President Trump asserted on Saturday that he instructed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to deploy “all available funds” to ensure military personnel received their paychecks. The statement came as the federal government remained partially shut down, with troops facing potential delays in compensation.
Trump criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, claiming the Democratic leader’s actions had jeopardized military payments. “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 said. He reiterated his directive to Hegseth, stating, “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”
The shutdown has led to federal employees receiving notices of potential layoffs within 60 days. House Speaker Mike Johnson noted that Friday marked the first day federal workers would not receive full paychecks since the closure began on October 1. Military personnel also face uncertainty, with their next paycheck expected on October 15.
Congress remained deadlocked, as Senate votes to advance spending bills failed for the seventh consecutive time. The stalemate is likely to persist until at least next week. Meanwhile, several U.S. airports faced flight delays due to shortages of unpaid air traffic controllers. Essential workers in agencies like the Treasury Department and Health and Human Services faced mass layoffs, with over 4,000 employees terminated as of October 1.
The Trump administration’s court filing revealed the scale of workforce reductions, including significant cuts at the Department of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and other agencies. The Justice Department acknowledged ongoing “intent to RIF” notices for employees in multiple departments.