Bernie Sanders calls out Trump’s eye-popping
Donald Trump frequently states that he does not accept his presidential salary. The sitting president earns an annual salary of $400,000, along with various allowances. Trump has donated portions of this income to different causes and to White House renovation projects.
In 2025, Trump received substantial financial payouts from legal settlements. Major technology companies agreed to pay significant sums, with Meta’s $25 million settlement including $22 million directed to his presidential library.
Other settlements included YouTube paying $24.5 million and Twitter (X) contributing $10 million. Additionally, Paramount and CBS provided a combined $16 million in cash and $20 million in advertising.
These financial gains have attracted criticism from political figures. Senator Bernie Sanders publicly condemned the situation, calling it a “kleptocracy” and referencing Trump’s other reported earnings for the year.
These additional earnings were reported to include $3 billion from cryptocurrency and a sought $230 million from the Department of Justice. The scale of these finances has raised ethical questions.
Trump defended the settlements, stating that the companies owed him money. He claimed he was not personally seeking the funds and suggested he would give them to charity.
The controversy centers on whether such substantial earnings are appropriate for a sitting president. The situation continues to prompt public debate about the financial activities of a head of state while in office.
