President Donald Trump is donating the latest portion of his presidential salary to the fight against the opioid crisis, the White House revealed Tuesday.
The $100,000 from Trump’s third-quarter salary will go to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and is earmarked “to continue the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis.” Opioid-related deaths have been on the rise over the past several years, with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) finding that 2017 was one of the worst years for overdose deaths on record. (RELATED: CDC Estimates That Drug Overdose Deaths Hit Record Level In 2017)
.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump donates his 2019 3rd-quarter salary to help fight opioid crisis | h/t @ZekeJMiller | https://t.co/QopdFbpjfk
— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) November 26, 2019
The Trump administration has attempted to highlight the issue, with first lady Melania Trump attending a youth opioid summit in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday.
“Thank you to all of the students who are here. I am so proud of you for the bravery it takes to share that you have been strongly affected by the opioid epidemic in some way,” Mrs. Trump said.
Trump pledged to donate his $400,000 annual presidential salary while in office, and has given to a variety of causes, including border security and alcoholism research.