Trump Directs Pentagon To Cover Troop Salaries As US Shutdown Enters 11th Day

US President Donald Trump. (Image: X/@WhiteHouse)

Despite the ongoing US government shutdown, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, October 11, that he had instructed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to guarantee that U.S. service members are paid on Wednesday. Trump said in a social media post that he acted because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.” The directive is a temporary measure and does not extend to the hundreds of thousands of federal employees furloughed during the lapse in government operations.

Trump’s move removes one potential pressure point that might have forced Congress to act quickly, likely allowing the shutdown, now in its 11th day, to continue into a third week or longer. Federal employees working without pay face layoffs, which began on Friday under orders from the White House budget office. The president blamed Democrats for the shutdown and emphasised his authority as commander-in-chief in directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure that troops are paid.

While Trump did not specify the source of the funds, a spokesperson for the White House Office of Management and Budget confirmed that the Pentagon would tap into about $8 billion of unobligated research, development, testing, and evaluation funds from the last fiscal year. These funds will cover mid-month paychecks if the funding lapse continues beyond October 15th. The directive’s application to the U.S. Coast Guard, which is under the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime, remains unclear.

Impact on military

The shutdown has heightened anxiety among service members and their families, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck. Historically, Congress has passed legislation to ensure troops receive pay during shutdowns, but no similar discussions appear to be advancing this time. Trump had previously suggested that back pay might not be guaranteed, though federal law requires that employees receive compensation after a shutdown ends.

The current shutdown began on October 1 after Democrats rejected a short-term funding bill, demanding an extension of federal health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.