Trump says a very wealthy 'gentleman' offered to pay troops' wages through government shutdown

President Donald Trump said that a very wealthy person offered to pay the wages for the military troops if the government shutdown continued.

The president made the comments to reporters on Tuesday as he sat next to Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House.

'This is a position that is being forced upon us by Democrats.'

"I actually have a man who is a very wealthy person ... who called — a donor, a great gentleman. And he said, 'If there's any money necessary, shortfall for the paying of the troops, then I will pay it,’ meaning he will pay it," the president said. "How about that?"

But Trump said he refused the offer.

"I said, ‘Look, we're not going to need it. We're going to take care of our troops,'" he added. "But this was a position that's being forced upon us by Democrats."

Video of the president's statement was widely circulated on social media.

Trump said in a post on Truth Social Saturday that the administration was seeking alternate methods to pay the troops.

"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," he posted. "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."

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem posted on social media that she had secured funding to pay the U.S. Coast Guard.

"While Democrats have played politics with military pay to fight for illegal aliens, the US Coast Guard has been defending our maritime borders, stopping the flow of deadly narcotics and illegal immigration into our country, and countering America's adversaries around the world," she said in part.

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"Thanks to President Trump's leadership and the One Big Beautiful Bill," Noem added, "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."

Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget has reported that the federal government has laid off more than 4,000 employees during the shutdown.

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