Fox’s Ingraham Reverses Course On Trump's Tax Returns: “I Don't Think It's Really Going To Affect This Election”

In 2012, Laura Ingraham Said Mitt Romney’s Initial Refusal To Release Returns “Does Not Make Romney Look Good”

Written by Media Matters Staff

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Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is taking an unprecedented step for any recent American presidential candidate, stating that he doesn’t plan to release his tax returns to the public before the general election in November. Fox contributor Laura Ingraham responded to Trump’s refusal, saying it is not “going to have much of an effect, although Hillary will try to make it.” Ingraham’s remarks mark a sharp contrast to her 2012 hounding of Mitt Romney for not releasing his tax returns, saying his refusal “does not make Romney look good.” From the May 11 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier:

BRET BAIER (HOST): Quickly, about the taxes. Romney out with this Facebook post saying he needs to release the taxes even though he's being audited. Big deal, not a big deal?

LAURA INGRAHAM: Look, I don't know what Mitt Romney is doing. I really, I guess at this point he's in it to help Hillary. Because that, I don't know why he would make that point. What's his role at this point? But I don't think it's really going to affect this election. Trump’s an isolationist. These are just kind of the phrases that people throw around. I think the party has moved. Rubio is out and Jeb was out in their home state. The party has moved to a more populist, slightly more nationalistic party. Trump is not a doctrinaire conservative, we all know that, but that’s where the party has moved. And the tax returns, I don't think that in this election cycle with so much on the line is going to have much of an effect, although Hillary will try to make it.