Former US President Donald Trump has claimed he has found a way to pay military personnel despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, stating he directed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to release funds by 15 October.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he was using his authority as commander-in-chief to ensure troops are paid, blaming Democrats for holding the military and national security hostage. The shutdown began on 1 October, the first since a 35-day closure in 2018-19 during Trump's first term.
More than 1.3 million military personnel risked missing their October pay, while an estimated 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed. Federal workers are typically paid retroactively once a shutdown ends, as stipulated by law after the 2018 closure.
The Senate remains deadlocked on ending the shutdown, with top Democrat Chuck Schumer expressing confidence in their strategy. Meanwhile, the White House announced mass layoffs of federal workers across several departments, including Commerce, Education, and Energy.
Union leaders condemned the layoffs, with Everett Kelley of the American Federation of Government Employees calling them a disgraceful use of the shutdown. The AFL-CIO vowed to challenge the firings in court, following a social media post from White House budget director Russell Vought confirming that reduction-in-force procedures had begun.
