India, Oct. 12 -- United States President Donald Trump said on Saturday (local time) has directed the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use "all available funds" to pay the country's military by October 15, despite the government shutdown.

He said that despite the "radical left shutdown", they have identified the funds to pay the military, adding that he will not let the democrats hold the country's troops "hostage".

The US government shutdown, which started on October 1, is currently in its second week and has triggered mass layoffs of several federal workers. Public services across the country have been crippled due to the shutdown, with the Trump administration trying to put pressure on the democrat senates to end the shutdown.

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