Bernie Sanders calls out Trump’s eye-popping

Donald Trump frequently reminds the public that he does not personally collect his presidential salary.

As president, his official income amounts to $400,000 per year, along with standard allowances. Over time, he has donated portions of this salary to charitable causes and White House improvement projects.

In 2025, Trump secured several massive legal settlements totaling tens of millions of dollars.

Meta agreed to pay $25 million, with $22 million reportedly directed toward his presidential library. YouTube settled for $24.5 million, while Twitter (now X) paid $10 million. Paramount and CBS together contributed $16 million plus an additional $20 million in advertising deals.

The large payouts drew sharp criticism. Senator Bernie Sanders posted on X, “This is what kleptocracy looks like,” citing Trump’s reported 2025 earnings — which also included $3 billion from cryptocurrency ventures and $230 million in claims against the Department of Justice.

Trump defended himself, saying, “All I know is that they would owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money. I’d give it to charity or something.”

Still, debate continues over whether such enormous profits are appropriate for a sitting president, raising questions about ethics, influence, and financial transparency in the highest office.