With Joe Biden's entrance Thursday morning into the 2020 presidential race, the Democratic field of candidates is full to bursting — and so is the list of targets for President Donald Trump.

Here's what Trump has had to say so far about his would-be challengers.

Within hours of Biden's announcement, Trump dubbed the 76-year-old former vice president “Sleepy Joe,” and called him someone whose "intelligence" had been "long in doubt."

Last month, Trump insulted Biden as “another low I.Q. individual” after the former Delaware senator accidentally admitted he was going to run for president, and then corrected himself.

Trump, in March 2018, had previously ripped Biden as “Crazy Joe,” tweeting that he was “trying to act like a tough guy” but was “weak, both mentally and physically.” The slap-back came after Biden, at a rally at the University of Miami attended by a sexual assault awareness advocacy group, said he would "beat the hell out of" Trump if they had been in high school together and if he heard him demeaning women.

Trump, in his tweet, said that, if they fought, Biden “would go down fast and hard, crying all the way.”

Trump has also previously dubbed Biden as “1 percent Joe” — a critical reference to his poor showing during his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Trump debuted his "Crazy Bernie" jibe against Sanders during the 2016 Democratic primary, as the independent Vermont senator racked up a series of primary wins against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump has since reprised the insult as the 2020 Democratic race has kicked into gear, tweeting his prediction earlier this month that the contest would come down to "Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden."

Sanders has hit back by saying, "What's crazy is that we have a president who is a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and a fraud."

Trump has repeatedly used the slur "Pocahontas" against Warren, dating back the 2016 presidential race, when the Massachusetts senator emerged as a fierce critic of Trump. The insult references her past claims on Native American heritage, though she was never enrolled as a member of a tribe.

He also slammed her as “goofy Elizabeth Warren” during the 2016 campaign, but revived the slur after Warren announced her 2020 bid.

Trump took aim at O'Rourke in March, just days after his formal campaign launch, ragging on the former Texas congressman’s penchant for moving his hands and arms around when he talks.

"I think he's got a lot of hand movement. I've never seen so much hand movement,” Trump said during a White House event. “I said, 'Is he crazy or is that just the way he acts?'"

"I watched him a little while this morning, during I assume it was some kind of a news conference, and I’ve actually never seen anything quite like it,” Trump said.

Earlier, during an October campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz (who was facing a tough challenge from O'Rourke), Trump called the candidate a "stone-cold phony named Robert Francis O'Rourke, sometimes referred to as 'Beto.'" O'Rourke's given name is "Robert Francis." Beto" is a nickname he has used since childhood.

Trump also slammed O'Rourke as "a flake" in a tweet he wrote after a debate between O'Rourke and Cruz.

Trump went relatively easy on the Minnesota senator, merely taking aim at how the snowy weather conditions affected her February campaign launch.

“By the end of her speech she looked like a Snowman(woman)!” he tweeted, mocking Klobuchar for “talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures”

Trump appears to have stayed away from Gillibrand since she announced her campaign earlier this year. But in 2017, he landed a harsh blow against her on Twitter that many said was sexually suggestive.

Trump, on Twitter, slammed Gillibrand as a "Lightweight Senator," a "total flunky for Chuck Schumer" and said she was “someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago.

Gillibrand, Trump added, “would do anything for them.”

The tweet came amid the backdrop of the burgeoning #MeToo movement and after Gillibrand called on Trump to resign due to the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct made against him, allegations the president has vehemently denied.

Trump has largely handed Booker a pass since the New Jersey senator launched his campaign, but he had attacked him repeatedly prior to his 2020 bid.

In July 2016, following Booker’s speech at the Democratic National Convention — during which the senator took shots at the then-GOP-nominee — Trump tweeted a cryptic critical message that left pundits scratching their heads.

“I know more about Cory than he knows about himself,” Trump tweeted.

Then, last year, amid a bitter confirmation battle for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Trump again took aim at Booker, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Take a look at Cory Booker," Trump said during an October White House press conference. "He ran Newark, New Jersey, into the ground. He was a horrible mayor; and he made statements that when he was in high school or college what he was doing. He actually made the statements. And now he's talking about Judge Kavanaugh."

His comments appeared to reference a 1992 article Booker for a student newspaper when he was an undergraduate at Stanford University in which he wrote about a time in high school he attempted to grope a girl.

Trump took a different approach with the California senator, paying her a modest compliment during an interview with The New York Times published in February.

When asked at that time who he felt was the Democratic Party’s “toughest candidate” in the race, he said it was Harris.

