Biden releases tax returns, urges Trump to do so

[NFA] Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released his tax returns and pressed the Republican president to do likewise, keeping pressure on Donald Trump in the wake of a New York Times expose on his taxes.

This report produced by Zachary Goelman.

Just hours before the first presidential debate of the year, Democratic nominee Joe Biden released his 2019 tax returns and called on Donald Trump to do the same.

The move maintains pressure on the Republican president after the New York Times reported he paid zero federal income taxes in 10 out of the past 15 years, and just $750 in 2016 and 2017.

In contrast, Biden's returns show he and his wife Jill paid more than $346,000 in federal taxes and other payments in 2019, on income of just under $1 million.

As a candidate, Donald Trump broke with decades of tradition in not sharing his tax forms despite a promise to do so.

He has since fought drawn-out legal battles to keep his returns from Democratic lawmakers, criminal prosecutors, and the public.

The New York Times reported the president's taxes also show heavy loses at his businesses and hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.

Trump raged against the newspaper.

In a series of Twitter posts, the Republican president said he had paid "many millions of dollars in taxes" and that his wealth and assets far exceeded any debts.

He did not provide evidence, nor did he say he would to release any financial statements before the Nov.

3 presidential election.

On a call with reporters, a Biden campaign official said, "Mr. President, release your tax returns or shut up."