President Donald Trump has ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to pay U.S. troops on Oct. 15, despite the ongoing government shutdown that has threatened military paychecks for 1.3 million active duty service members.
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill. Democrats in the Senate have repeatedly blocked efforts to reopen the government, leading to the first situation in American history where active-duty troops could miss a paycheck.
Trump said he would not allow that to happen.
“Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE!” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”
“That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th,” the president continued. “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”“I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” Trump added. “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy.”