“I would say, the best opening so far would be Kamala Harris,” he said, although the Times’ transcript of the interview noted that he mispronounced her name. “I would say, in terms of the opening act, I would say, would be her.”

“I just think she seemed to have a little better opening act than others,” Trump said.

But in May, Trump finally dissed Harris, calling her "very nasty" in an interview with Fox Business.

The White House has also been critical of the California senator. In July 2018, the official White House Twitter account attacked her on illegal immigration, claiming she “supporting the animals of MS-13.”

On the other hand, there are several Democratic candidates Trump hasn't appeared to comment on — yet.

They include South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

He also hasn't lobbed anything at entrepreneur Andrew Yang, author Marianne Williamson or Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam, who are all also running for president.</s>With Joe Biden's entrance Thursday morning into the 2020 presidential race, the Democratic field of candidates is full to bursting — and so is the list of targets for President Donald Trump.

Here's what Trump has had to say so far about his would-be challengers.

Within hours of Biden's announcement, Trump dubbed the 76-year-old former vice president “Sleepy Joe,” and called him someone whose "intelligence" had been "long in doubt."

Last month, Trump insulted Biden as “another low I.Q. individual” after the former Delaware senator accidentally admitted he was going to run for president, and then corrected himself.

Trump, in March 2018, had previously ripped Biden as “Crazy Joe,” tweeting that he was “trying to act like a tough guy” but was “weak, both mentally and physically.” The slap-back came after Biden, at a rally at the University of Miami attended by a sexual assault awareness advocacy group, said he would "beat the hell out of" Trump if they had been in high school together and if he heard him demeaning women.

Trump, in his tweet, said that, if they fought, Biden “would go down fast and hard, crying all the way.”

Trump has also previously dubbed Biden as “1 percent Joe” — a critical reference to his poor showing during his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Trump debuted his "Crazy Bernie" jibe against Sanders during the 2016 Democratic primary, as the independent Vermont senator racked up a series of primary wins against eventual nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump has since reprised the insult as the 2020 Democratic race has kicked into gear, tweeting his prediction earlier this month that the contest would come down to "Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden."

Sanders has hit back by saying, "What's crazy is that we have a president who is a racist, a sexist, a xenophobe and a fraud."

Trump has repeatedly used the slur "Pocahontas" against Warren, dating back the 2016 presidential race, when the Massachusetts senator emerged as a fierce critic of Trump. The insult references her past claims on Native American heritage, though she was never enrolled as a member of a tribe.

He also slammed her as “goofy Elizabeth Warren” during the 2016 campaign, but revived the slur after Warren announced her 2020 bid.

Trump took aim at O'Rourke in March, just days after his formal campaign launch, ragging on the former Texas congressman’s penchant for moving his hands and arms around when he talks.

"I think he's got a lot of hand movement. I've never seen so much hand movement,” Trump said during a White House event. “I said, 'Is he crazy or is that just the way he acts?'"

"I watched him a little while this morning, during I assume it was some kind of a news conference, and I’ve actually never seen anything quite like it,” Trump said.

Earlier, during an October campaign event for Sen. Ted Cruz (who was facing a tough challenge from O'Rourke), Trump called the candidate a "stone-cold phony named Robert Francis O'Rourke, sometimes referred to as 'Beto.'" O'Rourke's given name is "Robert Francis." Beto" is a nickname he has used since childhood.

Trump also slammed O'Rourke as "a flake" in a tweet he wrote after a debate between O'Rourke and Cruz.

Trump went relatively easy on the Minnesota senator, merely taking aim at how the snowy weather conditions affected her February campaign launch.

“By the end of her speech she looked like a Snowman(woman)!” he tweeted, mocking Klobuchar for “talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures”

Trump appears to have stayed away from Gillibrand since she announced her campaign earlier this year. But in 2017, he landed a harsh blow against her on Twitter that many said was sexually suggestive.

Trump, on Twitter, slammed Gillibrand as a "Lightweight Senator," a "total flunky for Chuck Schumer" and said she was “someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago.

Gillibrand, Trump added, “would do anything for them.”

The tweet came amid the backdrop of the burgeoning #MeToo movement and after Gillibrand called on Trump to resign due to the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct made against him, allegations the president has vehemently denied.

Trump has largely handed Booker a pass since the New Jersey senator launched his campaign, but he had attacked him repeatedly prior to his 2020 bid.

