President Donald Trump downplayed a report that he is seeking $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department over past federal investigations into his conduct. He suggested he would donate any funds he received to charity.
“I don’t get any compensation. I do it for nothing. I gave up my salary,” Trump said at first when questioned by a reporter during a Tuesday celebration of Diwali in the Oval Office.
“Well, I guess they probably owe me a lot of money for that,” Trump continued about the DOJ’s investigations, to the laughter of the room.
“But if I get money from our country, I’ll do something nice with it, like give it to charity, or give it to the White House, where we restore the White House,” Trump said. “And we’re doing a great job in the White House … you know, the ballroom is under construction.”
Before the Diwali event began on Tuesday, the New York Times published a report that senior DOJ officials could approve the possible $230 million settlement, a move with no precedent in American history.
Trump acknowledged the ethical confusion surrounding the settlement while talking with reporters.
“You know that decision would have to go across my desk, and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself,” he said.
The Justice Department investigated Trump for taking classified documents with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving office in 2020 and for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election after he lost the election to former President Joe Biden.
However, Trump repeatedly insists that he won the election.
“We have numerous cases having to do with the fraud of the election, the 2020, election, and because of everything that we found out, I guess they owe me a lot of money. But I’m not looking for money,” said Trump on Tuesday.
LEAKED SIGNAL TEXTS FROM LETITIA JAMES PROSECUTOR DON’T VIOLATE ETHICS RULES, EXPERTS SAY
The president was again questioned by a second reporter on whether he was insisting on a $230 million figure, although he claimed not to know the amount his legal team is asking for.
“I don’t know what the numbers are,” said Trump. “I don’t even talk to them about it. 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. I would give it to charity.”