Trump Praises Anonymous Donor for Military Funding during Shutdown
On Friday, President Trump expressed gratitude towards an anonymous contributor who donated $130 million to help pay military personnel affected by the ongoing government shutdown, which has now extended into its fourth week.
“He’s a wonderful gentleman,” Trump remarked as he departed the White House for a trip to Asia. “He is a patron.”
He further emphasized the donor’s commitment, saying, “He’s obviously a very solid person and he donated $130 million to the military to make up the difference. He wanted to see the military get paid, and so did I. And he’s a great guy.”
The president noted the donor’s preference for anonymity, calling it “quite unusual in the world I come from.” He remarked, “In politics, you want your name mentioned, and he won’t,” describing the individual as an American citizen and “friend.” Trump reiterated, “He’s a great patriot.”
Pentagon Chief Press Secretary Sean Parnell confirmed in a statement to The Hill that the donation was made with the stipulation that it be allocated towards military pay and benefits.
This contribution followed Senate Democrats’ decision to block a bill aimed at ensuring pay for active duty military and essential federal employees, despite the shutdown. The Senate voted 54-45 against the measure, with only three Democrats—Sens. Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, and John Fetterman—supporting it.
The bill, championed by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), sought to secure compensation for air traffic controllers, TSA agents, park rangers, federal law enforcement, ICE agents, and Border Patrol agents.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the bill, labeling it “another tool for President Trump to harm federal workers and American families,” while Johnson defended the proposal, claiming Democrats had misrepresented it.
In a separate effort, Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Gary Peters introduced their own bill to guarantee pay for all federal employees, including military members, contractors, and furloughed workers, amid ongoing budget shortfalls.
Van Hollen requested a vote on this bill, but Johnson declined the request.
Apart from legislative efforts, earlier this month, President Trump directed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to ensure military personnel were compensated. In response, Rep. Jim Himes asserted that this action was “probably” illegal.
“I think we need a bill to pay the military during the government shutdown,” Himes said. “The Speaker of the House has taken that off the table. So is Donald Trump going to say a lot? Yes, he’s going to say a lot. But nothing seems to be moving.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson has faced criticism this month for not recalling members who have been out of office for over a month to vote on the military pay protection bill. In defense, Johnson pointed to Trump’s response and attributed the failure to Democrats for not voting to reopen the government.
