Trump Told Colorful, Fabricated Stories About George Washington and the Panama Canal
Trump told interesting stories about George – Last week, President Donald Trump’s annual financial report revealed he earned over $1 billion from cryptocurrency investments in 2025. Amid discussions about his wealth, he diverted to a historical tale during a press encounter. Claiming George Washington had “two desks in his pre-White House,” Trump described the setup as “one for business and one for the presidency.” He added, “You’re allowed to. But I choose not to. I don’t talk to my kids about, you know, this stuff.”
A Fictional Tale of Washington’s Office
Though the story paints a vivid picture, it’s not grounded in historical fact. Washington did manage personal affairs during his presidency, but there’s no evidence he had separate desks for official and private matters. Historians have previously dismissed this claim, with one calling it “utter nonsense,” another “an absurd allegation,” and a third stating, “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
“The two-desks narrative is a myth. Washington’s workspace was a single room with one desk,” said a historian from the University of Maryland.
Overstated Death Toll at the Panama Canal
During a July 4 speech celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, Trump highlighted the Panama Canal as a “great engineering feat,” attributing its creation to American sacrifice. He claimed, “38,000 Americans died to give us one of the greatest engineering feats of all time.” However, records show approximately 5,600 deaths occurred during the American construction phase (1903–1914), with most being Afro-Caribbean laborers from countries like Barbados and Jamaica. Historian Julie Greene noted, “The majority were Afro-Caribbeans,” emphasizing the demographic breakdown of casualties.
David McCullough, another historian, pointed out that only around 350 white Americans perished. French workers, who built the canal earlier, accounted for about 22,000 deaths. Trump’s focus on American fatalities, however, remains consistent with his narrative style.
Salary Donations: A Misleading Claim
Trump also asserted that he was “the only president… that’s ever given up my salary,” a statement he repeated in 2025. Yet, John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover had previously donated their presidential salaries. Media outlets highlighted this during his first term, and the White House confirmed it again in 2025. While Trump provided documentation for his first-term salary contributions, details about donations in his second term remain unclear, with the White House declining to comment on the matter.
“Trump’s claim that he donated his salary is not unique. Others have done the same,” remarked a media analyst.
A Pattern of Fabricated History
These stories are part of a recurring trend. Over the years, Trump has popularized imaginative accounts of U.S. history, world events, and his own legacy. The Panama Canal and Washington desk anecdotes are among several false claims made in the past week, underscoring his reliance on embellished narratives to deflect scrutiny. His July 4 remarks, for example, were accompanied by the patriotic anthem “God Bless the U.S.A.”—a song he has long associated with his political campaigns. He claimed, “We won three elections with that song,” though it was only used in two presidential races: 2016 and 2020.
