Ties taxes to vets

Kaine ties taxes to vets in bashing Trump

By Daniel Strauss

Sen. Tim Kaine went after Donald Trump on two of the Republican presidential nominee's favorite talking points: veterans and money.

During an appearance at the Virginia Democratic Party's Wednesday breakfast here in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention, Kaine, Hillary Clinton's pick for vice president, devoted much of his speech to knocking Trump as a tax-dodger who can't back up his claims that he would help veterans.

Over Trump's "whole life" he's used "every trick" to avoid paying taxes, Kaine said.

"That's why he's not giving out his tax returns because if he did you would see all the tricks and dodges he uses to not pay taxes," Kaine said, going on to pivot to veterans, another favorite subject of Trump's. Trump has promised to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs and create a hotline to help veterans.

"'But I would be great for the vets,'" Kaine said paraphrasing Trump. "Well look, by fighting to pay no taxes, who's funding veterans' programs? Who's funding veterans services?"

By avoiding paying taxes, Kaine said, Trump is showing he's "too big to have to fund our military, too big to have to fund our schools, too big to have to fund programs for things that we rely on, the things that makes this a great nation. The things that stick us together. I guess that's just for suckers to have to pay for the society have."

Democrats have been eager to hit Trump on his tax returns. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has released eight years of tax returns while the real estate mogul has not released any, citing an ongoing audit expected to end before the election in November. Trump said he would then "gladly" share his tax returns with the public.