(CNSNews.com) - "[W]hat specific tax provisions will you change to ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share in taxes?" the presidential candidates were asked at Sunday night's debate in St. Louis.
Republican Donald Trump explained how he'd change the tax code, reducing the burden on corporations that are leaving the country because of the high tax rate.
Then he said that Democrat Hillary Clinton "could have done this years ago, by the way," when she served as a U.S. senator from New York.
"She complains that Donald Trump took advantage of the tax code. Well, why didn’t she change it?" Trump asked. "Why didn’t you change it when you were a senator? The reason you didn’t is that all your friends take the same advantage that I do. And I do. You have provisions in the tax code that, frankly, we could change. But you wouldn’t change it, because all of these people gave you the money so you can take negative ads on Donald Trump.
"But — and I say that about a lot of things. You know, I’ve heard Hillary complaining about so many different things over the years -- 'I wish you would have done this.' But she’s been there for 30 years she’s been doing this stuff. She never changed. And she never will change. She never will change."
Trump said he pays federal income taxes, but he also said he has a depreciation write-off: "I love depreciation. You know, she's (Clinton) given it to us.
"Hey, if she had a problem — for 30 years she’s been doing this, Anderson. I say it all the time. She talks about health care. Why didn’t she do something about it? She talks about taxes. Why didn’t she do something about it? She doesn’t do anything about anything other than talk. With her, it’s all talk and no action.
"And, again, Bernie Sanders, it’s really bad judgment. She has made bad judgment not only on taxes. She’s made bad judgments on Libya, on Syria, on Iraq..."
Asked to respond, Clinton said, "Well, here we go again. I've been in favor of getting rid of carried interest for years, starting when I was a senator from New York. But that’s not the point here."
"Why didn’t you do it? Why didn’t you do it?" Trump interrupted her.
"Because I was a senator with a Republican president," Clinton responded.
"Oh, really?" Trump interrupted again.
"I will be the president, and we will get it done," Clinton said. "That's exactly right."
"You could have done it, if you were an effective -- if you were an effective senator, you could have done it. If you were an effective senator, you could have done it. But you were not an effective senator," Trump said.
Clinton continued: "You know, under our Constitution, presidents have something called veto power. Look, he has now said repeatedly, '30 years this and 30 years that.' So let me talk about my 30 years in public service. I’m very glad to do so..."