At town hall, Republican congressman says Trump 'absolutely' should release his tax returns

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a conservative Republican from Florida, caught constituents off guard on Thursday when he agreed that President Trump should release his tax returns.

During a town hall in Pace, a woman told Gaetz her family has been in the United States for 400 years, and she has had relatives fight in every major war. "There are allegations a foreign government has infiltrated our government at the highest levels," she said, before asking Gaetz if he would demand that Trump release his tax returns in order to show any ties to Russia. The crowd began to boo Gaetz, CNN reports, but he quickly interjected, "If you hear me out, you'll like my answer.... Absolutely, Donald Trump should release his tax returns." That earned him some rare applause, though he did not back subpoenaing Trump's returns.

At most town halls held this week by Republican lawmakers, the issue of Trump's taxes has been a major point of conversation. Unlike every other major party nominee since 1972, Trump did not release his tax returns during his campaign, claiming that he was under audit and had been advised not to do so.

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