David Cay Johnston: Not a ‘Scintilla of Verifiable Evidence’ Trump ‘Was Ever Worth a Billion Dollars’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT JANSING Deutsche ░░░░░░░░ in court this week ░░░░░░░░ it has copies of ░░░░░░░░ Trump s personal and ░░░░░░░░ tax returns In a ░░░░░░░░ filing related to subpoenas ░░░░░░░░ two house committees they ░░░░░░░░ the federal court in ░░░░░░░░ York City quote the ░░░░░░░░ has in its possession ░░░░░░░░ returns in either draft ░░░░░░░░ as filed forms responsive ░░░░░░░░ subpoenas for redacted Ed ░░░░░░░░ in addition the bank ░░░░░░░░ documents related to parties ░░░░░░░░ named in the subpoenas ░░░░░░░░ may constitute immediate family ░░░░░░░░ responded they don t ░░░░░░░░ any tax returns Joining ░░░░░░░░ now David K Johnson ░░░░░░░░ Prize investigative reporter Good ░░░░░░░░ have you back on ░░░░░░░░ program So you know ░░░░░░░░ know two committees in ░░░░░░░░ house who want these ░░░░░░░░ What happens next Are ░░░░░░░░ a step closer to ░░░░░░░░ them JOHNSTON Well the ░░░░░░░░ of the circuit court ░░░░░░░░ appeals has not taken ░░░░░░░░ consideration the filing by ░░░░░░░░ two banks through their ░░░░░░░░ And the issue that ░░░░░░░░ going to continue to ░░░░░░░░ litigated is is there ░░░░░░░░ legitimate reason to turn ░░░░░░░░ over I would anticipate ░░░░░░░░ s highly likely the ░░░░░░░░ will ask to see ░░░░░░░░ in camera in chambers ░░░░░░░░ private to determine whether ░░░░░░░░ think they fit the ░░░░░░░░ Does the Congress have ░░░░░░░░ investigative purpose In the ░░░░░░░░ laundering case there s ░░░░░░░░ of smoke from things ░░░░░░░░ himself has said In ░░░░░░░░ house intelligence committee s ░░░░░░░░ I think all you ░░░░░░░░ to do is look ░░░░░░░░ the president s public ░░░░░░░░ supporting the Kremlin and ░░░░░░░░ American intelligence agencies to ░░░░░░░░ gee what s going ░░░░░░░░ here JANSING Potential foreign ░░░░░░░░ JOHNSTON Yes absolutely JANSING ░░░░░░░░ unlike past presidents we ░░░░░░░░ know this Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ refused to release his ░░░░░░░░ returns He said many ░░░░░░░░ times under subpoena which ░░░░░░░░ also know or under ░░░░░░░░ which we know does ░░░░░░░░ keep an audit from ░░░░░░░░ them But how much ░░░░░░░░ a fight are we ░░░░░░░░ looking at here in ░░░░░░░░ of obviously him trying ░░░░░░░░ keep these tax returns ░░░░░░░░ of the hands of ░░░░░░░░ JOHNSTON Well Trump has ░░░░░░░░ instructed his lawyers to ░░░░░░░░ every way they can ░░░░░░░░ delay delay delay and ░░░░░░░░ because he would like ░░░░░░░░ have anything that comes ░░░░░░░░ if ever be after ░░░░░░░░ elections next year And ░░░░░░░░ the other side the ░░░░░░░░ has taken the position ░░░░░░░░ you know they want ░░░░░░░░ see the stuff sooner ░░░░░░░░ later though they haven ░░░░░░░░ acted with particular speed ░░░░░░░░ a formal inquiry for ░░░░░░░░ begins the House then ░░░░░░░░ itself a kind of ░░░░░░░░ and there would be ░░░░░░░░ more deference to the ░░░░░░░░ by the federal judiciary ░░░░░░░░ that may turn out ░░░░░░░░ be an important development ░░░░░░░░ there is going to ░░░░░░░░ more efforts here to ░░░░░░░░ And unless this court ░░░░░░░░ appeals were to decide ░░░░░░░░ make these documents public ░░░░░░░░ it has mechanisms it ░░░░░░░░ do that through this ░░░░░░░░ probably going to continue ░░░░░░░░ some time because the ░░░░░░░░ Court does not fast ░░░░░░░░ this case JANSING So ░░░░░░░░ the normal person who ░░░░░░░░ their tax return and ░░░░░░░░ t have companies and ░░░░░░░░ assets and millions of ░░░░░░░░ in income these things ░░░░░░░░ obviously extremely complicated They ░░░░░░░░ somebody who can go ░░░░░░░░ this forensically and really ░░░░░░░░ what is going on ░░░░░░░░ you as somebody who ░░░░░░░░ been on top of ░░░░░░░░ for such a long ░░░░░░░░ what would you be ░░░░░░░░ for most JOHNSTON Well ░░░░░░░░ Donald doesn t want ░░░░░░░░ look at is what ░░░░░░░░ his real income and ░░░░░░░░ it tell us about ░░░░░░░░ wealth Chris there is ░░░░░░░░ now and there never ░░░░░░░░ been a scintilla of ░░░░░░░░ evidence that Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ ever worth a billion ░░░░░░░░ much less the multibillions ░░░░░░░░ has claimed JANSING So ░░░░░░░░ saying he lost 3 ░░░░░░░░ 5 billion by being ░░░░░░░░ and lot of speaking ░░░░░░░░ that is a suspect ░░░░░░░░ in your mind JOHNSTON ░░░░░░░░ my piece today at ░░░░░░░░ org points out that ░░░░░░░░ his 200 000 per ░░░░░░░░ speaking fee he would ░░░░░░░░ to give ten speeches ░░░░░░░░ week seven days a ░░░░░░░░ for four years to ░░░░░░░░ 3 billion in round ░░░░░░░░ And of course one ░░░░░░░░ we know about Donald ░░░░░░░░ spends lots of time ░░░░░░░░ his favorite TV shows ░░░░░░░░ Fox he s not ░░░░░░░░ hard worker This is ░░░░░░░░ not I don t ░░░░░░░░ how you make ten ░░░░░░░░ in a day but ░░░░░░░░ s just not there ░░░░░░░░ just makes this stuff ░░░░░░░░ The other thing we ░░░░░░░░ get immediately is the ░░░░░░░░ of his income But ░░░░░░░░ tax return Chris is ░░░░░░░░ the beginning of an ░░░░░░░░ not the end point ░░░░░░░░ David Cay Johnston always ░░░░░░░░ to have you on ░░░░░░░░ program Thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.”