President Donald Trump on Monday donated his first salary check to the National Park Service, according to the White House.
“The President has spoken with counsel and made the decision to donate his first quarter salary in total to a government entity, and he has chosen this quarter to donate it to the National Park Service,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced during his daily briefing.
He said Trump was “personally proud” to contribute his salary from the first quarter to the service’s “important mission.”
“It is my pleasure on behalf of the President of the United States to present a check for $78,333 to the secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke, and superintendent of the Harpers Ferry park site, Superintendent Brandyburg,” Spicer said.
“Is that after taxes?” a reporter asked.
“No. It’s straight up. It’s every penny that the President received from the first quarter,” Spicer replied.
“But it’s not the full quarter,” the reporter said.
“Right,” Spicer said. “So it’s from January 20, noon, forward.”
Trump’s last interaction with the National Park Service was less than convivial. The day after his inauguration, Trump personally ordered acting National Park Service director Michael T. Reynolds to produce additional photographs of crowds at the ceremony. He also berated Reynolds about a post retweeted by the National Park Service’s official Twitter account.
