
Donald Trump is a self-proclaimed billionaire, but isn't using his money to help victims of the disastrous and deadly hurricane.

Donald Trump has claimed he is worth $10 billion, a fact that is impossible to confirm because of his refusal to release his tax returns.

He has also boasted — a lot — about all of his supposed charitable giving over the years, though there is very little evidence of it.

But now, as millions of people who live in Houston grapple with the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, Trump isn't even pretending he's going to give any of his money to help.


On Tuesday, Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold, who has meticulously tracked and reported on the charities Trump has claimed to donate to over the years, tweeted that he had asked when Trump, his business, or his campaign had donated to any charities serving the victims of Harvey. He received no response.

On Wednesday, CNN reporter Betsy Klein asked White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders whether Trump had many any donations.

"They're looking into different options," Sanders said.

Since the hurricane first hit Texas on Friday, Trump has solicited donations for his re-election campaign. His White House has also released photographs of him wearing hats sold on his campaign website. He recommended a book by one of his political cronies to his 37 million Twitter followers.

But unlike his predecessor, Trump has shown no interest in asking Americans to give to any of the numerous charities serving the people of Houston. And apparently, he isn't interested in helping either.

For a man who likes to boast about his generosity, it's striking that he doesn't seem to think this hurricane, which he has repeatedly described as "epic" and "historic," is worth even a symbolic gesture of that generosity. It would be especially meaningful for the president of the United States — one who is a so-called billionaire, no less — to set an example for the rest of the country with a personal donation.

But since he refuses to provide the evidence of all his charitable giving over the years, perhaps he really isn't so generous after all.