These Trump White House staffers earn the most

These Trump White House staffers earn the most Several notable White House staffers earn close to $200,000 a year - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments The highest-paid officials in President Donald Trump’s White House are far from household names, newly released government documents reveal. A salary report sent to Congress this week puts the top White House pay at $197,200 in 2026. Nine of the 411 employees in the Executive Office of the President earned that amount, but many work behind the scenes, including on anti-fraud efforts and the fast-evolving world of cryptocurrency. They include Scott Brady, executive director of the Anti-Fraud Task Force; Harry Jung, the deputy director of the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets; and Blake Deeley, the executive director of the National Energy Dominance Council. They, and the other six individuals, are all listed as “detailees” or “part-time detailees,” meaning they’re federal employees who have been temporarily brought in from other agencies. A White House official told NOTUS — which published the salary report on Wednesday — that pay rates for detailees are set by their home agencies and calculated using a federal government pay scale. The second-highest White House salary this year is $195,200, paid to many of the administration’s most visible figures who regularly appear alongside Trump and on television. Those earning this amount include White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Communications Director Steven Cheung, Border Czar Tom Homan, and senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro also make $195,200, along with more than a dozen other officials. Other staff in the Executive Office of the President earn less, including aide Natalie Harp, who made $150,000. Harp is alleged to have left adoring letters for Trump in “private spaces,” including one that reportedly read: “You are all that matters to me.” The lowest salary listed in the report is $59,661, earned by three staffers: a stenographer, a records management analyst and an information services operator. While the list of employees grew slightly from last year — increasing from 404 to 411 — no raises were issued in 2026, according to NOTUS. Ten officials are also listed as earning no income. These include Pardon Czar Alice Johnson; Joseph Gebbia, the co-founder of Airbnb, whom Trump appointed as the nation’s first chief design officer; and Paula White, a senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, who once compared the president’s life to that of Jesus Christ. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser, and Steven Witkoff, the special envoy for peace missions, are likewise listed as earning no income. A White House official told NOTUS that Rubio and Witkoff — both highly influential figures in the administration — are not paid by the White House. Rubio earns a quarter of a million dollars at the State Department, while Witkoff, a billionaire, appears not to take a government salary. Trump himself has said publicly that he donates all of his $400,000 salary. Still, he’s earned much, much more than that through other means. His just-released annual financial disclosure shows he made more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency in 2025. The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments