Donald Trump has claimed he has found a way to pay US military personnel despite the ongoing federal government shutdown, saying he has instructed his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, to release funds on 15 October.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, the former president wrote: “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 15.” The shutdown, which began on 1 October, is the first since a 35-day closure in late 2018 and early 2019 during Trump’s first term.
More than 1.3 million military personnel would not have received their first post-shutdown paychecks this month, while an estimated 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed. The US Senate remains deadlocked on legislation to end the shutdown.
The White House announced layoffs of federal workers on Friday, including hundreds across the Departments of Commerce, Education, and Energy. Union leaders condemned the dismissals, with Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, calling it “disgraceful” that the administration had used the shutdown as an excuse to fire workers.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Hegseth wrote: “President Trump delivers for the troops.” However, the fate of the wider federal workforce remains uncertain as the political standoff continues.
