Sun, 12 Oct 2025

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 Trump directs Pentagon to 'use all available funds' to pay troops during shutdown

The president's directive would ensure US military personnel don't miss a scheduled paycheque next week.
US President Donald Trump has ordered Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure military personnel receive their paychecks despite the federal government shutdown. Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating that he will not allow Democrats to "hold our Military and the entire Security of our Nation hostage" during the shutdown. The US military is considered an essential service, meaning troops must continue working without pay. However, around 40% of federal employees (around 750,000) have been furloughed, or sent home, without pay due to the shutdown. Trump's directive comes as the government shutdown enters its 12th day, with both parties blaming each other for failing to agree on a spending plan to reopen the government. In an effort to pressure Democrats, Trump's administration has begun laying off thousands of federal workers, an unprecedented move during a shutdown. The White House announced that seven agencies have started firing over 4,000 people, making good on Trump's repeated threats to reduce the federal workforce. The reductions include employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Treasury Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Department of Homeland Security. Two major unions representing federal workers have filed a lawsuit against the layoffs, arguing that they are "illegally firing thousands of workers who provide critical services to communities across the country". The White House has stated that more staff cuts are coming, with agencies such as the Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency potentially affected.
  >>