In July 2016, following Booker’s speech at the Democratic National Convention — during which the senator took shots at the then-GOP-nominee — Trump tweeted a cryptic critical message that left pundits scratching their heads.

“I know more about Cory than he knows about himself,” Trump tweeted.

Then, last year, amid a bitter confirmation battle for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, Trump again took aim at Booker, who is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Take a look at Cory Booker," Trump said during an October White House press conference. "He ran Newark, New Jersey, into the ground. He was a horrible mayor; and he made statements that when he was in high school or college what he was doing. He actually made the statements. And now he's talking about Judge Kavanaugh."

His comments appeared to reference a 1992 article Booker for a student newspaper when he was an undergraduate at Stanford University in which he wrote about a time in high school he attempted to grope a girl.

Trump took a different approach with the California senator, paying her a modest compliment during an interview with The New York Times published in February.

When asked at that time who he felt was the Democratic Party’s “toughest candidate” in the race, he said it was Harris.

“I would say, the best opening so far would be Kamala Harris,” he said, although the Times’ transcript of the interview noted that he mispronounced her name. “I would say, in terms of the opening act, I would say, would be her.”

“I just think she seemed to have a little better opening act than others,” Trump said.

But in May, Trump finally dissed Harris, calling her "very nasty" in an interview with Fox Business.

The White House has also been critical of the California senator. In July 2018, the official White House Twitter account attacked her on illegal immigration, claiming she “supporting the animals of MS-13.”

On the other hand, there are several Democratic candidates Trump hasn't appeared to comment on — yet.

They include South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

He also hasn't lobbed anything at entrepreneur Andrew Yang, author Marianne Williamson or Miramar, Fla., Mayor Wayne Messam, who are all also running for president.</s>State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, meets with Senate President Pro Ten Toni Atkins , of San Diego, at the Capitol, Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. The state Senate approved McGuire's bill, SB27, which requires presidential candidates to release 5 years of their most recent tax returns in order to have their names placed on a primary election ballot. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

State Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, meets with Senate President Pro Ten Toni Atkins , of San Diego, at the Capitol, Thursday, May 2, 2019, in Sacramento, Calif. The state Senate approved McGuire's bill, SB27, which requires presidential candidates to release 5 years of their most recent tax returns in order to have their names placed on a primary election ballot. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Legislature is trying again to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, hoping a new Democratic governor known for his clashes with President Donald Trump won’t block them this time.

The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state’s presidential primary ballot to publicly release five years’ worth of income tax returns. The proposal is in response to Trump, who bucked 40 years of tradition by refusing to release his tax returns prior to his election in 2016.

California’s presidential primary is scheduled for March 3. If the bill becomes law, Trump could not appear on the state’s primary ballot without filing his tax returns with the California secretary of state.

“We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn’t have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns,” said Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg and the co-author of the bill along with Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat.

The Legislature passed a nearly identical bill in 2017, only to have it vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, telling lawmakers he was concerned the law was unconstitutional. Brown, a Democrat, refused to release his tax returns while in office.

He left office in January and was replaced by Gavin Newsom, who has released his tax returns and embraced his role as a national “resistance” leader to Trump and his policies.

Newsom’s office didn’t say whether he’d sign it. If the bill reaches his desk, “it would be evaluated on its own merits,” spokesman Brian Ferguson said.

McGuire said he has had “initial discussions” with the Newsom administration about the proposal.

“I never want to put words into his mouth, but here’s what I’ll say: Gov. Newsom has led by example,” by releasing his own tax returns, McGuire said.

The bill would also apply to the more than a dozen candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. But many of them have already released their tax returns. They include California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who released his tax returns last month after refusing to do so in 2016.

Candidates would have to submit tax returns to the secretary of state’s office, which would work with the candidates to redact some information before posting the returns online.

All 10 Republicans in the state Senate voted against the bill, arguing it is unconstitutional.

“I get that playing the resistance card may be good politics for the majority party, but I would submit that it’s bad policy for Californians,” Sen. Brian Jones said.

McGuire said the office of the legislative counsel has some concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, but he noted the chief ethics lawyers for former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama say the bill is constitutional.

“We can all debate on the floor about the constitutionality of this bill,” McGuire said before the vote. “But we also have to look at what makes our democracy strong. The foundation of any successful government is transparency.”

___

The legislation is Senate Bill 27.</s>The California state Senate on Thursday approved a bill to require candidates appearing on the presidential primary ballot — including President Trump Donald John Trump5 things to watch in critical NC race Remembering 9/11: How the suicide attacks led to two vastly different wars Conservative strategist calls Steyer's 2020 bid a 'vanity run' MORE — to release five years' worth of income tax returns.

