Mystery Trump ally donates $130M to cover troops’ paychecks amid shutdown

The Department of War received an anonymous donation of $130 million Thursday to go toward paying U.S. troops during the government shutdown — but Congress may need to get involved for it to actually get in the hands of service members due to legal limitations.

"On October 23, 2025, the Department of War accepted an anonymous donation of $130 million under its general gift acceptance authority," Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday. "The donation was made on 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 opted to withhold pay from troops."