Trump denies tax evasion allegation, calls it ‘totally fake news’
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Sunday faced allegations that he paid little or no income tax for years before he came to power, as his cloudy financial past stoked controversy ahead of the first election debate.
The New York Times alleged the billionaire president paid just $750federal income taxes in 2016, the year he won the White House, and no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years because he reported losing more money than he made.
Trump, who immediately dismissed the accusations as “totally fake news,’’ is readying to come face to face with his Democratic opponent Joe Biden at a live debate on Tuesday.
The Republican leader has broken with presidential tradition by refusing to release his tax returns, fighting a long battle in the courts and triggering speculation about what they might contain.
“First of all, I paid a lot and I paid a lot of state income taxes too... It’ll all be revealed,’’ Trump said as he shrugged off the Times story that cited tax data extending more than 20 years.
The paper said the records “reveal the hollowness, but also the wizardry, behind the self-made-billionaire image’’ of the president.
Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer took to Twitter, asking everyone “who paid more in federal income tax than President Trump’’ to raise their hand.
At Tuesday’s election debate, millions of Americans will watch as the two antagonists — who depict each other as existential threats to the country — step into the ring live on television after months of shadowboxing. Trump taunted Biden on Sunday with the fresh salvo on his mental acuity.
“I will be strongly demanding a Drug Test of Sleepy Joe Biden prior to, or after, the Debate on Tuesday night,’’ he tweeted, saying he would take one also.
“His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly. Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???’’
When asked by reporters about the demand, Biden laughed before declining to comment.