United States President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to ensure that military personnel receive their salaries on October 15, despite the ongoing government shutdown that has left many civil servants without pay.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said he had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds to get our Troops PAID,” stressing that he would not allow Democrats to “hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE.”
The shutdown, now in its second week, began after the September 30 funding deadline passed without agreement in Congress. While Republicans pushed a resolution to reopen government agencies, Senate Democrats blocked it, insisting that the bill must also extend subsidies that keep health insurance affordable for about 24 million Americans.
Key Details
- Military Pay: About 1.3 million active-duty troops were at risk of missing their paychecks next Wednesday — a first in modern U.S. history. Trump’s order is meant to prevent that.
- Civil Servants: Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have either been furloughed or forced to work without pay.
- Layoffs: The White House confirmed on Friday that it had begun laying off about 4,000 federal employees across several agencies, a move critics say is designed to increase pressure on Democrats.
- Political Standoff: Republicans want a short-term funding bill without healthcare provisions, while Democrats insist on protecting subsidies before reopening government offices.
The shutdown has crippled public services across the U.S., with growing frustration among workers and citizens. Trump’s intervention ensures that the military will not be caught in the crossfire, but the wider political impasse remains unresolved.
Analysts warn that while the order may ease pressure on troops and their families, it could also prolong the shutdown by removing one of the strongest incentives for lawmakers to compromise.
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