Kellyanne Conway, Donald Trump’s newest campaign manager–how many is that now?–told CNN in an interview that “Donald Trump’s tax returns aren’t [transparent], I would like to see them transparent.”
Wait a minute [papers rustling]. I’m sorry, that was from an old CNN interview going allllllllllll the way back to April. In a more recent interview on CNN, Campaign Manager Conway now says she is no longer in favor of releasing the self-proclaimed but unproven billionaire’s tax returns:
“So now that I’m on the inside, I know something I didn’t know then. He’s under audit. He’s said completely, when the audit is completed, he will release.”
Now let me get this straight. You didn’t know that Trump was under audit in April? It was all over the news and mentioned in nearly every Republican debate. Would you like to rephrase your statement for clarification purposes Ms. Conway? According to the Washington Post, she tried in an interview on another network:
“I’ve learned since being on the inside that this audit is a serious matter and that he said that when the audit is complete, he will release his tax returns. I also know as a pollster that what concerns people most about quote ‘taxes’ is their own tax liability, and so we appreciate people being able to see Hillary Clinton’s plan and Donald Trump’s plan and figure out who will really get the middle-class tax relief.”
So, apparently it takes becoming a campaign insider to know what all of America knows when it comes to the seriousness of an IRS audit. She’s right about one thing: I am concerned about my “own tax liability,” but I also want to see the transparency that Conway once thought was important. It’s possible that she’s this clueless, but with her rather extensive political resume, not likely.
Conservative media has its own opinion on why Trump won’t release his tax returns, including: possible unhealthy ties to Russian oligarchs, the likely revelation that his net worth isn’t anything close to the $10 billion he claims and the possibility that his business success is as phony as his reality TV show.
Conway could find herself in the minority when it comes to releasing The Donald’s tax returns. Roger Stone, a long time friend and advisor to Trump–and the sleaze ball behind the National Enquirer stories accusing Ted Cruz of adultery and Ted’s father, Rafael, of being in on the Kennedy assassination–told a Miami radio station on Monday that, “Yes, I think that he should release his tax returns immediately.”
Surely, if a man of Stone’s questionable character thinks it’s a good idea, perhaps Conway and her boss should reconsider their position. Then again, in the bizarro world we know as the 2016 election, perhaps the only transparent thing about Trump is his non-transparency.
David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative, your source for opinion that’s politically-incorrect and always “right.” His articles can also be found on RedState.com.
His daily radio commentary is nationally syndicated with Salem Radio Network and can be heard on stations across America.
