**Troops First: Trump’s Bold Move Amid Government Shutdown**

Amid a widespread government shutdown, President Donald Trump has commanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure that military personnel are paid their scheduled salaries, even as many other government employees face pay withholding or layoffs. In a message on Truth Social, Trump expressed his determination not to allow the Democrats to jeopardize military pay during the shutdown that started on October 1. He insisted that Hegseth use “all available funds” to ensure troops receive their paychecks on October 15, marking a significant moment as this would be the first time military personnel would miss pay due to the shutdown.

The political climate is tense, with both Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for the deadlock that has resulted in this chaotic pause in government operations. Because many military employees are deemed “essential,” they must work without pay, while approximately 750,000 federal employees, about 40%, have been furloughed without remuneration. While furloughed employees are typically entitled to back-pay after a shutdown, this assurance has been cast into doubt by the Trump administration.

Trump has characterized the situation as being held “hostage” by the Democrats, stating that they must relent to reopen the government, which has been shut down for nearly 12 days. The backdrop to this shutdown includes a high-stakes debate over tax credits for health insurance and funding cuts to Medicaid, leading to stark divisions in legislative priorities.

In attempting to apply pressure on Democrats, Trump’s administration has taken the unprecedented step of initiating layoffs of thousands of federal workers under the guise of reducing the federal workforce. This includes over 4,000 layoffs across several agencies, including significant cuts at the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services. Major unions representing federal workers are actively pushing back against these layoffs, citing illegal actions and the essential nature of many affected positions.

As the administration embarks on these layoffs, which they intend to expand, they are facing serious legal challenges from unions that argue these decisions are being made at the expense of services critical to local communities. The situation remains highly fluid, with more potential layoffs looming as Trump navigates the political fallout of the shutdown.