US President Donald Trump today defended himself when questioned about a news report on the minimal amount of income tax paid by him, saying "I don't want to pay tax."
During the first presidential debate, moderator Chris Wallace asked the US President about The New York Times report which revealed that Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, and also he had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years starting in 2000.
Trump, who disputes the report, was pressed to say how much he paid in taxes but declined. "I paid millions of dollars in taxes. Millions of dollars in income tax," he said. Then he said that he attempted to avoid taxes as much as possible, referencing tax breaks that he and others try to claim.
"I don't want to pay tax," he said. He added that private investors like himself, "unless they're stupid, they go through the laws and that's what it is."
Meanwhile, Joe Biden talked about his plans to repeal some of the tax cuts passed under Trump and impose taxes on companies that pay little to the US now, the President said that Joe Biden had served for many years and didn't take action. Joe Biden went right back at him, pointing out that he's actually proposing to raise taxes cut by Republicans. "You in fact passed that," Joe Biden said. "That was your tax proposal."
Here are the highlights from US Presidential Debate: :
Watch | "You're the worst President": Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump in fiery Presidential debate
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 30, 2020
#USPresidentialDebate2020 #USElections2020 pic.twitter.com/q9Lortpbnb
Watch | "I paid millions of dollars in tax returns," US President Donald Trump on his taxes#USPresidentialDebate2020 #USElections2020 pic.twitter.com/KQSJ0FggyR
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 30, 2020
Let's go! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/sDmKI5WXFN
- Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) September 30, 2020
It's debate night, so I've got my earpiece and performance enhancers ready. pic.twitter.com/EhOiWdjh1b
- Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 29, 2020