White House Releases Part of Trump's Tax Return for the First Time

The White House has released part of Donald Trump's tax report for the first time, revealing that the U.S. President had an income of $150 million in 2005 and paid $38 million in taxes before winning the election. This release comes as MSNBC reported that it possesses two pages of Trump's tax return and intends to publish the details. Rachel Maddow, a journalist and host of the network's evening program, announced the existence of these documents, which were obtained by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Johnston. The U.S. government has strongly criticized the release of tax documents on MSNBC, calling it illegal. The White House stated, 'When you are willing to break the law to release two pages of tax reports from over a decade ago, you know you are desperate for attention.' In the United States, releasing citizens' tax documents without legal permission is considered a crime. However, Maddow stated that MSNBC is exercising its constitutionally guaranteed right to publish information that benefits the public. Trump has so far refused to release his tax returns from the years before his presidential victory, a practice that has been adhered to by political rivals in the country for decades. Major presidential candidates in the U.S. over the past 40 years have released their income tax reports as part of what is termed transparency. Trump's failure to release his tax returns has faced criticism from his main election rival, Hillary Clinton, and other critics. During the election campaign, Trump emphasized that his financial activities were under federal review and that he would release them once the review process was complete. He stated that the IRS is auditing the documents and his lawyers advised against releasing them during this time. The U.S. President currently has no management over his business activities and has announced that he intends to dedicate his presidential salary entirely to charity.