Jesse Ventura: On Donald Trump and his tax returns

I can’t answer for Donald Trump.

But I will state this: I don’t understand why you're required to show your taxes in the first place.  That's a private relationship between you and the IRS.  It's not for public consumption, so I'm against showing your taxes - no one should have to. That's how I feel. If I ran, I wouldn't show my taxes.  It's no one's business.

Why is it the public's business how much I pay in taxes?  This has nothing to do with transparency.  This is about privacy rights.  No one else has to.  Do you have to go public with your taxes?  No, you're a citizen first and you have every right under the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and our laws to not be exploited as a regular citizen.

Let me put this into context for you.  Take pro-sports for example.  The next time a pro-sports team wants the public to pay for a stadium, how about the owner of a team show his or her tax returns?  You have these billionaire owners of the NFL, and they don't have to show their tax returns when the people put forward their tax dollars to build these stadiums.  But these owners can be worth upwards of $15 or $20 billion.  You don’t think they can afford to build their own stadiums? If I was worth that kind of money, truthfully, I would spend $1 billion of my own money, build the damn stadium, and dedicate it as a shrine to me!  That's a joke people.  But the people would love you for it because it wouldn’t cost residents a nickel.  

The point is: how come we don’t force the owners of these pro-sports teams release their tax returns when our money is paying for their stadiums? You have a right to know that too. 

Similarly, how come religious institutions don’t have to open their books?  I’ll tell you what: Jesse Ventura will show you his taxes when the churches do.

If I ran for president, I wouldn’t show my taxes either. It’s no one’s business.

-Jesse Ventura