Topline
The Pentagon accepted a $130 million anonymous donation from a “friend” of President Donald Trump to help pay military members during the government shutdown, a Defense Department spokesperson said Friday —though the amount will cover only a fraction of the pay owed to soldiers.
Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud Al Thani (L) stands with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a welcoming ceremony at the Pentagon on October 10, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by John McDonnell/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump revealed the donation Thursday and the Pentagon said Friday it accepted the money “under its general gift acceptance authority,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to multiple outlets.
Trump said the money came from “a friend of mine” who “doesn’t really want the recognition.”
It’s unclear what budgetary maneuvers the administration will use to ensure the donation is legal—donations over $10,000 must be reviewed by ethics officers to ensure “the donor does not have interests that may be affected substantially” by the gift, Politico reported, citing Department of Defense rules.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., questioned in a statement to CNN whether the donation is a violation of the Anti Deficiency Act, which prohibits the federal government from spending money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress.
Big Number
$6.5 billion. That’s how much military pay cost the federal government in the first half of October, according to the White House, meaning the private donation would cover one-third of one day’s pay for the military, American Enterprise Institute defense budget analyst Todd Harrison told Politico.
Chief Critic
“The Antideficiency Act is explicit that private donations cannot be used to offset a lapse in appropriations,” former Senate GOP budget aide and senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, Bill Hoagland, told CNN. “I think they could accept it, but they could not use it for that purpose because the law is very clear.”
Key Background
The federal government used research funds to pay military members in mid October, though it’s unclear how their next paycheck will be funded. Other federal workers missed their first full paychecks Friday, as the shutdown entered its fourth week and a standalone bill to pay federal workers failed to pass the Senate Thursday.
Further Reading
Military Will Receive Paychecks Despite Shutdown, Trump Says (Forbes)
Government Shutdown: Federal Employees Miss First Full Paycheck (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/10/24/trump-friend-donates-130-million-to-help-pay-military-during-shutdown/
