President Trump on Saturday directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use move all of the department’s “available funds” to go toward paying military servicemembers during the government shutdown.
Throwing blame toward congressional Democrats and naming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Trump said that troops will not receive their upcoming paychecks. Servicemembers are scheduled to receive their next checks on Oct. 15.
“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,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media site Truth Social.
“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” Trump said.
This comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) cast blame on Democrats for the potential pay lapse.
“HR 5371 (the Continuing Resolution) is the bill to pay our troops,” Johnson wrote in a post on the social media platform X. “No one in the military or any military family should have their pay blocked on October 15! Since the bill ALREADY PASSED THE HOUSE, a simple yes vote by five more Democrats on Tuesday would allow the military to be paid on Wednesday.”
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