The total cost of military pay for the first half of October amounted to about $6.5 billion.
Key Facts
Trump revealed the donation Thursday and the Pentagon said Friday it accepted the money “under its general gift acceptance authority,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to multiple outlets.
Trump said the money came from “a friend of mine” who “doesn’t really want the recognition.”
It’s unclear what budgetary maneuvers the administration will use to ensure the donation is legal—donations over $10,000 must be reviewed by ethics officers to ensure “the donor does not have interests that may be affected substantially” by the gift, Politico reported, citing Department of Defense rules.
