'Don't worry': Trump pledges military will be paid 'every last penny' despite shutdown

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA: President Donald Trump hosted a ceremony celebrating the US Navy’s 250th anniversary in Norfolk, Virginia, promising America’s men and women in uniform that their pay is safe despite the government shutdown.

Speaking before sailors and top brass, Trump vowed that military members would get their due. “I want you to know that despite the current Democrat-induced shutdown, we will get our servicemembers every last penny,” he said. “Don’t worry about it, it’s all coming.”

The president also promised “across-the-board pay raises for every sailor and service member in the United States Armed Forces."

But he couldn’t resist turning his sights on the Democrats. “We have to take care of this little gnat that’s on our shoulder called the Democrats,” he quipped. “They want to give all of our money to illegal aliens that pour into the country.”

The ceremony was a show of patriotism, with first lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joining in to honor the Navy’s milestone.

Trump talks tough on crime and shutdown fallout

Trump used the anniversary as a platform to tell the assembled sailors he’ll do “whatever is necessary” to keep American streets safe.

“You know what? We send in whatever is necessary,” he said. “People don’t care. They don’t want crime in their cities.”

Still, the shadow of the shutdown loomed large. Active-duty troops continue to serve, but their paychecks are frozen until Congress finds a way to unlock the funds. Thousands of civilian Defense Department workers are sitting at home, furloughed without pay.

Meanwhile, the ripple effect is hitting military families hard. On-base child care centers, commissaries, and other family services have been scaled back, forcing families to pick up extra costs amid the shutdown.

Trump tried to reassure the rank and file, noting that during a September 30 speech at Quantico before some of the nation’s top generals, he announced his support for a 3.8% raise for every service member. “Something you weren’t getting from the past administration,” he said at the time.

Trump's camp blames the Democrats

The shutdown kicked in at 12:01 am ET on Wednesday and has now dragged into its fifth full day. It’s left hundreds of thousands of federal workers stuck in limbo.

Trump’s camp is pointing the finger squarely at Democrats. Before jetting off to Norfolk, the President fired off a Truth Social broadside accusing his rivals of trying “to destroy this wonderful celebration of the US Navy’s Birthday.”

“I believe, ‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON!’” Trump wrote.

Federal agencies seem to be echoing that talking point. The Department of Health and Human Services’ website is now running a message that reads, “Mission-critical activities of HHS will continue during the Democrat-led government shutdown.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) told CBS’s 'Face the Nation' that “the House did its job.” He pointed to a “clean” and “nonpartisan” stopgap funding bill passed last month that would’ve kept the government humming through late November.

“The reason that House Republicans are home working in their districts, and I suspect House Democrats should be as well, is because we did that,” Johnson said. “We passed a bipartisan, very clean continuing resolution a couple of weeks back now, and sent it to the Senate.”

But the upper chamber has been in gridlock. The Senate is expected back in Washington on Monday, where it’ll take another crack at two funding bills that both failed twice last week.

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