The Pentagon confirmed that an anonymous donor provided $130 million to the Department of Defense to cover military salaries during the government shutdown. US President Trump said a friend provided the money to cover a potential deficit. At a White House event, he said, “I call him a patriot,” but he did not disclose the donor’s name.
Last week, the US government notified Congress that it had reallocated $6.5 billion in funds to cover military salaries and social benefits. The Latest News has learned that with a new payday next week, it’s unclear whether the government will redirect funds again.
US Department of Defense Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell said, “We are deeply grateful for the support of this donor following the Democrats’ decision to withhold pay for soldiers.”
According to a report by Global Times on the 25th, compiled from US media outlets including the Associated Press and The New York Times, two sources familiar with the matter revealed that billionaire Timothy Mellon was the anonymous Pentagon donor.
According to reports, Trump again refused to identify Mellon while aboard Air Force One on the 24th, referring only to him as a “great American citizen” and “a man of great importance.” “He doesn’t want to be famous,” Trump said en route to Malaysia. “He prefers his name not to be mentioned, which is unusual in the world I live in. In the political circle, people generally prefer their names to be mentioned.”
The White House declined to comment on the revelations. Repeated attempts to contact Mellon and his representatives were unsuccessful. It’s unclear how the donation will cover the payroll of over 1.3 million active-duty military personnel. Proportionally, the $130 million donation equates to about $100 per service member.
According to the report, Mellon, a banking heir and railroad magnate, is a longtime Trump supporter who has donated tens of millions of dollars to groups supporting his campaign. Last year, he donated $50 million to a pro-Trump Super PAC, one of the largest single political donations disclosed to date.
The US federal government has been shut down for over three weeks due to a budget impasse, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal employees without paychecks. The US government will only reopen if Democrats and Republicans in Congress reach an agreement on a transition budget, but there are currently no signs that either side will pass it.
In reality, quite the opposite: the Trump administration has recently increased pressure. On the 17th, approximately $11 billion in infrastructure funding for Democratic-governed cities and states was frozen. The government also plans large-scale layoffs of federal employees.
The US budget impasse also puts nearly 11,000 civilian employees at US military bases in Germany at risk of delayed payroll. A German Finance Ministry spokesperson stated that if necessary, the German government will make advance payments and repay them once US funds become available.
