Trump donates first-quarter salary to Department of Education

In this Feb. 14, 2017 file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump talks to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump is donating three months of his salary to the Department of Education.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump chose to give the department $100,000. His first quarter salary donation went to the Department of Interior.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says the donation is being used to pay for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics camp sponsored by the department.

As a candidate, Trump had promised not to take a salary. By law he must be paid, so he is donating the money. Taxpayers can write off such donations, potentially lowering their income taxes.

DeVos says she is grateful for the donation.

The Trump administration proposed a 13 per cent cut to the Education Department's budget.