Summary
- Trump vows the military will be paid despite the government shutdown.
- Directed Defense Secretary Hegseth to use available funds.
- Military pay scheduled for October 15, even without new appropriations.
President Trump stated he has given Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth permission to use "identified funds" to pay the soldiers in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, October 11.
Military personnel risked missing a check on October 15 during the government shutdown, which started on October 1. Trump had, however, stated on October 9 that military personnel would not be denied their paychecks, alluding to potential standalone legislation that would provide for soldier payments during the shutdown.
Due to the closure, federal civil servants were anticipated to get lower paychecks on October 10.
Trump's post on Truth Social, posted at 1:35 p.m. ET, read:
"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. 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."
In addition to hundreds of thousands of National Guard troops and non-service members working for the Department of War, the approximately 1.3 million active-duty members who comprise the U.S. military will not be compensated if something is not done during the shutdown.
The Pentagon previously informed USA TODAY that military personnel will not be paid again until funding are restored, despite the fact that their final payment was made on Tuesday, September 30, as planned.
The confrontation between a woman posing as a military wife and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, during a C-Span call-in program on October 9 was one of the shutdown's most poignant moments.
“As a Republican, I'm very disappointed in my party, and I'm very disappointed in you, because you have the power to call the House back,”
said the woman, who said her two children with severe medical conditions “could die.”
“You refuse to do that, just for a show."
Johnson said situations like hers keep him up at night, but he blamed Democrats for the uncertainty.
“The Democrats are the ones that are preventing you from getting a check,”
he said.
Rep. Jennifer Kiggans, R-Virginia, who proposed legislation in September to pay members of the military despite the shutdown, urged fellow House GOP leadership Oct. 8 to swiftly pass her bill.
What Pentagon guidance did Hegseth issue to implement payment?
Trump stated he was exercising his authority as Commander-in-Chief to instruct Hegseth to allocate identified resources to pay the troops by October 15, 2025.
The funds supposedly come from previously authorized Department of Defense appropriations, though the exact sources and amounts have not been revealed. The Pentagon and White House have not provided detailed financial or operational guidance on how the payments will be executed under the funding constraints of the shutdown.
This approach is unusual since military pay often pauses during shutdowns unless Congress passes special legislation.
As of now, public information mainly comes from Trump's announcements and social media posts directing the Pentagon to prioritize troop pay.