Kamala Harris calls out Trump's debt-filled tax returns in debate. 'When we say in debt, it means you owe money to somebody.'
- Kamala Harris gave a blunt refresher on President Donald Trump's finances early on in the vice-presidential debate Wednesday night.
- "It would be really good to know who the president of the United States — the commander-in-chief — owes money to," Harris said, referring to The New York Times' investigation into Trump's taxes that found him in debt for hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, $139 million of which he's on the hook for within five years.
- "Because the American people have a right to know what is influencing the president's decisions, and is he making those decisions on the best interests of the American people — of you — or self-interest."
- "Just so everyone is clear, when we say in debt, it means you owe money to somebody" Harris said.
- She also took a dig at Trump for how little he paid in federal income taxes.
- "When I first heard about it, I literally said, 'You mean $750,000?' And it was like, no, $750."
Sen. Kamala Harris of California gave a plain-spoken assessment of President Donald Trump's finances during Wednesday night's debate, hitting Vice President Mike Pence over the lack of transparency when it comes to Trump's debts.
Harris was referring to The New York Times' investigation into Trump's taxes, which found him mired hundreds of millions of dollars in debt obligations — $139 million of which he's personally on the hook for within five years.
"We now know Donald Trump owes and is in debt for $400 million — and just so everyone is clear, when we say in debt, it means you owe money to somebody," Harris said.
"Because the American people have a right to know what is influencing the president's decisions, and is he making those decisions on the best interests of the American people — of you — or self interest."
Harris also took aim at how little Trump paid in federal income taxes because of substantial losses in his reported income, which led him to pay no federal income taxes many years and just $750 in 2016 and 2017.
"When I first heard about it, I literally said, 'You mean $750,000?' And it was like, no, $750," Harris said.