Nixon's Failed Effort to Withhold His Tax Returns

Donald Trump, in an interview over the weekend, reiterated his refusal to release his tax returns until the Internal Revenue Service has completed an audit. By way of explanation, the Republican presidential nominee claimed that Mitt Romney had lost the 2012 election because he had bowed to pressure from the Obama campaign and disclosed his filings.

Perhaps. But for the past 40 years, almost every presidential candidate has released his (or her) tax returns in advance of the general election. Even though there’s no law that mandates this transparency, disclosure has become an accepted part of presidential politics, and Trump's demurral has sparked widespread condemnation, including from the billionaire investor Warren Buffett.