United States President Donald Trump has pledged to donate $1 million to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, according to an announcement made today by the White House. Although the source of the funds was not revealed, the White House press secretary stated that the donation would be made from the president's personal 'funds.' It is also a record donation from a sitting president.
Trump's remarkable step
Over the years, the United States has been hit by plenty of natural calamities, and while all presidents did an exemplary job during those crises, Donald Trump's decision to donate $1 million out of his funds comes as a magnificent gesture.
The president's decision was announced today at the daily press briefing by the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Sanders said that president wanted to personally join in the efforts to help the people who have suffered from the wrath of Hurrican Harvey.
She went on to state that Trump was wondering how to go about donating. When asked about the specifics, the White House press secretary refused to go into details and stated that the money would come out of the president's funds. As opposed to other billionaires in the United States, Donald Trump does not have a great record when it comes to donations, and the announcement came as a pleasant surprise for all concerned.
Skepticism remains
In spite of the grand announcement from the president, people are well within their rights to wonder whether the donation will be made or not. According to a New York Times report, the president has failed to honor such pledges in the past and hence, there is no doubt that the general public will have some degree of skepticism about the whole thing till Donald Trump hands in the check.
Trump boasts that he has a fortune of $10 billion but plenty of critics have stated that his personal fortune is worth much less and hence, a failure to honor this pledge might land the president in public relations nightmare.
It is understood that Donald Trump's decision to pledge $1 million is part of larger strategy to inspire citizens to come forward and donate towards the cause.
The president's organization has reached out to charity organizations in the middle-east and asked for donations. It remains to be seen whether the president's donation has any tangible effect on the magnitude of donations that are eventually received, but it cannot be denied that it is a step in the right direction.