The measure was approved in a 27-10 vote, according to The Associated Press. California, for the first time, will be one of the first states to hold its presidential primary in the 2020 cycle.

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The bill is a response to Trump's insistence that he will not release his tax returns as presidential candidates traditionally have done, claiming he is under audit. If the bill becomes law and Trump does not release his returns, he may not appear on the California primary ballot.

"We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn’t have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns,” said state Sen. Mike McGuire (D) who co-authored the bill, according to the AP.

All 10 Republicans in the state Senate voted against the bill's passage.

“I get that playing the resistance card may be good politics for the majority party, but I would submit that it’s bad policy for Californians,” Sen. Brian Jones (R) told the wire service.

The state's legislature passed a similar bill in 2017, but then-Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who did not release his own tax returns, vetoed the bill. A spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher NewsomCalifornia GOP opens path to send delegates to 2020 convention even if Trump isn't on ballot Overnight Energy: Trump officials warn California car pollution deal could violate the law | DOJ investigating automakers over emissions agreement | Dem wants probe of Interior's new FOIA rules Trump administration warns California its tailpipe deal could violate federal law MORE (D) told the AP that if the bill was sent to Newsom's desk, "it would be evaluated on its own merits.”

Other presidential candidates would also be subject to the bill, but several 2020 Democrats have already released their tax returns.

Trump is facing one primary challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld William (Bill) WeldTrump labels GOP challengers the 'Three Stooges' Sanford announces challenge to Trump Joe Walsh 'honored' to have George Conway as informal adviser in challenge to Trump MORE (R).

Similar bills are making their way through the Washington and New Jersey state legislatures.</s>The California state Senate on Thursday approved a bill to require candidates appearing on the presidential primary ballot — including President Trump Donald John TrumpConservatives seize on Alabama state Dem's abortion comments NYT disciplines editor after publishing cartoon depicting anti-Semitic tropes Wall Street Journal editorial board: Dems vilifying Barr for 'acting like a real Attorney General' MORE — to release five years' worth of income tax returns.

The measure was approved in a 27-10 vote, according to The Associated Press. California, for the first time, will be one of the first states to hold its presidential primary in the 2020 cycle.

The bill is a response to Trump's insistence that he will not release his tax returns as presidential candidates traditionally have done, claiming he is under audit. If the bill becomes law and Trump does not release his returns, he may not appear on the California primary ballot.

"We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn’t have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns,” said state Sen. Mike McGuire (D) who co-authored the bill, according to the AP.

All 10 Republicans in the state Senate voted against the bill's passage.

“I get that playing the resistance card may be good politics for the majority party, but I would submit that it’s bad policy for Californians,” Sen. Brian Jones (R) told the wire service.

The state's legislature passed a similar bill in 2017, but then-Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who did not release his own tax returns, vetoed the bill. A spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher NewsomInside California's fight against pollution Why victims of crime deserve a voice The Hill's Morning Report - Boeing crisis a test for Trump administration MORE (D) told the AP that if the bill was sent to Newsom's desk, "it would be evaluated on its own merits.”

Other presidential candidates would also be subject to the bill, but several 2020 Democrats have already released their tax returns.

Trump is facing one primary challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld William (Bill) WeldNew Hampshire Democrat: 'I wouldn't write off someone like Bill Weld' Weld: 'I would have pursued an indictment' of Trump if I were attorney general Bill Weld: Trump has 'lost the capacity to govern' MORE (R).

Similar bills are making their way through the Washington and New Jersey state legislatures.</s>The California Legislature is trying again to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, hoping a new Democratic governor known for his clashes with President Donald Trump won’t block them this time.

The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state’s presidential primary ballot to publicly release five years’ worth of income tax returns. The proposal is in response to Trump, who bucked 40 years of tradition by refusing to release his tax returns prior to his election in 2016.

California’s presidential primary is scheduled for March 3. If the bill becomes law, Trump could not appear on the state’s primary ballot without filing his tax returns with the California secretary of state.

“We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn’t have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns,” said Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg and the co-author of the bill along with Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat.

More from the Business Insider</s>California is once again looking to force President Donald Trump — and every other presidential candidate — into releasing at least five years' worth of income tax returns. In fact, a bill passed Thursday by the state's Senate may result in California's 2020 ballot excluding Trump unless his tax returns are made public.

