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Kelsey Vlamis
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- Trump said a friend of his gave a $130 million gift to the Pentagon.
- Trump said the person wanted to cover military costs during the government shutdown.
- The Pentagon confirmed the donation and said it would be use for servicemembers' salaries and benefits.
President Donald Trump said an anonymous person donated $130 million to the Pentagon to account for funding shortfalls during the government shutdown.
Trump made the comments on Thursday, saying a friend of his reached out and said he wanted to contribute because he loves the military. The president said the check was received that day, and he would not name the friend, adding that the person did not want the recognition.
"That's what I call a patriot," Trump said.
The Pentagon confirmed the donation in a statement to Business Insider on Friday, saying the Department of War received an anonymous $130 million donation under its "general gift acceptance authority."
"The donation was made on the condition that it be used to offset the cost of Service members' salaries and benefits," Sean Parnell, chief spokesman for the Pentagon, said.
The federal government shut down on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. Military members started receiving paychecks in mid-October after Trump approved the use of leftover funds from the current fiscal year.
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