April 17, 2017

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Monday revealed that President Donald Trump would not release his 2016 tax returns because they were already under "routine" audit.

The day before most Americans must file their taxes, the White House press corps pushed Spicer to explain when Trump would share his tax returns.

"Presumably, they are not under audit," one reporter in the press room noted.

"They are," Spicer replied. "I think it's been covered before. It's the same thing that was discussed on the campaign trail. The president is under audit. It's a routine one and it continues. And I think the American public [knows] clearly where he stands. This is something that he made very clear during the election cycle."

Spicer also said that the president would not authorize the IRS to confirm that his tax returns are under audit.

Later in the briefing, ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl sounded slightly frustrated when he pressed Spicer about Trump's returns.

"You've been asked about this obviously a thousand times," Karl noted. "You always talk about you're under audit, the president is under audit. Is it time to say once and for all, the president is never going to release his tax returns?"

"We'll have to get back to you on that," Spicer replied sheepishly.

"I mean, really," Karl quipped.

"Really," Spicer stated.

"So, he may?" Karl said.

"No!" Spicer insisted. "I said I'd have to get back to you on that. I think that he is still under audit, the statement still stands."

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