"President Trump's refusal to release his income tax returns has broken a time honored, bi-partisan tradition which has weakened our democracy and his jaw dropping business conflicts have now put the security of our nation at risk," Democratic state Sen. Mike McGuire, who co-authored the bill with Sen. Scott Wiener, said in a statement released last month. "There's a lot at stake and there are serious, pressing questions that need to be answered before Election Day, which is why Senator Wiener and I are advancing this critical transparency bill."

If fully passed into law, California Senate Bill 27 would enact the Presidential Tax Transparency and Accountability Act, requiring every presidential candidate to file income tax returns for the previous five years with California's secretary of State in order to have their name appear on a primary election ballot. The state's secretary of State would then release a redacted version of the candidate's tax returns to the public within five days of the initial filing date. If passed by the California State Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the bill would take effect immediately, thus impacting the 2020 presidential elections.

All 10 of the Republican lawmakers in California's state Senate voted against the bill, the Hill has reported. According to the Associated Press, they expressed concerns the bill is unconstitutional.

In a speech on the floor of the California Senate prior to Thursday's vote, McGuire argued that transparency was a vital component of democracy. "We can all debate on the floor about the constitutionality of this bill," the news outlet reported he said. "But we also have to look at what makes our democracy strong. The foundation of any successful government is transparency."

This isn't the first time that California legislators have attempted to make the release of Trump's taxes a prerequisite for appearing on the ballot. According to the Los Angeles Times, a similar bill was passed by the state's legislative body in 2017 only to be vetoed by then-California Gov. Jerry Brown, who'd argued that such legislation might lead to what he called additional dangerous litmus tests for candidates seeking federal office. It's worth noting that, according to the Associated Press, Brown never released his tax returns while in office. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Brown's successor, has not only made his tax returns public but also painted himself as a vocal Trump critic, the news outlet has reported.

It's unclear, however, if that means Newsom would sign the bill into law if given the change. A spokesperson for the governor told the Associated Press the bill "would be evaluated on its own merits" should it land on Newsom's desk. Bustle has reached out to both the White House and Newsom's office for comment.

But California reportedly isn't the only state seeking to make the public release of tax returns a prerequisite for appearing on a ballot. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, similar bills have recently been introduced in at least 18 states, although some of those bills have already died or failed to advance.</s>The California Legislature is trying again to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, hoping a new Democratic governor known for his clashes with President Donald Trump won't block them this time.

The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state's presidential primary ballot to publicly release five years' worth of income tax returns. The proposal is in response to Trump, who bucked 40 years of tradition by refusing to release his tax returns prior to his election in 2016.

California's presidential primary is scheduled for March 3. If the bill becomes law, Trump could not appear on the state's primary ballot without filing his tax returns with the California secretary of state.

"We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn't have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns," said Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg and the co-author of the bill along with Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat.

Read more: 'China, if you're listening …': Hillary Clinton takes a veiled swipe at Trump to highlight 'absurd' situation for US cybersecurity

The Legislature passed a nearly identical bill in 2017, only to have it vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, telling lawmakers he was concerned the law was unconstitutional. Brown, a Democrat, refused to release his tax returns while in office.

He left office in January and was replaced by Gavin Newsom, who has released his tax returns and embraced his role as a national "resistance" leader to Trump and his policies.

Newsom's office didn't say whether he'd sign it. If the bill reaches his desk, "it would be evaluated on its own merits," spokesman Brian Ferguson said.

McGuire said he has had "initial discussions" with the Newsom administration about the proposal.

"I never want to put words into his mouth, but here's what I'll say: Gov. Newsom has led by example," by releasing his own tax returns, McGuire said.

The bill would also apply to the more than a dozen candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. But many of them have already released their tax returns. They include California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who released his tax returns last month after refusing to do so in 2016.

Read more: 'It must really suck to be that dumb': Republican senator says Democrats aren't 'fooling anybody' with Trump tax-return request

Candidates would have to submit tax returns to the secretary of state's office, which would work with the candidates to redact some information before posting the returns online.

All 10 Republicans in the state Senate voted against the bill, arguing it is unconstitutional.

"I get that playing the resistance card may be good politics for the majority party, but I would submit that it's bad policy for Californians," Sen. Brian Jones said.

McGuire said the office of the legislative counsel has some concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, but he noted the chief ethics lawyers for former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama say the bill is constitutional.

"We can all debate on the floor about the constitutionality of this bill," McGuire said before the vote. "But we also have to look at what makes our democracy strong. The foundation of any successful government is transparency."</s>The California Legislature is attempting to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns — a move that could bar President Donald Trump from appearing on the state's primary ballot if he does not make the documents public.

