Donald Trump, Who Has Yet To Release Tax Returns, Claims His Administration Is ‘Most Transparent In History’

Donald Trump bragged online that his administration is the “most transparent in history.”

Twitter seems to disagree.

On Saturday, the president took to his favorite social media outlet to confirm on Twitter that White House lawyer Donald McGahn had sat down for extensive interviews with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. In doing so, Trump also bragged about what he said was the transparency his administration has reportedly shown in dealing with the Russia investigation (despite reports that Trump’s team has been stalling and adding conditions for an actual interview).

“I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!”

But as many quickly pointed out, Trump has been far from transparent in office. He remains the only major presidential candidate in the last 40 years not to release tax returns, despite making a number of promises during the 2016 campaign that they would eventually be released.

As CNN noted, Trump’s team admitted after the election that the American people would never see Donald Trump’s tax returns, with aides saying that the issue was settled because Trump won the election in 2016 after not having released them.

“During the campaign and intermittently over his first year in office, Trump has been asked about his returns and when they might be released publicly. He has consistently said: a) tax returns don’t reveal much (not true!) and b) he can’t release his return because he is under audit by the Internal Revenue Service (also not true; Richard Nixon released his tax return when he was under audit in 1973 [according to Money.])”

Donald Trump has continued to keep his taxes private despite many calls, especially from those on the left, for him to release them.

Don’t forget how absurd it is that a year and a half into Trump’s presidency, we still haven’t seen Trump’s tax returns and don’t know who he might be financially beholden to.https://t.co/GGx2nxxJSz

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 18, 2018

Trump’s boast about cooperating with the Mueller investigation drew other viral reactions online, including many who pointed out that Trump’s team has consistently lied about some key parts of the Russia investigation, including a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-connected attorney offering dirt on Hillary Clinton that had been stolen by Russian hackers. After initially claiming that this was never discussed, Trump recently admitted that the meeting did take place and that his campaign was hearing out someone offering leverage against their opponent.

I allowed White House Counsel Don McGahn, and all other requested members of the White House Staff, to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel. In addition we readily gave over one million pages of documents. Most transparent in history. No Collusion, No Obstruction. Witch Hunt!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018

Donald Trump has still not said when — or if — he might release his tax returns.