Donald Trump, Who Long Boasted About Refusing a Presidential Salary, Now Demands $230 Million from His Own Government for “Unfair” Investigations
Former President Donald Trump is once again making headlines — this time for reportedly seeking a staggering $230 million in damages from the United States government. According to a detailed New York Times report, Trump has filed administrative claims demanding compensation for what he describes as politically motivated federal investigations that targeted him during and after his presidency. The move comes as the former president, who famously refused his $400,000 annual White House salary, argues that the Justice Department and FBI caused him substantial harm through what he calls “wrongful prosecution.”
The claims, which precede a potential lawsuit, reportedly cite two separate investigations that Trump believes cost him dearly — both financially and personally. The first, submitted in late 2023, relates to the FBI’s inquiry and Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. That investigation, launched during his campaign and carried into his presidency, examined whether members of his team had coordinated with Moscow to influence the election’s outcome. Though the Mueller report ultimately did not establish that Trump conspired with Russia, it also did not exonerate him, citing numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russian figures.
The second claim, according to the report, involves subsequent investigations into his handling of classified documents and the events surrounding January 6, 2021. Trump has repeatedly argued that these investigations were politically motivated efforts to damage his reputation and presidential legacy. Through the administrative process, he is now seeking what he considers compensation for “defamation, disruption, and loss of business opportunities.”
Trump’s legal team has not commented publicly on the precise basis for the $230 million figure, but the move reflects his growing strategy of counterattacking institutions that have investigated him. Over the past year, the former president has filed or threatened multiple lawsuits against the Justice Department, various media organizations, and even individual prosecutors. His attorneys have framed these actions as part of a broader campaign to “defend the rights of the presidency” and to push back against what they describe as “a pattern of government overreach.”
For Trump, who has made his battles with the U.S. justice system a central theme of his political identity, this latest step represents both a legal maneuver and a symbolic statement. Throughout his career, he has leaned on the language of grievance and retribution — positioning himself as the target of an establishment unwilling to let him succeed. Even after leaving office, he has continued to claim that federal agencies were weaponized against him, despite multiple independent investigations and court rulings affirming the legitimacy of those probes.
Critics, however, see the claim as yet another example of Trump attempting to rewrite history. Legal experts told The New York Times that it is “extraordinarily rare” for a former president to demand financial damages from his own government, especially for investigations carried out under lawful authority. Many argue that the process itself — the filing of administrative claims — may be more about publicity than an actual expectation of payout, since such claims are almost never approved.
Still, the filing underscores the tension between Trump and the Justice Department as the 2024 election cycle intensifies. The former president remains under indictment in multiple criminal cases, including charges related to the 2020 election and his handling of government documents. Despite these challenges, his campaign has successfully used the narrative of “unfair persecution” to galvanize supporters and drive fundraising, portraying him as a political outsider still fighting a system stacked against him.
The irony, of course, is not lost on observers. For years, Trump touted his decision to forgo a presidential salary as proof of his selflessness in serving the nation. Now, he is seeking a sum that dwarfs that symbolic gesture — $230 million, to be paid by the very taxpayers he once promised to represent without personal gain. Whether the claim is dismissed outright or escalates to an actual lawsuit remains to be seen, but its message is unmistakable: Donald Trump intends to continue his long, public battle against the institutions he believes wronged him, even if it means suing the government he once led.
