Conway: WH Won't Release Tax Returns, Focus on Tax Reform

President Donald Trump will not release his tax returns after winning the election and being sworn in, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Sunday, pivoting to a call for Democrats to change their focus to working Trump's tax reforms.

"The White House response is that he's not going to release his tax returns," Conway told ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

"We litigated this all through the election. People didn't care. They voted for him, and let me make this very clear: Most Americans are very focused on what their tax returns will look like while President Trump is in office, not what his look like."

The position of not releasing the returns counters a campaign statement the returns might be released after an audit was completed.

Stephanopoulos had asked Conway about Trump's White House petition website "We the People" garnering 200,000 calling for the White House to "immediately release Donald Trump's full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance." Just 100,000 is needed to warrant an administration response, according to The Hill. 

"You know full well that President Trump and his family are complying with all the ethical rules — everything they need to do to step away from his businesses and be a full-time president," Conway told Stephanopoulos. "On the matter of tax returns, they want to litigate what happened in the campaign. People want tax relief. He's promised that. We hope that the Democratic Senate will support his tax-relief package."

Conway also called out Democrats in Congress for fighting the new administration, instead of calling for tax returns that will not be released.

"The president has appointed cabinet nominees — only two have been confirmed," Conway told Stephanopoulos. "It's time for Democrats to step up and be bipartisan when it comes to passing the tax reform, so Americans' tax returns look better this year. We need a treasury secretary, commerce secretary, a new government that works. We hope they'll meet the call very soon."

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