Read also: Trump blasts release of 2005 tax form
Trump responded by saying it was an "interesting question," first
answering "I doubt it," but then, later in the interview, saying he
would "never consider it as part of a deal," according to a
transcript posted at the Economist's website.
He said he believed that would be "unfair" and "disrespectful of the
importance of this deal."
Opposition Democrats are demanding transparency in order to know the
extent to which Trump might benefit from the tax plan he wants to
push through.