Trump to donate first paycheck to restore Civil War battlefield

Under existing federal law, the President is required to accept the $400,000 salary that comes with the office.

Washington, July 6: The Interior Department on Thursday announced that a portion of Donald Trump's first paycheck as the US President will be used to fund restoration projects at a Civil War battlefield.

Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday said the portion of the salary -- $78,333.32 -- which Trump in April announced he was donating to the National Park Service, will support restorations at the protected area in Sharpsburg, Maryland, which commemorates the Battle of Antietam, reports CNN.

While visiting the battlefield, Zinke said: "The President's donation will allow generations of Americans to learn about our history and heritage on this sacred site."

Zinke also announced an additional $7.2 million in grants for the American Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants programme, which works to preserve battlefield lands.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised that, if elected, he would donate his White House salary to a worthy cause.

Under existing federal law, the President is required to accept the $400,000 salary that comes with the office.

The Battle of Antietam was a critical one in the Civil War, and it remains the single bloodiest day in American history, CNN reported.

Nearly 23,000 soldiers were left dead, injured or missing on September 17, 1862.

Just days after the battle former President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, which would eventually free slaves living in Confederate states.

IANS