Donald Trump donates $100,000 of his salary to Homeland Security and tweets cheque as proof

US president Donald Trump does not keep his presidential salary (Picture: PA)
US president Donald Trump does not keep his presidential salary (Picture: PA)

Donald Trump is donating $100,000 from his presidential salary to the Department of Homeland Security.

The US president tweeted a picture of a cheque for that amount made out to the department.

In 2016, before he was elected, Mr Trump vowed to only take $1 from his $400,000 yearly salary as president.

In his tweet, he wrote: “While the press doesn’t like writing about it, nor do I need them to, I donate my yearly Presidential salary of $400,000.00 to different agencies throughout the year, this to Homeland Security.

“If I didn’t do it there would be hell to pay from the FAKE NEWS MEDIA!”

The president must be paid a salary under US law, but Mr Trump donates his quarterly $100,000 payments.

Mr Trump has donated his salary to a number of government agencies since entering the Oval Office.

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According to his administration, he has donated money towards government schemes to fight opioid addiction and a camp promoting careers in the science and technology sector.

He has made donations to the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Department of Transportation, the National Park Service, the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services.

In January, Mr Trump donated $100,000 to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

His older brother, Fred Jr, died in 1981 after struggling with alcoholism, and Mr Trump doesn’t drink.

Mr Trump has been criticised in the past for not releasing his tax returns.

But his name will not be allowed to appear on voting ballots in Washington State in the upcoming 2020 presidential election unless he releases his returns, after new legislation was passed earlier this week.

Mr Trump gave his quarterly payment to the Department of Homeland Security (Picture: PA)
Mr Trump gave his quarterly payment to the Department of Homeland Security (Picture: PA)

It means that all presidential candidates would have to release the last five years of their tax returns to have their names appear on ballots in Washington State.

The president has also faced criticism for the personal profits he makes from foreign governments.

Last month, the Trump Organization revealed such profits increased by 26% last year.

Spending by embassies, foreign dignitaries and other government representatives produced $191,000 in net income for the president’s family business.

The Trump Organization donated an equivalent amount to the US Treasury.

It’s the second year running the group has donated its profit from foreign governments to the Treasure, in a move to block criticism that it is profiting from Mr Trump’s position.

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