(The Hill) -- The anonymous donor who gave the Defense Department $130 million to partially cover the salaries of military personnel amid the government shutdown was identified as billionaire Timothy Mellon, The New York Times reported.

Mellon, an 83-year-old resident of Saratoga, Wyoming, has donated frequently to President Donald Trump and Republican groups in recent years.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump, while not naming Mellon, called the anonymous donor a “friend” who “doesn’t really want the recognition.”

“That’s what I call a patriot,” the president said.

Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has publicly acknowledged The Times's report identifying Mellon as the anonymous donor. The Hill requested comment on the report from the Pentagon, but was r

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