WASHINGTON, D.C. — White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s second quarterly salary will be donated to the United States Department of Education.
Sanders made the initial announcement and presented DOE Secretary Betsy DeVos with a check for $100,000. DeVos then took the podium to express her appreciation for the contribution and declared that it would be used to fund a STEM-focused camp.
“The President is committed to our nation’s students and to reforming education in America so that every child, no matter their zip code, has access to a high-quality education,” said DeVos.
The Secretary spoke of an event that occurred the previous day at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. DeVos, along with Adviser to the President and first daughter Ivanka Trump, read to young girls with a local YMCA and Boys and Girls Club. The event was intended to encourage the children to read during summer. The six to 10-year-old girls also interacted with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities at the Smithsonian Spark Lab.
DeVos announced in the Wednesday briefing how the President’s donation would be used:
Today’s and tomorrow’s economy requires students prepared for STEM careers. That’s why we’ve decided to use the President’s second quarter salary to host a STEM-focused camp for students at the Department of Education. We want to encourage as many children as possible to explore STEM fields in the hope that many develop a passion for these fields.
President Trump’s first quarterly salary check was donated to the Department of Interior and has been put to use in restoring two projects at Antietam National Battlefield. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke delivered a check to Antietam National Battlefield earlier this month. As Press Secretary Sanders pointed out in Wednesday’s briefing, Trump’s donation led other donors to contribute to these projects, bringing the total contribution to over $260,000.
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