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.”
Trump’s announcement comes as the shutdown reaches its second week, with hundreds of thousands of federal workers already receiving partial pay and service members warned that their October 15 paychecks were at risk.
The administration has been reviewing options to ensure military pay continues without congressional approval. A senior White House official told reporters Thursday that Trump is “exploring every legal avenue” to guarantee service members are paid on time.
Republicans have blamed Democrats for refusing to pass a clean funding bill to reopen the government. Democrats have argued that Republicans must agree to extend certain Affordable Care Act tax credits that were set to expire before the COVID pandemic.
Rep. Jenn Kiggans, R-Va., a former Navy helicopter pilot, praised Trump’s directive and called on lawmakers to reopen the government immediately.
“I thank President Trump for standing up for our men and women in uniform,” Kiggans said. “They should never be used as political pawns. Congress must act to end this shutdown now and fully fund the military.”
The Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have continued to vote to keep the government closed.
“Democrats have now voted EIGHT TIMES to BLOCK pay for our troops and federal workers. Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats think every day of this shutdown “gets better” for them — even as it hurts hardworking Americans. Once again, Democrats are putting AMERICANS LAST,” Speaker of the House and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson said.
Trump’s decision marks the latest in a series of unilateral steps to blunt the effects of the Democrat-led shutdown, which has drawn sharp criticism from the White House toward Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his caucus.