Trump Guarantees U.S. Troops Will Receive Pay Despite ‘Schumer Shutdown’ !
President Donald Trump has ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to use “all available funds” to pay U.S. troops on Oct. 15, despite the ongoing government shutdown that has threatened military paychecks for 1.3 million active duty service members.
The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill. Democrats in the Senate have repeatedly blocked efforts to reopen the government, leading to the first situation in American history where active-duty troops could miss a paycheck.
Trump said he would not allow that to happen.
“Chuck Schumer recently said, ‘Every day gets better’ during their Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE!” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “If nothing is done, because of ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”
“That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th,” the president continued. “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”
I will not allow the Democrats to hold our Military, and the entire Security of our Nation, HOSTAGE, with their dangerous Government Shutdown,” Trump added. “The Radical Left Democrats should OPEN THE GOVERNMENT, and then we can work together to address Healthcare, and many other things that they want to destroy.”
Trump’s announcement comes as the shutdown reaches its second week, with hundreds of thousands of federal workers already receiving partial pay and service members warned that their October 15 paychecks were at risk.
The administration has been reviewing options to ensure military pay continues without congressional approval. A senior White House official told reporters Thursday that Trump is “exploring every legal avenue” to guarantee service members are paid on time.
Republicans have blamed Democrats for refusing to pass a clean funding bill to reopen the government. Democrats have argued that Republicans must agree to extend certain Affordable Care Act tax credits that were set to expire before the COVID pandemic.
Rep. Jenn Kiggans, R-Va., a former Navy helicopter pilot, praised Trump’s directive and called on lawmakers to reopen the government immediately.
“I thank President Trump for standing up for our men and women in uniform,” Kiggans said. “They should never be used as political pawns. Congress must act to end this shutdown now and fully fund the military.”
The Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader and New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader and New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have continued to vote to keep the government closed.
“Democrats have now voted EIGHT TIMES to BLOCK pay for our troops and federal workers. Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats think every day of this shutdown “gets better” for them — even as it hurts hardworking Americans. Once again, Democrats are putting AMERICANS LAST,” Speaker of the House and Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson said.
Trump’s decision marks the latest in a series of unilateral steps to blunt the effects of the Democrat-led shutdown, which has drawn sharp criticism from the White House toward Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his caucus.
Democrats Face Setback After Mamdani’s Victory in New York City !
Democrats jubilant over Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral’s race on Tuesday got a reality check from a newly released survey on Friday.
There are still numerous contenders vying for influence within the Democratic Party.
A Politico poll conducted by Public First in the final weeks of the election revealed no clear agreement among 2024 Kamala Harris voters. When asked an open-ended question — Who do you consider to be the leader of the Democratic Party? — respondents offered a wide range of answers, underscoring the absence of a single dominant figure:
“Ugh, no one.” – 26-year-old white woman in Arizona who voted for Harris
“Not sure who it is now, that is kind of the problem.” – 50-year-old white woman in California who voted for Harris
“I do not believe there is a leader right now.” – 49-year-old white man in Maryland who voted for Harris
The most common response was “I don’t know,” or a similar variation, accounting for more than one-fifth (21%) of answers. Another 11% of respondents said “nobody,” highlighting the widespread uncertainty.
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Harris, the former vice president, ranked highest on the list — and was the only figure to reach double digits — but just 16% of those who voted for her in 2024 identified her as the party’s leader. That relatively modest share comes despite her status as the most recent Democratic presidential nominee, her ongoing book tour, and her standing as a potential 2028 contender.
Other top responses included a range of party veterans, from congressional leaders to former presidents. Of those, only Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — cited by 6% of her 2024 supporters — are widely seen as serious prospects for the 2028 race.
“This is where we are, guys,” noted Lauren Harper Pope, a Democratic strategist and co-founder of WelcomePAC, which supports center-left candidates, per Politico.
The party is divided “factionally and ideologically,” she said, adding: “I couldn’t tell you who the leader of the Democratic Party is, either, and I work in Democratic politics.”
On Tuesday, a fractured Democratic Party that had spent the past year reeling from its 2024 defeats found a renewed sense of optimism. Democrats scored sweeping victories in a series of statewide and local races across very blue regions, delivering a morale boost one year after Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the GOP’s consolidation of power in Washington.
In two closely watched gubernatorial contests, moderates Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey won decisive victories. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting strategy appeared to pay off, while down-ballot races in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia showed notable Democratic gains.
Meanwhile, in New York City, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the mayor’s race by a wide margin — a result that set off alarm bells for Republicans in the nation’s capital.
“It felt like we’re getting our footing back, in terms of politics,” Lanae Erickson, vice president at the centrist-leaning Democratic think tank Third Way, told Politico.
However, Erickson added, those wins did not produce a leader for the Democratic Party. “That has not yet translated to people seeing clearly who they think is pointing the direction of the party,” he said.
The contrast between the two major parties could not be more striking. Among Republicans, there is no confusion about who leads the party: 81% of Trump’s 2024 voters identified him as the current GOP leader. Only 6% said they were unsure, and just 2% responded “nobody.”
The next most frequently mentioned figures were Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Vice President JD Vance, who were named by 3% and 2% of respondents, respectively, Politico reported.
