Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:53 pm
Fox News is claiming that requiring Trump to release his tax returns is interfering with voting rights, which it is not.
Fox News Is Making Up Desperate Reasons To Hide Trump’s Tax Returns
Video and transcript via Media Matters:
VARNEY: But to say that if he doesn’t reveal his tax returns, he’s not on the ballot in, for example, California, that’s outrageous. That is interfering with the voting rights of half the population who would like to vote for President Trump.
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CHAFFETZ: It’s a pretty simple equation. That’s what they’re trying to do. It’s no mistake. These are all Democratic-controlled states. They’re trying to embarrass the president. They’re trying to make sure the Republicans and supporters of the president do not have the opportunity to vote for him. If you look at what they’re doing in the House, in H.R. 1, Nancy Pelosi and crew have been trying to fundamentally change the way we vote. They want taxpayer funded campaigns, that is, they want you to have to reach into your wallet and give money to politicians so that they can run even more expensive ads on television. It’s a concerted effort across the board and they’re trying to sue and get the president’s tax returns and go after his banks to try to extract financial information as well.
If the issue is should a candidate have to release their tax returns, the vast majority of voters say yes. Fox News is trying to get around the opposition to Trump’s behavior by expanding the issue so that it impacts Republican voters.
Voters could still vote for Trump if he wasn’t on the ballot
If Trump decided not to release his tax returns and did not appear on the ballot in states that required candidates to release their tax returns, Republicans could still vote for Donald Trump. The removal of Trump’s name from the ballot would not be an attack on voting rights, because Republicans could go to the polls and write in Trump’s name.
The Fox News freak out over Trump being penalized for refusing to release his tax returns is in full bloom. Fox News is falling over itself to protect Trump even as it sows the seeds for their downfall.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
