Trump’s reported massive debt load raises ‘a national security question,’ Pelosi says

President Donald Trump’s reported massive debts raise “a national security question,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Monday.

“This president appears to have over $400 million in debt … To whom? Different countries? What is the leverage they have? So for me, this is a national security question,” Pelosi said in the interview. 

Pelosi’s remarks come after The New York Times published a groundbreaking report Sunday claiming Trump has $421 million of debt coming due soon in addition to an outstanding audit fight with the Internal Revenue Service over a $72.9 million tax refund he previously received.

The report said Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency and during his first year in office. Trump paid no income taxes in 10 of the previous 15 years, the Times reported based on documents the outlet said it obtained from sources with legal access to the records. 

CNBC has not seen the documents reviewed by the Times. Trump Organization attorney Alan Garten told the Times in a statement that “most, if not all, of the facts” reported appeared to be inaccurate. Trump called the report “fake news” at a press conference following publication.

The Times’ report found no new connections to Russia, though Trump’s business dealings with other countries have been a topic of speculation since his candidacy.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/28/trumps-reported-massive-debt-load-raises-national-security-question-pelosi-says.html