The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state's presidential primary ballot to publicly release five years' worth of income tax returns. The proposal is in response to Trump, who bucked 40 years of tradition by refusing to release his tax returns prior to his election in 2016.

California's presidential primary is scheduled for March 3. If the bill becomes law, Trump could not appear on the state's primary ballot without filing his tax returns with the California secretary of state.

"We believe that President Trump, if he truly doesn't have anything to hide, should step up and release his tax returns," said Sen. Mike McGuire, a Democrat from Healdsburg and the co-author of the bill along with Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat.

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The Legislature passed a nearly identical bill in 2017, only to have it vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, telling lawmakers he was concerned the law was unconstitutional. Brown, a Democrat, refused to release his tax returns while in office.

He left office in January and was replaced by Gavin Newsom, who has released his tax returns and embraced his role as a national "resistance" leader to Trump and his policies.

Newsom's office didn't say whether he'd sign it. If the bill reaches his desk, "it would be evaluated on its own merits," spokesman Brian Ferguson said.

McGuire said he has had "initial discussions" with the Newsom administration about the proposal.

"I never want to put words into his mouth, but here's what I'll say: Gov. Newsom has led by example," by releasing his own tax returns, McGuire said.

The bill would also apply to the more than a dozen candidates seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. But many of them have already released their tax returns. They include California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who released his tax returns last month after refusing to do so in 2016.

Candidates would have to submit tax returns to the secretary of state's office, which would work with the candidates to redact some information before posting the returns online.

The bill echoes similar legislation being considered in Illinois, Washington and New Jersey.

In New York, Democrats have examined multiple approaches in hopes of helping release Trump's tax returns, including bills requiring officials to release tax returns to appear on the ballot. State lawmakers last month introduced a bill that would allow the state to release Trump's state tax returns if any of three congressional committees — the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation — ask for the documents.

Trump is a resident of New York and does much of his business in the state.

'I’m not gonna do it': Donald Trump says he won't give his tax returns to Congress

All of the bills come as Democrats in Washington continue to fight for access to Trump's returns.

Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal officially requested six years of the president's tax returns last month from the IRS but it hasn't been easy. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who also oversees the IRS, has missed two deadlines, imposed by Neal, to hand over the documents and instead said he would wait for the Justice Department to weigh in on the legality before making a decision.

In his latest letter last month to Neal, Mnuchin detailed both the constitutional concerns and his department's worries with releasing the president's financial information. He also accused Democrats of attempting to skirt the law in order to obtain the documents, something they have been after since even before Trump was elected.</s>California will send legislation to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk requiring presidential candidates to submit five years’ worth of tax returns in order to appear on the ballot, joining 18 other states in a jab at President Donald Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns.

California joins New York, Illinois and Washington, among other states, that have introduced bills requiring all candidates to release their individual tax returns to qualify for the presidential primary ballot. Tax returns have become a key 2020 issue, with Trump refusing to surrender them and Democratic presidential candidates sharing their tax information with varying degrees of timeliness.

The state’s Senate passed the measure by a 27-10 party line vote Thursday, but whether Newsom, a Democrat, will sign the bill remains unclear.

Newsom spokesman Jesse Melgar told CNN, “with regard to this and all proposed legislation, should the bill reach the Governor’s Desk it would be evaluated on its own merits.”

While former California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed similar legislation in 2017, Newsom has shown support for tax returns in his own political career, releasing his tax returns as a candidate and promising to continue releasing them every year as governor.

Democratic California state Sens. Mike McGuire and Scott Wiener, who introduced the bill, were open about their efforts to hold Trump accountable with the legislation.

“The President’s refusal to share his tax returns with the American people goes against longstanding transparency norms and undermines the trust between government and those it serves,” Wiener wrote in a statement. “We deserve to know that the President is in fact acting for the good of the people and not in his own monetary self-interest.”

McGuire added, “Voters deserve to know, for example, if the President is putting America’s security at risk through his tangled web of business dealings with corporate interests and his dealings with foreign governments and foreign banks.”

The president has faced increasing, multi-front scrutiny from congressional investigators, with Democrats taking the battle over subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Capital One for Trump’s past financial records to court last month. But the administration has fought back, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ignoring House Democrats’ April deadline for submitting Trump’s tax returns in favor of his department taking “final action on the Committee’s request by May 6.”
The California Senate passes a bill that would keep Donald Trump out of the 2020 presidential primaries until he releases his tax returns.