Former President Donald Trump took to social media early Wednesday to slam the U.S. Supreme Court for rejecting his emergency appeal seeking to shield his tax returns from House Democrats.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the release of Trump's tax returns to a congressional committee, handing a defeat to the former president who had called the Democrat-led House Ways and Means Committee's request politically motivated.
The justices denied Trump's Oct. 31 emergency application to block a lower court's ruling that upheld a request by the House panel for the tax records as a justified part of the panel's legislative work while his lawyers prepared an appeal.
"Why would anybody be surprised that the Supreme Court has ruled against me, they always do!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "It is unprecedented to be handing over Tax Returns, & it creates terrible precedent for future Presidents. Has Joe Biden paid taxes on all of the money he made illegally from Hunter & beyond.
"The Supreme Court has lost its honor, prestige, and standing, & has become nothing more than a political body, with our Country paying the price. They refused to even look at the Election Hoax of 2020. Shame on them!"
The high court's decision allows the House panel to review more than six years of tax returns from Trump and some of his companies to examine whether the IRS audit of the former president was conducted "fully and appropriately."
Going against tradition, Trump refused to share publicly his tax returns during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump's attorneys have pushed back, saying the request as a partisan effort.
The Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-nominated justices, in 2020 rejected bids to overturn President Joe Biden's election win.
"In the Supreme Court, the President of the United States does not have 'standing' over his own election, how ridiculous?" Trump also posted on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Standing limits participation in lawsuits and asks whether the person bringing a lawsuit, or defending one, has enough cause to "stand" before the court and advocate, since not anyone can go to court for any reason.
Reuters contributed to this story.