President Donald Trump announced via Telegram Monday that he will keep championing the American people through the newly launched Office of the Former President based in his West Florida resort.
"Today, the 45th President of the United states, Donald J. Trump, formally opened the Office of the Former President," Trump announced in a statement.
The statement, which received hearts from more than 71,000 followers and viewed 818,100 times, explained the intention and function of the said office.
"The Office will be responsible for managing President Trump's correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism," Trump said in the statement.
The Gateway Pundit reported that this is Trump's first action since he left Washington D.C. on the day Joseph Biden, Jr. was inaugurated.
During his sendoff, Trump promised he'd be "back in some form" during his speech while at Joint Base Andrews. The former president revealed last Friday his future plans to a reporter that "something is coming."
Through the newly launched Office of the Former President, Trump assured his supporters that he "will always and forever be a champion of the American People."
News Channel 8 said that Trump's announcement came on the same day the Senate received the articles of impeachment from the House of Representatives. The Senate has scheduled the start of the impeachment trial on the now-civilian Trump on Feb. 9 on charges of "inciting insurrection in a speech to supporters" during the Save America Rally even though rioters were already in the U.S. Capitol last Jan. 6.
Setting up a new office is customary for former presidents of the United States, especially since they are funded to do so as part of their benefit after holding the highest post in the land, ABC News reported.
The benefits, as per ABC News, include "access to classified briefings, Secret Service protection and even the use of a Presidential Townhouse in Washington D.C.", as well as, "several financial benefits."
Trump, as with past U.S. presidents, will receive funding for "the costs of leaving office under the Presidential Transition Act" for seven months, "money needed to run and set up a new office," funding for staff for another 30 months through the Former Presidents Act, an "annual basic compensation for staff assistance of $150,000, and a lifetime pension of "$219,000 a year."
ABC News said it may be likely for Trump to forego these financial benefits in the same way that he did his salary when he was still the president of the United States, which he donated. ABC News cited a total of $4.75 million was spent on former presidents' expenses by the U.S. General Service Administration in 2018, which included spending for former "presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter" who all had setup offices or foundations after they left the White House.
Besides announcing the establishment of his new office, Trump has been using his Telegram account to continue his activities such as giving an endorsement for Sarah Huckabee Sanders as governor for Arkansas and asking supporters to join "popular conservative voices on Telegram." Trump's Telegram account currently has 840,000 followers.
