President Donald Trump has announced that an anonymous donor has stepped up and sent the federal government a $130 million check to ensure U.S. military service members are paid during the ongoing Democrat-led government shutdown.
Speaking at a Cabinet roundtable, Trump said the donor, whom he described as a personal friend, offered to personally cover any shortfall in military pay caused by the shutdown.
The shutdown has now entered its fourth week.
In a statement, Trump revealed:
“He called us the other day and he said, ‘I’d like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown. I’d like to contribute, personally, contribute any shortfall you have with the military, because I love the military and I love the country, and any shortfall, if there’s a shortfall, I’ll contribute it.’”
According to the president, the donor followed through on that promise and delivered a $130 million check to the government on Thursday.
The president noted that the donor wants to remain anonymous.
“He doesn’t really want the recognition, if you want to know the truth,” Trump added.
“But he gave us a check for $130 million, which was sort of a shortfall, and that’s going to go to the military.”
Senate Democrats Block GOP Bill to Pay Troops
The news came just hours after Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would have guaranteed pay for troops and essential federal workers during the shutdown.
The Shutdown Fairness Act, introduced by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), would have ensured that all “excepted” federal employees, including service members, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers, continued to receive pay even when government funding lapsed.
“This is a permanent fix that will ensure excepted workers and our troops are paid during a shutdown,” Johnson said before the vote.
Despite bipartisan support from Sens. John Fetterman (D-PA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA), the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance, failing 54–45.
Democrats Push Alternative Bill Limiting Trump
Ahead of the vote, Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Gary Peters (D-MI) unveiled a competing proposal, dubbed the “True Shutdown Fairness Act.”
They claimed the bill would ensure all federal employees are paid.
“Our proposal doesn’t discriminate among federal employees,” Van Hollen said on the Senate floor.
However, the Democrats’ alternative also included a provision that would block President Trump from firing federal workers during the shutdown.
Republicans denounced the move as political and unrelated to troop pay.
Sen. Johnson objected when Van Hollen sought unanimous consent to fast-track his bill.
A Prolonged Shutdown
Since the shutdown began on October 1, the Senate has held 12 votes to temporarily fund and reopen the government, all of which have failed.
The ongoing standoff marks the second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, trailing only the 35-day shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019.
Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrat leadership, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for “holding the military hostage” over partisan disputes.
Meanwhile, Republicans continue to push for clean funding resolutions that keep pay flowing for troops and essential workers.
The anonymous donor’s $130 million gift, Trump said, serves as both a symbol of patriotism and a reminder of the human cost of political obstruction in Washington.
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