WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops are paid Wednesday despite the government shutdown , a short-term fix that will not apply to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed.

Trump said in a social media post that he was acting because “our Brave Troops will miss the paychecks they are rightfully due on October 15th.”

President Donald Trump walking off stage after speaking to a gathering of top U.S. military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Quantico, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci

The Republican president's directive removes one of the pressure points that could have forced Congress into action, likely ensur

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