During his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump pledged to donate his $400,000 annual salary if elected President. True to his word, Trump became the first president since John F. Kennedy to donate his presidential salary, a promise even his critics acknowledged he kept.
Following John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover
The U.S. Constitution mandates a presidential salary under Article II, Section 1, Clause 7, with the specific amount set by Congress. While presidents are legally required to accept the salary, they may donate it to causes of their choosing.
Historically, presidents like John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover donated their salaries to charity. George Washington also attempted to decline his $25,000 salary, but Congress insisted he accept it. Trump followed this tradition, donating at least $1.4 million of the $1.6 million he earned as president to various federal agencies. However, donations for the third and fourth quarters of 2020 remain unverified.
Trump’s first-quarter 2017 donation of $78,333 to the National Park Service (NPS) was used to address maintenance backlogs at historic battlefields, including restoring the Newcomer House at the Antietam battlefield. An anonymous donor contributed $22,000 to round the amount to $100,000.
2017: Donald Trump Made Huge Contributions
Subsequent donations were made as $100,000 checks, with Trump often using his personal finances to supplement amounts after taxes.
- Q1: $78,333 to the NPS for historic battlefield maintenance, including replacing rail fencing at Antietam.
- Q2: $100,000 to the Department of Education for a two-week space camp for 30 low-income middle school girls. The donation doubled the program’s participants.
- Q3: $100,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a public awareness campaign on opioid addiction.
- Q4: $100,000 to the Department of Transportation for infrastructure modernization programs.
2018: Donald Trump Focused on Veterans and Public Health
- Q1: $100,000 to the Veterans Administration for caregiver mental health and peer support programs.
- Q2: $100,000 to the Small Business Administration for a training program for veteran entrepreneurs.
- Q3: $100,000 to the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in memory of Trump’s brother, who died of alcoholism.
- Q4: $100,000 to the Department of Homeland Security. Trump tweeted, “While the press doesn’t like writing about it, I donate my yearly Presidential salary of $400,000 to different agencies throughout the year.”
2019: Supporting Farmers and Health Initiatives
- Q1: $100,000 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for outreach programs benefiting farmers.
- Q2: $100,000 to HHS’ Office of the Surgeon General. Trump reaffirmed his commitment on Twitter, saying, “I donate 100% of my President’s salary back to our Country.”
- Q3: $100,000 to HHS to combat the opioid crisis.
- Q4: $100,000 to HHS to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Addressing COVID-19 and National Monuments
- Q1: $100,000 to HHS for developing therapies to treat and prevent COVID-19.
- Q2: $100,000 to the NPS for repairs to national monuments. Trump tweeted, “I promised YOU I would not take a dime of salary as your President. It is my honor to give $100,000 to @NatlParkService to help repair and restore our GREAT National Monuments.”
Donald Trump Set To Be Sworn As The 47th President
Donald Trump is set to be sworn in today as the 47th President of the United States. Due to dangerously cold temperatures forecasted in the nation’s capital, the inauguration ceremony will take place indoors, marking a rare occurrence. This is expected to be the coldest Inauguration Day since 1985. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda.
In his inaugural address, Trump is anticipated to call for a “revolution of common sense,” as revealed in an excerpt of his prepared remarks. Following the ceremony, he is expected to sign 10 executive actions, with a primary focus on immigration, a cornerstone of his administration’s agenda, according to an incoming White House official. Additionally, sources report that Trump plans to issue pardons for certain individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riots on his first day in office.
Inauguration Guest List
Hours ahead of the leadership transition, outgoing President Joe Biden granted pardons to several high-profile figures, including General Mark Milley, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and members of Congress who served on the January 6 investigative committee.
The inauguration guest list features prominent political leaders, former presidents, and influential billionaires such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Country music star Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform “America the Beautiful” during the event.