President Donald Trump hailed the U.S. Navy during an event commemorating the Navy's 250th anniversary Oct. 5 at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, saying that America's enemies "tremble at the sight of a Navy ship" and that military members will receive a pay raise.
The celebration to "mark 250 years of MARITIME DOMINANCE in the United States of America!" as Trump described it in a Truth Social post, took place amid a government shutdown as military personnel work without pay and thousands of federal employees are furloughed.
At the event, Trump blamed the Democrats for the shutdown and promised "across-the-board" pay raises for service members.
"Despite the current Democrat-induced shutdown, we will get our service members every last penny,” he said. "Don’t worry about it. It’s all coming. It’s coming. And even more because I’m supporting the across-the-board pay raises for every sailor and service member of the United States Armed Forces."
Days before the event, Trump called out Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries by name as people responsible for the impasse and for putting a damper on the celebrations.
