**Trump Directs Pentagon to Pay Troops Despite Ongoing Government Shutdown**
*By Akash Pandey | October 12, 2025, 2:19 PM*

President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to use all available funds to ensure that U.S. troops receive their paychecks despite the ongoing government shutdown. This directive aims to provide a temporary solution to prevent service members from missing their October 15th paychecks.

However, this measure does not extend to the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who have been furloughed due to the shutdown. Layoffs for federal workers began last Friday as the White House budget office initiated cost-cutting actions amid the funding lapse.

### Impact of the Shutdown

The President’s move could ease some of the immediate financial pressures on military personnel and may influence the duration of the current shutdown, which could stretch into a third week or longer. Nevertheless, no similar directives have been announced for other federal employees, many of whom continue working without pay and face job insecurity.

### The Funding Question

Trump has placed the blame for the shutdown squarely on Democrats, asserting his authority as commander in chief to instruct Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to allocate existing funds for troop payments.

“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS,” Trump stated. Despite this assurance, details about the specific source of these funds remain unclear.

### Growing Concerns Among Military Families

The current shutdown, the third in twelve years, has heightened anxiety levels among service members and their families. Many military households rely on steady paychecks to manage day-to-day expenses, and while back pay is guaranteed once the shutdown ends, immediate financial stress persists.

In previous shutdowns, Congress acted to guarantee uninterrupted troop salaries through special legislation. However, such discussions appear to have stalled in the current impasse.

### Origin of the Shutdown

The government shutdown began on October 1, triggered by Democrats’ rejection of a short-term funding extension. The Democratic opposition centered on the insistence that the bill include continued federal health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. These subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, potentially increasing monthly healthcare costs for millions of Americans.

While Trump and Republican leaders have expressed willingness to negotiate over the health subsidies, they maintain that the government must reopen before substantive discussions can resume.

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As the stalemate continues, uncertainty remains for millions of federal workers and military families awaiting a resolution to the shutdown.
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