Trump says private donor gave $130 million to cover military pay during shutdown

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Trump says private donor gave $130 million to cover military pay during shutdown

By Gram Slattery and Jarrett Renshaw
Thu, October 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM EDT·1 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a wealthy private donor has provided $130 million to the U.S. government to cover potential shortfalls in military salaries caused by the ongoing government shutdown.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump praised the wealthy donor as a patriot and a “friend of mine," but declined to name him.

“He called us the other day and said, 'I'd like to contribute any shortfall you have because of the Democrat shutdown… because I love the military and I love the country,'” Trump said.

The administration faces mounting pressure to ensure active-duty service members receive their paychecks despite the budget impasse. Trump previously signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to repurpose unused research funds to cover salaries.

-snip-

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-says-private-donor-gave-215523828.html

[sop]

1. I call bullshit.

[chicoescuela]

3. Of course it is.

[Karch]

9. Liars Gonna Lie

[Easterncedar]

2. Money laundering or plain bribery?

Or just bull?

[sinkingfeeling]

4. If $130 million can cover military salaries for even a month, then why is it costing taxpayers $800 billion a year?

[sop]

5. All those expensive weapons systems and costly overruns by defense contractors.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Average salary for one soldier is $78,000. So $130 million would pay for less than 2000.

[dpibel]

10. It's more like 6 hours

Annual payroll for the active military is about $200 billion.

That's about $548 million a day.

So $130 million isn't really going to make much of a difference.

[lark]

7. Putin paying krasnov for allowing the continued destruction of Ukraine??

[crud]

8. So, let's just privatize the military

who ever pays the most gets to control it...let's just see how that works out. Have them do a flyover at your daughter's wedding. Destroy your competitors factory. What fun.