You’ve probably heard the claim a thousand times. During his first term, Donald Trump famously promised he wouldn’t keep a dime of his presidential salary. He told everyone he’d donate it all. But did he actually do it? Or was it just another one of those political talking points that sounds great in a speech but doesn't quite happen in reality?
Honestly, the answer is more documented than you might think. By law, the President of the United States has to be paid. Article II of the Constitution is pretty strict about that; the salary can’t be increased or decreased while the president is in office. So, the Treasury sent him a check every month. He couldn't just say, "Nah, keep it." To fulfill his promise, he had to take the money and then write a check back to various government departments.
Basically, he took it and immediately gave it away.
Where Did the Money Actually Go?
It wasn't just a single lump sum handed over at the end of the year. Instead, the White House usually held these semi-regular press briefings where they’d hand over a literal oversized check to a specific agency. For example, his first-ever paycheck went to the National Park Service. It was specifically earmarked for maintenance at the Antietam National Battlefield.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the places that $400,000 annual salary ended up during his first four years:
- Department of Education: For a STEM-focused camp for kids.
- Department of Health and Human Services: To help fight the opioid crisis and later for COVID-19 research.
- Department of Transportation: For a grant program to improve infrastructure.
- Department of Veterans Affairs: To support caregiver programs.
- The National Park Service: For historical preservation.
- Department of Homeland Security: For various safety initiatives.
He kept this up for all 16 quarters of his first term. Critics often pointed out that while $400,000 sounds like a massive amount of money to most of us, it was a drop in the bucket compared to the billions in revenue his various properties (like Mar-a-Lago and the Trump International Hotel) were pulling in while he was in office. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) reported that he made over $1.6 billion in outside revenue during that first term. So, while the salary donation was technically a "loss," it didn't exactly hurt his bottom line.
The Second Term: Same Story?
Fast forward to 2025. Now that he’s back in the Oval Office, people are asking if the "salary-free" presidency is still a thing.
The short answer: Yes.
In August 2025, it was confirmed that Trump donated his first paycheck of the second term to the White House Historical Association. The money was intended for renovations to the White House itself. He has repeatedly stated in interviews and on social media that he hasn't taken a salary in this second term either.
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The Nuance: Tax Write-Offs and Optics
There is a bit of a "tax nerd" angle to this that's worth mentioning. When you donate to a government agency, it’s usually tax-deductible. If you're a billionaire with a complex tax return, donating $400,000 can actually lower your taxable income. However, since the salary is already being treated as income, he’s effectively just "zeroing out" the tax liability on that specific money. He’s not "making money" on the donation, but it does mean he isn't paying taxes on a salary he never intended to keep.
It’s also about optics.
Presidents like Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy also donated their salaries, though they didn't always do it as publicly. Trump turned the donation into a recurring news event. It was a way to reinforce the "outsider" persona—someone so wealthy he didn't need the public’s money.
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What You Can Do With This Info
If you’re looking to verify these claims yourself, you don't have to take anyone's word for it. Here is how you can track this stuff:
- Check the Federal Register: Official notices of large gifts to the government are sometimes recorded here.
- Review Financial Disclosures: Every year, the President has to file a Form OGE 278e. This shows their assets and income. While it won't always show every individual check he wrote, it gives you a clear picture of his overall financial situation.
- Look for Agency Press Releases: When the Department of Interior or the VA receives $100,000, they almost always put out a press release thanking the donor. It’s part of their standard accounting for "gift funds."
If you want to dig deeper into how the president's salary is handled, you can look up 3 U.S. Code § 102, which outlines the exact compensation and expense allowances.
The bottom line? Trump did not "keep" his salary in the traditional sense. He followed through on the promise to give it back to the taxpayer, even if the amount was small compared to his personal business earnings. Whether you see it as a selfless act or a clever PR move is mostly a matter of perspective, but the paper trail of those donations is real.
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For your next step, you can search the White House archives for "salary donation" to see the full list of agencies that received funds between 2017 and 2021.