U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he has ordered Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to “use all available funds” to ensure that American troops are paid on time amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to pay our troops,” Trump wrote, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the military as the shutdown enters its second week.

The U.S. government officially shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a new spending bill — the first such shutdown in nearly seven years. Without new appropriations, hundreds of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed, and military personnel faced uncertainty over receiving their October 15 paychecks, Xinhua news agency reported.

Trump, who has blamed Democrats for obstructing funding negotiations, said he remains open to talks to end the deadlock. Earlier this week, another Senate vote failed to break the impasse between Republicans and Democrats over healthcare provisions and spending priorities.

Republicans have accused Democrats of seeking “healthcare subsidies for illegal immigrants,” while Democrats insist they are pushing to reverse healthcare cuts for American citizens enacted in the administration’s earlier “Big Beautiful Bill.”

The shutdown has already forced around two-thirds of National Park Service employees to stay home, disrupting major tourist attractions like Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Parks. The Smithsonian museums and National Zoo in Washington stayed open until October 11 using reserve funds.

This marks the first U.S. government shutdown since 2018–2019, which also occurred during Trump’s presidency and lasted 35 days — the longest in American history.