Before business tycoon Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States, he promised to donate every cent of his $400,000 annual salary. At a town-hall meeting in 2015, he declared “That’s no big deal for me.” That’s because Trump made a fortune in real estate before running for political office.
On Monday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer announced that the President’s first quarter salary, which totals to $78,333, will be donated to the National Park Service. Spicer commented:
“The park service has cared for our parks since 1916, and the president is personally proud to contribute the first quarter of his salary to the important mission of the park service, which is preserving our country’s national security.”
“It is every penny the president received … from Jan. 20 noon forward,” he added.
There has been talk by critics that the President doubled-back on his promise to refuse payment for holding the highest office in the U.S. Today’s news puts all contentions to rest.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who oversees the 100-year-old protector of 417 national parks, monuments, and other sites was reportedly “thrilled” upon receiving the news. Appearing alongside Spicer, Zinke stated:
“We are going to dedicate and put it against the infrastructure on our nation’s battlefields. We are about $229 million behind in deferred maintenance on our battlefields alone.”
It is curious that President Trump would dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which will be “phased out” by the end of 2018, then donate his first quarter’s salary to the National Park Service. Nonetheless, this positive development is worth sharing, don’t you think?
