The Pentagon has confirmed that a mystery donor’s $130 million (£100 million) gift has been used to pay US troops, as the government shutdown passed the October 31st payday without a funding deal in sight.
The donation, believed to be from a wealthy Trump supporter, allowed the military to meet payroll for its 1.3 million active-duty service members, averting what would have been the first missed payday in modern US history.
President Donald Trump praised the unnamed benefactor, calling him “a great gentleman” and “a patriot” who “didn’t want publicity.”
“He put up $130 million to make sure our troops got paid,” Trump said at the White House. “He’s a wonderful man and a big supporter of mine.”
The White House has refused to identify the donor, but multiple reports suggest it was Timothy Mellon, a billionaire heir and long-time Trump backer. Mellon, who inherited part of a $15 billion fortune, has previously donated tens of millions to pro-Trump political groups.
Shutdown Hits Day 26, And Counting
The federal government has now been partially closed for nearly four weeks, with no budget deal reached between Congress and the Trump administration.
Last week, the Pentagon shifted $8 billion from research funds to cover salaries, but those funds ran dry by month’s end, leaving the military dependent on the extraordinary private donation to keep troops paid through early November.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admitted the situation was “untenable.”
“By mid-November, the money will run out again,” he warned. “It’s an embarrassment that our troops, who are willing to risk their lives, are relying on donations to get paid.”
Critics Sound Alarm Over ‘Private Funding’ of Military Pay
The unprecedented donation has raised serious ethical and national security concerns, with critics warning that accepting anonymous funds to pay the military could create dangerous precedents.
Senator Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate’s defence appropriations subcommittee, said:
“Using anonymous donations to fund our military raises troubling questions. Are our troops at risk of being bought and paid for by private interests, or even foreign powers?”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the gift was reviewed under the Department’s “general gift acceptance authority” and earmarked solely for service members’ pay and benefits.
Under Defence Department regulations, donations exceeding $10,000 must be vetted by ethics officials to ensure no conflicts of interest. Contributions from foreign citizens require additional scrutiny.
A Patriot or a Precedent?
While Trump lauded the move as “patriotism in action,” defence analysts warn it could blur the line between government funding and private influence.
Traditionally, the Pentagon only accepts donations for specific projects, such as schools, memorials, or hospitals, not to fund the basic operation of the armed forces.
With the shutdown showing no signs of ending and hundreds of thousands of federal workers still furloughed or unpaid, the fact that the world’s most powerful military is now relying on private money to cover wages has become a defining image of America’s political paralysis.
“It’s a historic moment, and not in a good way,” one retired general told reporters. “The United States military shouldn’t be passing the hat to pay its troops.”
