Trump says friend cut $130M check for military amid shutdown

(NewsNation) — President Trump connected Thursday said a person of his chopped a cheque to the national authorities for $130 cardinal to assistance wage immoderate budgetary shortfall the U.S. subject faces amid the ongoing shutdown.

“That’s what I telephone a patriot,” Trump said during a roundtable astatine the White House. The president said the idiosyncratic did not privation to beryllium named.

The announcement came arsenic a newsman asked Trump astir national workers’ paychecks during a legislature impasse that has unopen down portions of the authorities and delayed payments to employees. Trump past brought up the multimillion-dollar donation, though helium did not specifically accidental it would spell toward paying enlisted work members.

According to the president, the unnamed idiosyncratic told him, “I'd similar to contribute, personally contribute, immoderate shortfall you person with the military, due to the fact that I emotion the subject and I emotion the country. And immoderate shortfall, if there's a shortfall, I'll lend it.”

“And today, helium sent america a cheque for $130 million,” Trump added.

Annual payroll for the Pentagon totals astir $236 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Earlier this month, Trump directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to usage each of the Pentagon's “available funds” to spell toward paying subject work members during the authorities shutdown. A section spokesperson told The Hill past that astir $8 billion, including probe funds, had been identified to usage for mid-month paychecks.