Trump lauds 'great patriot' who donated funds to pay military amid shutdown

President Trump on Friday praised the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the Pentagon to pay service members that missed a paycheck Friday as the government shutdown continues into a fourth week.

"He’s a great gentleman," Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for his Asia trip. "He’s a patron."

"He’s obviously a very substantial man, and he contributed $130 million for the military in order to make up any different so he wanted to see the military get paid," he continued. "So did I. And he’s a wonderful man."

The president added that the mystery donor did not want to release his name, calling the decision "pretty unusual in the world I come from"

"In the world of politics you want your name mentioned. He doesn’t," Trump said, while noting that the donor was an American citizen and said he was "a friend."

"He’s a great patriot," he added.

The $130 million donation was made "on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members’ salaries and benefits,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told The Hill in an emailed statement Friday.

The donation comes after Senate Democrats blocked a bill in a 54-45 vote that would have paid active-duty service members and other essential federal workers. Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.) were the only Democrats who voted in favor of the measure.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), would have also guaranteed pay for air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents, park rangers, federal law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and Border Patrol agents.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the bill "another tool for Trump to hurt federal workers and American families." Johnson said Democrats mischaracterized the bill.

Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and Gary Peters (Mich.) also introduced their own expanded version of the legislation, which would guarantee pay for all federal workers — including the military, contractors and furloughed workers, as the lapse in funding continues.

Van Hollen called on the bill to be considered for a vote, but Johnson rejected it.

Aside from any legislation or Department of Defense appropriations, Trump earlier this month ordered Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to move "all available funds" to go toward paying service members. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), in response, said that move was "probably not" legal.

“I think to pay the military during a shutdown would require legislation; the Speaker of the House has taken that off the table," Himes said on Oct. 12. "So, I mean, is Donald Trump going to say a bunch of stuff? Yes, he’s going to say a bunch of stuff. But I don’t see anything moving.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also faced pressure earlier this month for not recalling lawmakers, who have been gone now for over a month, to vote on a bill to secure military pay. Johnson, however, suggested the president was handling it and argued Democrats were to blame for not voting to reopen the government.