At a White House celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month last week, President Trump returned to a boast he's made many times before.

"I'm the only president that donated his salary," he told the audience. "I don't get credit for anything. And I don't really want credit. And if I don't say it, nobody else will."

He briefly hedged, acknowledging that "they think George Washington maybe" gave away his salary. Then he added: "There's never been a president who waived his salary. I'm the only schmuck."

The problem is that this is demonstrably false — and has been documented as false each time Trump has said it.

Who Actually Did It Before Him

Herbert Hoover donated his entire presidential salary throughout his time in office from 1929 to 1933, earning $75,000 a year at the time. He directed the money toward charitable causes and to support government employees during the Great Depression. "I therefore kept the money that came to me as salary in a separate account and distributed it where I thought it would do the most good," Hoover said.

John F. Kennedy donated his full presidential salary — $100,000 annually when he took office in 1961 — and had previously donated his congressional salary as well. His donations went to organizations including the United Negro College Fund and the Boy Scouts.

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale addressed the claim immediately after Trump made it Wednesday: "It's not true that no other president donated the official salary. JFK and Hoover did."

What Trump Actually Did

To be clear: Trump does donate his presidential salary. That part is true and worth acknowledging. During his first term, he donated quarterly to various federal agencies — the National Park Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Education, among others. He did receive media coverage for those donations at the time, which undermines his separate claim that "I never got a story" about it.

In his second term, he says the paychecks are going toward White House renovations — what he called "White House preservation" — with his first 2025 check confirmed to have gone to the White House Historical Association.

The presidential salary is $400,000 annually, which can climb to around $550,000 when expense and travel allocations are factored in. For reference, Forbes pegged Trump's net worth at $5.1 billion in March — meaning his full salary represents roughly 0.008% of his wealth.

Why This Keeps Coming Up

Trump has made this claim repeatedly — in Truth Social posts, in speeches, at rallies. In February, he said it during a speech in Georgia. It's not a one-time mistake. It's a recurring assertion that has been fact-checked and corrected each time.

George Washington, whom Trump mentioned as a possible exception, actually declined his salary in a different way. Washington initially said he didn't want a salary, but he ultimately accepted the $25,000 Congress set. His situation is more complicated than a simple refusal.

The core claim — that no other president ever donated a salary — has two clear, well-documented counterexamples. Hoover and Kennedy both did it. The record is not ambiguous.

Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.