Trump may forgo presidential salary again amid pension perks

The current President's salary is £327,000 per year and is taxable. Additionally, the head of state receives £41,000 for representation expenses, £82,000 for travel, and £15,500 for entertainment purposes, as reported.

Since the creation of the presidency in 1789, the salary amount has been changed only five times. In 1999, the current rate was set and has remained unchanged to this day.

Donald Trump, like George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Herbert Hoover, stood out with his decision to donate his presidential salary to charity during his first term. "Fakt" notes that there is a good chance that Trump might make a similar decision during his second term.

After leaving the White House, former presidents benefit from a generous pension system. Joe Biden can expect an annual pension of £201,500, along with funds for running an office and hiring staff, reimbursement for travel expenses (up to £820,000 annually), lifetime health care, Secret Service protection, and the right to a state funeral at Arlington National Cemetery.

This system was introduced in 1957 at the initiative of Harry Truman, who argued that former presidents were in a difficult financial situation. However, later studies showed that Truman had a net worth equivalent to today's £47.5 million.

Benefits can only be revoked in the case of impeachment followed by conviction by Congress. So far, no president has lost this right, even after the impeachment process, such as in the cases of Bill Clinton or Donald Trump, as reported.

Former presidents often leverage their popularity to generate additional income. Barack and Michelle Obama signed a record-setting publishing contract worth £49 million, George W. Bush earned £8 million from his memoirs, and Bill Clinton took in £11.5 million for his autobiography.