Rep. Adam Kinzinger Adam Daniel KinzingerFox News reporter defends confirming Atlantic piece despite Trump backlash: 'I feel very confident' GOP lawmaker defends Fox reporter after Trump calls for her firing Lindsey Graham: 'QAnon is bats--- crazy' MORE (R-Ill.) on Tuesday called on President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE to release his long-sought tax returns, calling it “the right thing to do.”

“I think it would be in the president’s benefit to release them, and I think as the American people, we want to see that,” Kinzinger, a frequent critic of Trump, said Tuesday on CNN’s “Wolf.”

“We have a tradition in this country of seeing what the interests — the business interests, the financial interests — of the person leading the free world [are]. And I think this has been a distraction to him.”

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Democratic lawmakers used the occasion of Tax Day on Tuesday to needle Trump on the issue, which has dogged him since his campaign last year. Every major presidential nominee has released their tax returns since the late 1970s.

“Trump will not release his taxes [because] he has something to hide,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) tweeted. “He’s only out to enrich himself, his wealthy cabinet, and White House swamp.”

Kinzinger is among few Republicans joining Democrats on the issue. He has also criticized Trump for his unsubstantiated claim of widespread voter fraud, as well as his comments about the size of his inauguration crowd.

On Saturday, thousands of people protested nationwide calling for Trump's returns. The president was unimpressed, tweeting that someone "paid for the small organized rallies," and that "the election is over!"

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that Trump’s 2016 tax returns remain under audit and will not be released.

“We are under the same audit that existed, so nothing has changed,” he said. “This was something he made very clear during the election cycle.”