Some of the backlash might have changed Trump’s mind, as he backtracked in an interview—published after the AP article—with Fox News’s Greta Van Susteren.
When Van Susteren repeated his previous refusal to release his returns, Trump quickly interjected: “I didn’t say that. I said I’m being audited.”
On the possibility of releasing returns that are not under IRS scrutiny, Trump said “There’s a link between [those returns] and other things.”
Trump claimed he has been audited “every single year” for many years. “No lawyer would say release it when you are under audit.”
He said it would be “meaningless” to release the returns from years ago when he had not been audited.
“So, the answer is, I‘ll release. Hopefully before the election I’ll release,” he concluded. “And I'd like to release.”
In February 2015, Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he had “no objection” to releasing his tax returns.
“I would also explain to people,” continued Trump, “that as a person that’s looking to make money, you know, I’m in the business of making money until I do this. And if I won, I would make money for our country.”
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