A wealthy US supporter of Donald Trump has donated $130m to the Pentagon to help pay salaries and benefits for tens of thousands of troops who are facing delayed or unpaid wages during a prolonged government shutdown.
The gift, which is estimated at £100m, was accepted by the Department of Defense on condition that it be used solely to offset the cost of service members' salaries and benefits, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
President Trump confirmed the donation, saying he was "a big supporter" of the donor and praised them as a "great gentleman", a "patron", a "patriot", and a "wonderful man". The White House has declined to identify the donor but sources suggest that it could be Timothy Mellon, a billionaire and major financial backer of Trump.
Critics have questioned the ethics of accepting an anonymous donation from someone whose ties to the administration are unclear. US defense officials had been struggling to pay service members on time as lawmakers failed to agree on a funding deal, leading to some troops facing their first missed payday during the shutdown.
The gift brings in around $100 per servicemember, according to estimates, which could help alleviate shortfalls in paying troops' salaries and benefits.
The gift, which is estimated at £100m, was accepted by the Department of Defense on condition that it be used solely to offset the cost of service members' salaries and benefits, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.
President Trump confirmed the donation, saying he was "a big supporter" of the donor and praised them as a "great gentleman", a "patron", a "patriot", and a "wonderful man". The White House has declined to identify the donor but sources suggest that it could be Timothy Mellon, a billionaire and major financial backer of Trump.
Critics have questioned the ethics of accepting an anonymous donation from someone whose ties to the administration are unclear. US defense officials had been struggling to pay service members on time as lawmakers failed to agree on a funding deal, leading to some troops facing their first missed payday during the shutdown.
The gift brings in around $100 per servicemember, according to estimates, which could help alleviate shortfalls in paying troops' salaries and benefits.
... no, wait, I think it's super suspicious that a billionaire with unknown ties to the admin is just handing over cash willy-nilly 
... but on the other hand, these poor soldiers are struggling to get paid and need all the help they can get 
. Maybe we should be thanking this mystery donor for stepping up? 
But then again, isn't it weird that nobody knows who this person is or what their motives might be 
... ugh, I'm just so confused 
. Can we just appreciate the cash and move on? 
. I mean, I get that it's a big help for the Pentagon, but shouldn't we know who's footing the bill? It feels like there's some shady stuff going on here 
. And what if it's not Timothy Mellon after all? Do we just assume he is because of his connection to Trump? 
. Can we get some transparency here or are we just supposed to roll over and accept this donation without questioning it?
That's so awesome that this person is stepping up to support our amazing military personnel! I mean, it's crazy to think about how many people were affected by the shutdown and now we've got someone who's willing to make a real difference. 
Let's give it up for them, right?
.
If Congress can't agree on funding, how is one person able to just step in and pay for everyone else? It feels like there should be some other solution that doesn't involve having someone outside the system make things right.
It's like they're trying to buy off the whole problem and pretend everything is fine when really it's not 
. I mean, come on, dude, you can't just take someone's money without knowing who they are or what their motives are. That's like, basic transparency or whatever 
. And now the Pentagon is getting this huge donation and it's all good because it's going to help pay for service members' salaries? Like, yeah sure but at what cost? Are we just going to turn a blind eye to how this whole thing went down? I don't think so 
. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S GOTTA BE A BIT CONVENIENT FOR THE WHITE HOUSE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO REVEAL WHO THIS GUY IS 
. On one hand, I get why people are skeptical - we don't know who this guy is or what his motives are. But on the other hand, maybe he just wants to help out and doesn't need all that attention 
. And let's be real, we all know how important it is to keep our military happy and healthy 
. So kudos to whoever made this generous donation! Now if only more people would do something like this... 
this is crazy! I mean, who donates that kinda cash to the Pentagon? Like, for real though, it's a big deal that someone's stepping up like this to help out our troops 
. And yeah, the conditions around the donation are pretty clear-cut, so at least there's transparency on that front. Still, gotta wonder what other strings might be attached...