Joe Biden's campaign released his 2019 tax returns on Tuesday, showing that he and his wife, Jill, paid nearly $300,000 in federal taxes last year.
Why it matters: The release, timed just hours before the first presidential debate, comes days after a bombshell New York Times report said that President Trump paid only $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017. Biden's team is hoping to make the tax contrast a sticking point during their showdown.
- The campaign also released 2019 tax returns for Biden's running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her husband, Doug Emhoff.
- Biden's deputy campaign manager, Kate Bedingfield, told reporters on a call that this marks 22 years of publicly available tax returns for Biden and 16 years for Harris.
- Bedingfield said the release reflects Biden's commitment to "honesty and transparency" and that the campaign's message to Trump is simple: "Mr. President, release your tax returns, or shut up."