Timothy Mellon, a reclusive billionaire and major Trump backer, has been identified by the New York Times as the anonymous donor who gave $130 million to the Pentagon to pay troops during the shutdown. Trump praised the unnamed donor as a “patriot.” The Pentagon accepted the gift to offset service members’ salaries and benefits, though the donation may violate the Antideficiency Act. It’s unclear how long the money will last; the administration’s 2025 request includes about $600 billion for military compensation, and $130 million equals roughly $100 per service member, the Times reported.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.