$0 salary claim: Does Trump really work for free compared to Biden and Obama? Here's the truth

Donald Trump said he did not take his presidential salary and claimed he “waived” it, meaning he worked without pay. He said he is the only US president in history who has ever done this and called himself “the only one” to give up salary. Trump also said the money he gave up is not small and is worth a few million dollars over time. The official salary of a US president is about $400,000 per year, which becomes millions over a full term.

Experts and critics quickly said this claim is not fully correct and needs context. John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover also gave away their presidential salaries to charity because they were already very rich, as per The New York Times via Moneywise. This means Trump is not the only president who did not personally keep the salary.

Trump salary claim

Trump shared a viral post on Truth Social showing a comparison of how much salary recent presidents took. The post claimed: Trump took $0, while Joe Biden took $1.6 million, Barack Obama took $3.2 million, and George W. Bush also took $3.2 million, as cited by Moneywise. These numbers are based on the standard $400,000 yearly salary multiplied by the number of years each president served.

Supporters vs critics

Trump supporters said this proves he worked “for free” and did not take taxpayer money. Critics said this argument ignores bigger financial realities and focuses only on salary. Peter Schiff said giving up salary is a publicity move and creates a false impression that Trump is not making money. Critics argued that Trump earned billions through business and influence, so the presidential salary is very small compared to that.

Trump wealth debate

Forbes reported that Trump’s net worth increased by around $3 billion in one year during his term, as noted by Moneywise. Supporters believe not taking a salary shows Trump is wealthy and independent from government pay. Critics say it raises concerns about mixing political power with personal business interests.

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How rich people earn

Data shows rich people usually earn money from business and investments, not from salary, so salary is not their main income. So, the truth is Trump did refuse his salary, but he is not the only president to do so, and the bigger debate is about how much money leaders earn outside salary, as noted by Moneywise report.

FAQs

Q1. Did Donald Trump really work for free as president?

Donald Trump said he did not take his salary, but he is not the only president to give it up.

Q2. Which US presidents did not keep their salary?

John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover also donated their salaries to charity.