The War Department receives $130 million from a mysterious donor to pay troops

The Pentagon announced Friday that it had accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million to help cover military salaries During the government shutdown – An unprecedented step that raised questions about its legitimacy.

President Trump The gift was announced on ThursdayHe told his supporters that a “friend” had sent a check to make up for what he called “the Democratic Party shutdown.”

He said the donor, who was not named, “loves the army and loves the country” and does not want to be recognized.

“On October 23, 2025, the War Department accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general authority to accept gifts,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.

“The donation was made with the condition that it be used to offset the cost of service members’ salaries and benefits. We are grateful for this donor’s assistance after Democrats chose to withhold salaries from troops.”

The contribution came as millions of federal employees faced missing checks and closed offices on the 24th day of the partial government shutdown — the second-longest in U.S. history.

But experts have warned that the administration may not be able to legally disburse the funds without Congressional approval.

“The department is welcome to acknowledge this donor’s intent, but that does not change the legal constraints on Congress needing earmarked funds to pay military salaries,” said Romina Boccia, director of budget and entitlements policy at the libertarian Cato Institute. He told Fox News Digital.

Current law only allows the military to accept private gifts for limited purposes, such as funding schools, libraries or facilities, or helping soldiers injured or killed in the line of duty, Boccia said.

“The only way to get around this restriction is for Congress to decide to reclassify troop salaries as mandatory or direct spending,” she said.

Article I of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power to spend money, including the power to appropriate funds for federal salaries.

Defense officials confirmed that the department accepted the donation “under its general authority to accept gifts,” but declined to specify whether the donor was a U.S. citizen or a foreigner.

Under Pentagon ethics rules, gifts worth more than $10,000 must be screened to ensure the donor does not have interests “significantly affected” by the gift, and non-U.S. donors face additional scrutiny.

Budget analyst Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute Politico said that the scale The donation highlighted the extent of the crisis.

The cost of covering military salaries for the first half of October amounted to about $6.5 billion, according to the White House.

Based on that number, the $130 million gift would only cover about a third of a day’s wages, Harrison said.

Trump said Supporters said the donor’s check was worth $130 million It was intended to “contribute to any deficit” caused by Democrats’ refusal to pass the spending bill.

“He called us and said, ‘I would like to contribute personally because I love the military and I love the country,’” Trump said.

The White House referred inquiries about the funds to the Pentagon and the Treasury Department, both of which declined to go into detail.

The Treasury Department did not immediately comment.