Carl Bernstein Calls Trump Tax Report ‘The Smoking Gun of a Pervasively Criminal Presidency’

Carl Bernstein called the New York Times report on President Donald Trump’s taxes “the smoking gun of a pervasively criminal presidency.”

The veteran journalist told CNN’s Brianna Keilar that it’s clear Trump and his family are “grifters” and that the reporting points to a need for the press and Congress “to find out just how great a national security threat to this country our president is, particularly in his dealings with Putin, with Erdogan of Turkey… Follow the money, follow the lies.”

Keilar picked up on Bernstein using the word “criminal” and asked him about that.

Bernstein said there’s “certainly implications of tax fraud to begin with that needs to be looked at” and the question of “what other obligations does he have.”

“This president needs to be thoroughly investigated in terms of how the United States has or may have been compromised by his actions, his selfishness, his putting his own interests, financial, in front of the interests of the United States,” he continued, saying that the reports make it clear Trump didn’t think he’d win in 2016 and rather “wanted to improve his financial condition.”

He slammed the denials from Team Trump and said again, “The issue is Donald Trump and whether or not he has compromised the American people once again for his own financial gain and for his grifter family.”

You can watch above, via CNN.