Short Take: At a Sept. 30 White House event, President Trump repeated the claim that he is "the only president that donated his salary." That statement is false: historical records show presidents such as Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy redirected or donated their presidential pay. George Washington declined military pay but later accepted a $25,000 presidential salary, so suggesting he "maybe" donated it is misleading. The White House has declined to provide detailed breakdowns of where Trump’s donated paychecks have gone.
Fact Check: Trump’s Claim He’s The Only President To Donate His Salary Is False
President Donald Trump (left); President John F. Kennedy (right)Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty; NY Daily News Archive via Getty
President Donald Trump repeated an inaccurate claim at a White House Hispanic Heritage Month event on Sept. 30, saying, "I'm the only president that donated his salary." The comment revisits a claim he has made before, but historical records show several presidents have donated all or part of their presidential pay.
What Trump Said
President Donald Trump speaks during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration event in the East Room of the White House on Sept. 30, 2026.Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty
At the East Room event, Trump said he donated his second-term paychecks to "White House preservation," and he acknowledged that some people "think George Washington maybe" donated his pay. According to CNN reporter Daniel Dale, the first presidential paycheck of 2025 was given to the White House Historical Association. The White House did not provide further detail when approached by People, referring questions back to the president's remarks.
How The Record Differs From Trump’s Claim
Trump’s blanket statement that he is "the only president" to donate his salary is incorrect. Historical sources document other presidents who waived, redirected, or donated their presidential pay. Two well-documented examples are:
President Herbert Hoover, circa 1930.Credit: Stock Montage/Stock Montage/Getty
- Herbert Hoover — The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum reports Hoover redirected his presidential salary (during 1929–1933, when the pay was $75,000 a year) to charitable uses and to supplement the pay of undercompensated government employees. In a 1937 interview, Hoover said he distributed his salary where it would "do the most good."
- John F. Kennedy — When Kennedy became president in 1961, his administration announced he would donate his $100,000 annual presidential salary to multiple charities, citing Hoover’s example as inspiration.
Regarding George Washington: he declined pay while commanding the Continental Army, but as president he accepted a salary of $25,000 a year. Saying Washington "maybe" donated his presidential pay is therefore misleading without that context.
Context And Repetition
Trump has made similar statements previously. In February, speaking in Georgia, he said, "In the history of our country, there's never been a president that waived his salary," adding, "I'm the only schmuck." That assertion conflicts with the documented examples above.
President George Washington.Credit: Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty
"I made up my mind when I entered public life that I would not make it possible for anyone ever to say that I had sought public office for the money there was in it," — Herbert Hoover, 1937.
Trump has also highlighted his personal wealth when discussing the issue: he reported more than $2 billion in income in 2025, a detail he used to argue that other wealthy presidents did not donate their pay.
Bottom Line
Trump’s claim that he is the only U.S. president to donate a presidential salary is not supported by the historical record. Multiple presidents, including Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy, publicly redirected or donated their pay, and Washington’s approach to pay was more nuanced than a simple donation narrative.
Sources: People, CNN (Daniel Dale), Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum, presidential historical records.
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