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Trump To Show Tax Returns If Obama Shows Birth Certificate
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 19, 2011
Modified Apr 19, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 19, 2011
Modified Apr 19, 2011
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Crusading Obama hater and leading (at least according to the polls) 2012 Republican candidate Donald Trump is apparently sorta paying attention to calls for him to disclose his net worth, because he announced he would "maybe" reveal his tax returns on Good Morning, America—except there's a catch: He'll only do it if President Obama will release his birth certificate. The Donald told George Stephanopoulos, "Maybe I’m going to do the tax returns when Obama does his birth certificate…I’d love to give my tax returns. I may tie my tax returns into Obama’s birth certificate."
Stephopoulos pointed out, "You say it’s all about the messenger. A lot of Republicans think you’re a flawed messenger for the party. Karl Rove, again over the weekend, saying you’re a joke candidate, if you continue to raise questions about President Obama’s citizenship," But Trump said, "There’s a real question about the birth certificate. There’s a real question about the-- his own-- his own citizenship." And then Stephanopoulos tried to explain that a certificate of live birth is recognized by the State Department (too bad half of the Iowa GOP doesn't recognize it), with Trump insisting, "It’s a much different instrument." And when asked about the investigation in Hawaii, Trump said, "That’s none of your business right now. We’re going to see what happens." He also accused Stephanopoulos, a famous adviser for President BIll Clinton, of being "co-opted" by Obama's minions.
Trump also revealed he offered to build a $100 million ballroom at the White House:
"I called up the White House about a year ago. And I saw that they were having lots of functions for people like the President of China…And I said, ‘Listen, every time I see a function, you put an old broken canvas tent that they probably pay some guy, some local guy a fortune for'...I said, ‘I will build you, free of charge,’ to a very high official [adviser David Axelrod] at the White House, ‘one of the great ballrooms of the world,’” Trump said...
“I will build it. It’ll cost maybe $100 million. Anywhere from $50 to $100 million,” Trump continued. “I will give you a gift and what we’ll do is we’ll hire the top ten architects in the world, hopefully, the United States, but in the world. We’ll have a committee, a review committee set up. We’ll pick the one that everybody agrees, because it’s a little delicate. You know, it is the White House, after all,” he said.
Trump pouted that Axelrod didn't take him seriously. GMA reports, "Axelrod said that he bucked Trump’s inquiry to the White House social secretary, adding that Trump had earlier called to say that he was willing to take over the Gulf clean-up effort from Admiral Thad Allen. That request was gently denied."
For what it's worth, leftie MSNBC host Ed Schultz happily endorses Trump for the Republican nomination.
Tagged
birth certificate
birther
david axelrod
donald trump
election 2012
good morning america
president obama
quid pro quo
sideshow
tax return
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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