Viral picture compares Trump, Obama and Clinton net worth – it’s disturbing

Viral picture compares Trump, Obama and Clinton net worth – it’s disturbing
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January 8, 2018

Viral picture compares Trump, Obama and Clinton net worth – it’s disturbing
Gage Skidmore / CCL
President Trump’s net worth has fallen since taking office. This marks a striking contrast with the Obamas and the Clintons, who used the White House as a launching pad into the liberal millionaire club. Turning Point USA summarized the difference between Trump and the Clinton-Obama circle with this photo:

During his campaign, Trump said repeatedly that he would be able to act independently of wealth incentives because he was already rich. While the Clintons and the Obamas monetized the White House with Wall Street speeches and million dollar book deals, Trump has generously donated his salary. There couldn’t be a more striking contrast.

Book deals and speeches
When Obama became president, he made himself out to be a progressive who fought for the common person. He left office a multi-millionaire, mingling with globe-trotting elites and giving $400,000 Wall Street speeches.
From 2005, when Barack Obama entered the U.S. Senate, until the day Obama left office, he and his wife earned about $20 million. Their salary shot from less than $300,000 a year before 2005 to an average of $2.4 million annually from 2005 to 2008.

Their wealth increased further during Obama’s eight years as president. Largely through book deals and the president’s $400,000 a year salary, Obama earned about $10 million during his White House tenure.

Both Barack and Michelle Obama are expected to write memoirs about their experiences in the White House, which could bring them another $20 to $45 million. Through Obama’s pension, book deals, and speech fees, the Obamas could earn more than $200 million in the next 15 years.

The Clinton machine
The Obamas weren’t the first presidential couple to get rich off of book deals and speeches. For the prototype of the limousine liberal, you have to go back to the Clintons.

Bill and Hillary Clinton monetized the White House legacy in a way that arguably no presidential couple had done before.

When Bill Clinton left office, he and his wife were “dead broke”, in his words. Today, they are one of the richest couples in politics. From 2001 to 2015, they made more than $240 million through a combination of book deals, speeches, consulting, and dubious donations to the Clinton Foundation, which is under renewed investigation by the FBI for alleged “pay-to-play” politics.

Man of the people
The Obamas’ and the Clintons’ bank accounts are still dwarfed by President Trump, the wealthiest president in American history.

Trump’s net worth in his first year in office dropped some $600 million because of a drop in value of his Manhattan real estate, a lawsuit settlement, and expenditures for his campaign, according to Forbes. Even as his net worth dropped, Trump donated his salary during the first three quarters to the National Park Service, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services, respectively, honoring an oft-repeated campaign promise.

Trump is not the first president to give away part of his salary; JFK and Hoover came first.

Maybe what Trump said about his wealth is true. With no incentive to profit off the American people, he can simply focus on making the country great.