Story highlights As a candidate, Trump was the first major-party nominee in decades not to release his tax returns

Later at Thursday's town hall, chants of "Impeach Trump" broke out

Pace, Florida (CNN) Rep. Matt Gaetz surprised a roomful of angry protesters Thursday night when he called for President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.

But the Florida Republican stopped short of saying Congress should subpoena those returns.

Gaetz, a first-term congressman from the Sunshine State's panhandle, has stood by Trump, campaigning with him over the past weekend and closing his raucous one-hour town hall at the Oops Bowling Alley here Thursday night by saying he wanted to "make America great again."

But he surprised the audience when he said, "Absolutely, Donald Trump should release his tax returns."

Donna Waters, a 56-year-old lawyer from Pensacola, became emotional Thursday night as she pressed Gaetz for an answer.

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