**Summary of the Article: Trump Directs Military Pay Amid Government Shutdown**
On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced via social media that he was taking action to ensure members of the U.S. military would receive their paychecks on October 15, even as the federal government remained partially shut down. The shutdown, now in its tenth day, had raised fears among service members and their families that their upcoming pay would be delayed, leading to widespread concern and political maneuvering in Washington.
**Presidential Directive to Pay Troops**
In a message posted on Truth Social, President Trump declared that he was using his authority as Commander in Chief to instruct the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to find and allocate the necessary funds for military salaries. Trump stated, “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.” This directive came amid mounting anxiety among military families who feared missing paychecks due to the budget impasse in Congress.
**Concerns Over Missed Paychecks**
The possibility of service members missing their October 15 paychecks became a flashpoint as the shutdown dragged on. Lawmakers from both parties as well as Trump administration officials expressed grave concerns about the potential financial hardship for military families, many of whom live paycheck to paycheck and rely on timely pay to cover essentials such as housing, food, and medication.
NBC News reported that neither the White House Office of Management and Budget nor the Department of Defense had immediately responded to requests for comment regarding Trump’s directive. The uncertainty added to the unease felt by federal employees and their families, as well as by the broader public that depends on government services.
**Political Blame and Partisan Tensions**
In his social media post, Trump squarely blamed Democratic leaders, particularly Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, for the ongoing shutdown and the threat to military pay. “If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th,” Trump wrote.
This rhetorical move was part of a broader pattern of mutual recriminations between Republicans and Democrats as negotiations to reopen the government stalled. Both sides accused each other of intransigence and putting partisan goals ahead of the well-being of ordinary Americans, including service members and federal workers.
**Legislative Deadlock in Congress**
The shutdown originated from a failure to pass a new federal budget or a temporary funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, that would keep the government operating. Over the past week, the Senate repeatedly failed to achieve the 60-vote threshold required to advance a stopgap funding bill.
Earlier, the House of Representatives had passed its own temporary funding bill, with Republicans voting unanimously in favor and all but one Democrat opposed. This bill would have extended government funding at existing levels through November 21. However, Senate Democrats withheld support, objecting to provisions in the House version, and instead offered their own proposal.
The Senate Democratic leadership’s alternative was a temporary funding measure that would keep the government running through the end of October. Crucially, their version would also reverse cuts to Medicaid enacted by Republicans earlier in the year and extend expiring federal subsidies for recipients of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Senate Republicans refused to support this measure, leaving both versions stalled and the government shuttered.
**Growing Pressure from Lawmakers and Public**
As the shutdown continued with no end in sight, pressure mounted on the Trump administration to take action, especially as the threat of missed paychecks for the military became imminent. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, told reporters that he expected the White House to find a solution to ensure military pay was not interrupted.
“I think, to their credit, the White House has now for 10 days laid off doing anything in hopes that enough Senate Democrats would come to their senses and do the right thing and fund the government,” Thune said. “But now, now that we’re getting these where people are going to start missing paychecks, this gets real. This gets real for families, a lot of military families who live paycheck to paycheck, a lot of American families who live paycheck to paycheck, who are federal