In a striking move during the ongoing federal funding standoff, President Donald Trump issued directives for the Pentagon to ensure active-duty military personnel receive their October 15 paychecks despite the government shutdown.
Trump said he’s invoking his role as commander-in-chief to task Secretary Pete Hegseth with reallocating available funds toward troop salaries. He also publicly attacked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democrats, accusing them of leveraging the shutdown to manipulate national security.
The measure is a temporary workaround. It does not extend to furloughed federal employees, whose payments remain unresolved pending broader budget legislation.