Trump orders Pentagon to ensure troops are paid despite government shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure American troops are paid Wednesday despite the government shutdown.

Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our brave troops will not receive the paychecks they are rightfully owed on October 15th.”

The Republican president’s action removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress to act, likely ensuring that the shutdown — now in its 11th day — extends into a third week and perhaps beyond. But no similar action appears planned for federal workers, thousands of whom are now laid off during the interruption of government operations. The White House budget office began this process on Friday.

Trump blamed Democrats and said he was exercising his authority as commander in chief to order Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to use all available funds to have our troops PAID by October 15.” The Republican president added: “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to pay our troops. »

US military personnel risked not receiving their next paycheck on Wednesday after the government shut down on October 1, the start of the federal budget cycle. The United States has about 1.3 million active-duty military personnel, and the prospect of its soldiers going without pay was a focus as lawmakers on Capitol Hill discussed the negative impact of the shutdown.

Trump hasn’t said where he’s getting the money from, but it will likely be funded by the billions of dollars pumped into the Defense Department as part of Trump’s tax and spending cut bill that he signed this summer. The Congressional Budget Office has said such a move is possible.

“The Administration could also decide to use mandatory funding provided in the Reconciliation Act of 2025 or other sources of mandatory funding to continue activities funded by these direct appropriations at various agencies,” CBO said.

The CBO cited the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Management and Budget among the departments that received specific funds under the law.

Some of the Pentagon money “could be used to pay active-duty personnel during a shutdown, thereby reducing the number of excluded workers who would receive deferred compensation,” the CBO wrote in a letter responding to questions raised by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.

The White House did not immediately respond to an emailed request for details about the president’s announcement.