Often hailed as the “father of his country,” on April 30, 1789, George Washington (1732-1799) took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City as the first President of the United States.
The Electoral College elected Washington unanimously as the first president in 1789, and again in the 1792 election; to this day, he remains the only president to have received 100 percent of the electoral votes.
Wikipedia says: “The 1st United States Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 a year—a large sum in 1789. Washington, despite facing financial troubles at the time, declined the salary, since he valued his image as a selfless public servant. At the urging of Congress, however, he ultimately accepted the payment, to avoid setting a precedent whereby the presidency would be perceived as limited only to independently wealthy individuals who could serve without any salary.”
Today’s annual salary for P.O.T.U.S. is $400,000 and has been since 2001. Additionally, there’s $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment. The most recent raise in salary was approved by Congress and President Bill Clinton in 1999 and went into effect in 2001.
What would Washington say?
