President Trump plans to pay federal immigration agents, FBI special agents, U.S. Border Patrol officers,
and active-duty military personnel during the government shutdown.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of civilian federal workers are furloughed or are working without pay.
"Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University,
said more than any other modern president,
Trump is using a shutdown
to prioritize pay to a subset of workers to advance his agenda [emphasis added].
His attempt to fire workers during a shutdown was also a first, he said."
"'It's like a really fine-tuned partisan response to the shutdown that's different than in previous years,'
said Zelizer."
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-shutdown-pay-plan-prioritizes-security-personnel-over-civilian-workers-2025-10-23/
Comments
I recall reading the USA TODAY article referenced below in 2016.
"At least 60 lawsuits, along with hundreds of liens, judgments, and other government filings
reviewed by the USA TODAY NETWORK, document people who have accused Trump
and his businesses of failing to pay them for their work.
Among them: a dishwasher in Florida. A glass company in New Jersey. A carpet company.
A plumber. Painters. Forty-eight waiters. Dozens of bartenders and other hourly workers
at his resorts and clubs, coast to coast. Real estate brokers who sold his properties.
And, ironically, several law firms that once represented him in these suits and others."
"Trump’s companies have also been cited for 24 violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act
since 2005 for failing to pay overtime or minimum wage, according to U.S. Department of Labor data.
That includes 21 citations against the defunct Trump Plaza in Atlantic City
and three against the also out-of-business Trump Mortgage LLC in New York.
Both cases were resolved by the companies agreeing to pay back wages."
"The actions in total paint a portrait of Trump’s sprawling organization frequently failing to pay small businesses and individuals, then sometimes tying them up in court and other negotiations for years.
In some cases, the Trump teams financially overpower and outlast much smaller opponents,
draining their resources. Some just give up the fight, or settle for less;
some have ended up in bankruptcy or out of business altogether."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/09/donald-trump-unpaid-bills-republican-president-laswuits/85297274/