Trump says private donor gave $130 million to cover military pay during shutdown

By Gram Slattery and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A wealthy private donor is providing $130 million to the U.S. government to cover potential shortfalls in military pay due to the ongoing government shutdown, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump praised the wealthy donor as a patriot and “my friend” but refused to name him.

“He called us the other day and said, ‘I’d like to contribute to the shortcomings that you have because of the Democratic shutdown… because I love the military and I love the country,'” Trump said.

The administration is facing increasing pressure to ensure active-duty service members receive their paychecks despite the budget stalemate. Trump had previously signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to repurpose unused research funds to cover salaries.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called the military funding change a temporary solution and warned that soldiers could soon miss their paychecks if Congress fails to pass a budget resolution.

The US federal government has been partially shut down since October 1, with lawmakers in Congress deadlocked over a new budget, with disagreements over health subsidies at the center of the stalemate.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Diane Craft and David Gregorio)