President Trump’s White House staff is smaller than former President Obama’s team, even as overall federal spending has risen significantly under Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump has spent $23.5 million less on White House payroll costs than Mr. Obama during their first terms, adjusted for inflation, according to an analysis by OpenTheBooks.com for Forbes.
Mr. Trump’s annual report to Congress this week on the size of the White House staff showed that he has 413 employees — 55 fewer staffers than Barack Obama at the same point in their presidencies.
First lady Melania Trump has 11 staffers, compared with 24 for former first lady Michelle Obama at the same point.
Mr. Trump cut White House payroll by $2.35 million year over year — from $42.1 million in fiscal 2019 to $39.7 million in fiscal 2020, adjusted for inflation, the analysis found.
In fiscal 2015, Mr. Obama’s White House payroll was $40.9 million ($45 million, adjusted for inflation) with 476 staffers.
Mr. Trump also has donated his annual $400,000 government salary to various federal agencies during each quarter.
The analysis found that 20 Trump staffers receive the top salary of $183,000. They include economic adviser Larry Kudlow, senior counselor Kellyanne Conway, counselor Hope Hicks and trade adviser Peter Navarro. They did not receive a pay raise last year.
The White House budget is a tiny fraction of the overall federal government’s annual $4.83 trillion in spending. Annual budget deficits have risen to more than $1 trillion under Mr. Trump, and will top $3 trillion this year as Congress and the administration approve several rounds of emergency aid to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
The budget deficit in fiscal 2016 under Mr. Obama was $587 billion.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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