I won’t take salary as president, says Trump

Donald Trump says he will not take salary as president of the United States.

The president-elect told CBS News’ Leslie Stahl in his first television interview since the election that he does not even know the amount that the US president is entitled to.

“I think I have to by law take $1, so I’ll take $1 a year,” Trump said. “But it’s a ― I don’t even know what it is. Do you know what the salary is?”

“$400,000 you’re giving up,” Stahl answered.

“No, I’m not gonna take the salary. I’m not taking it.”

Trump will become the third US president in history to not take a salary. Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy both donated their salaries to charity.

The president-elect first said he would not take a salary on the campaign trail in September 2015.

On the key issue of the Supreme Court — where one of nine seats is currently vacant — Trump said his nominee would support abortion restrictions, and defend the constitutional right to bear arms.

“The judges will be pro-life,” Trump told CBS. “In terms of the whole gun situation,” he added, “they’re going to be very pro-Second Amendment.”

But he also signalled that he would not seek to overturn the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the United States.

“It’s law. It was settled in the Supreme Court. I mean it’s done.”

Asked if supports marriage equality, he said: “And I’m — I’m fine with that.”