Trump Claims a ‘Very Wealthy Person’ Has Offered to Cover Military Paychecks

President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday that a “very wealthy” donor had offered to pay members of the military during the ongoing government shutdown — a generous offer that he said he turned down for now.

“I actually have a man who is a very wealthy person, he said, ‘If there is any money necessary, shortfall for the paying of the troops, I will pay it,’ meaning he will pay it,” Trump said during a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House.

“I said, ‘We are not going to need it, we will take care of our troops,’” Trump said he responded.

The White House did not respond to a series of questions about the identity of the donor, the amount of money offered or if the deal will remain a possibility as the shutdown drags on.

Trump’s statement comes days after he posted to Truth Social directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds to get our troops PAID on October 15.”

It is unclear what pool of money will be used to pay troops as the federal government barrels toward a third week of the shutdown, with no end in sight.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers received their last paycheck for the foreseeable future earlier this month. The first round of missed paychecks were supposed to go out this week.

At the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Kristi Noem said that she had found an “innovative solution” that would see Coast Guard personnel paid through the shutdown — unspecified funds from Republicans’ recently passed budget bill that Trump has dubbed the “one big, beautiful bill.”

“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill, the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard will not miss a paycheck this week as they continue to carry out their critical homeland security and military missions,” Noem posted on X.

The House has been in recess for a month, with House Speaker Mike Johnson repeatedly declining to call members back until the Senate approves the House-passed continuing resolution that funds the government through early next month.

The missed paychecks also come on the heels of more than 4,100 layoffs across a wide swath of federal agencies, the Office of Management and Budget announced last week.

Democrats are holding strong to their demand that they won’t sign on to a funding package that doesn’t extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. Republicans are mostly united in their opposition, demanding that party leaders refuse to negotiate any health care provisions until the government is reopened.

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This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS and NewsWell, home of Times of San Diego and Stocktonia.