Presidents Trump, Kennedy and Hoover All Donated Their Salaries While in Office

The Constitution of the United States requires that the President receive "compensation" for his services "which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected".

This means that the President of the United States is REQUIRED to accept the $400,000/year salary that they are entitled to while serving in the White House.

This doesn't stop a President, however, from donating $400,000/year to a cause or causes that they support.

When somebody like President Trump talks about not receiving a salary, this is how he gets around the wording of the Constitution. During his first term in the White House, President Trump would make quarterly donations to various causes in the amount of $100,000, which equalled $400,000 by the end of the year.

Three Presidents - President Trump, President Kennedy and President Hoover - donated their Presidential salaries to various charities or other causes. All three Presidents were very wealthy when they first stepped foot into the White House.

President Hoover donated his Presidential salary to various causes that he believed in, and he also gave bonuses to some of the people who worked closely with him.

President Kennedy used to donate his Presidential salary to a number of different charities. In fact, Kennedy started his tradition of donating his salary back in 1947 when he first became a member of the House of Representatives. All told, Kennedy donated over a half million dollars in salary to charities during his time in Washington.

President Trump continued the tradition of donating his Presidential salary to charity. As mentioned, President Trump donates $100,000 to charities every quarter to match his Presidential salary.

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President George Washington deserves to be included on this page as well, as he INITIALLY declined to take a salary as President, as he felt that it might give the appearance of him being corrupt or beholden to someone else.

Members of Congress eventually convinced President Washington to take the salary, as they argued that President Washington foregoing his salary might set a precedent and that this would result in only independently wealthy people being able to serve in the White House.

President Washington eventually accepted the $25,000 per year salary.

Filed under: General Knowledge