17 perks that Donald Trump gets to enjoy as president of the US – Greenland excluded
Trump, who earns US$400,000 as president, receives a redecoration allowance, has access to a huge private jet, Air Force One, and even has his own White House cinema
United States presidents get a lot of perks for having the most prestigious title in the country: living in the White House, 24/7 house staff and a pretty sizeable salary.
Yet one perk they do not enjoy? Holidays. “Presidents do not get vacations – they just get a change of scenery,” former US first lady Nancy Reagan, wife of the late US president Ronald Reagan, once said.
While presidents can take trips to the golf course – something that current US president, Donald Trump, is known to enjoy – or summer homes, they are accompanied by aides, advisers, and heavy security, and work still goes on outside the White House.
Trump has been in the news in the past few days with reports saying he has discussed the idea of the US buying the autonomous Danish island of Greenland in the North Atlantic – not as a holiday destination but as a “large real estate deal”.
Aside from having to work on the beach, presidents have several perks that lift any financial burden from their shoulders.
US law requires a US president to be paid a salary while in office. According to Title 3 of the US code, a president earns a US$400,000 salary and is still on the government payroll after leaving office.
The US president is paid a US$400,000 salary and remains on the US government payroll after leaving office, and is also granted a US$50,000 annual expense account, US$100,000 non-taxable travel account, and US$19,000 for entertainment
The president is also granted a US$50,000 annual expense account, US$100,000 non-taxable travel account, and US$19,000 for entertainment.
While sitting presidents and former presidents receive several perks that last beyond their time in office, such as security and health insurance, clothing budgets are not included.
Presidents and their families usually do not receive or accept clothing as a “gift” from designers, such as celebrities on the red carpet. If a garment is accepted as a gift, it is immediately housed in the National Archives after being worn.
Aside from a prestigious title and global recognition, check out the financial perks that come with being the most powerful person in the US (and quite possibly, the world).
1. Presidents receive a six-figure salary