Trump’s Troop Pay Directive
Trump’s Troop Pay Directive: Executive Authority, Legal Maneuvering, and the Politics of Shutdown Survival In the midst of a federal government shutdown that began on October 1, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a directive to War Secretary Pete Hegseth, instructing him to redirect available funds to ensure that the October 15 paychecks for approximately 1.3 million active-duty troops are issued on time. This move, amounting to a roughly $4 billion infusion, draws from multi-year Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds to cover Military Personnel (MILPERS) accounts, bypassing the freeze on new spending imposed by the lack of a fiscal year…