President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a directive ordering the Department of War to keep paying U.S. troops despite the ongoing government shutdown, bypassing Congress after lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal for weeks.

The White House said the move is necessary to protect ‘military readiness’ as the budget standoff stretched into its third week. The order, issued as National Security Presidential Memorandum-8 (NSPM-8), directs the department to use available fiscal year 2026 funds to cover military pay and allowances.

‘The current appropriations lapse presents a serious and unacceptable threat to military readiness and the ability of our Armed Forces to protect and defend our Nation,’ the memo states.

Trump cited his Article II powers as commander-in-chief in issuing the order, which covers active-duty troops and reservists on service orders. The directive instructs officials to use only funds that are legally tied to military pay, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

More than one million service members were expected to miss paychecks starting this week if Congress didn’t act. Trump’s move marks a break from past administrations, which often waited for bipartisan deals instead of intervening directly.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that ‘Trump’s mid-month action was welcome news to the military community. But now that same community is anxious about what happens at the end of the month, where mortgages and rents and car payments all become due.’

‘Democrats were wrong to try to use troop pay as leverage to accomplish their political goals. And it would be wrong, it would be just as wrong, for a Republican to hope that that lack of pay would be a catalyst to get Democrats to acquiesce,’ LaLota said. ‘[Trump is] protecting the troops when Congress won’t.’

The Pentagon has not said which specific accounts will be used. Reports from Roll Call and Reuters indicate the administration has identified roughly $8 billion in unobligated defense funds as potential options.

Critics warn the move could face legal challenges under the Antideficiency Act, which bars spending money not appropriated by Congress. But White House officials argue the law permits spending that has a ‘reasonable, logical relationship’ to the purpose of the original funds: in this case, keeping troops paid.

The directive follows Trump’s Oct. 11 order to keep troop payments flowing during the shutdown. The White House’s latest move Wednesday with Congress still in gridlock could shape government shutdowns for generations to come.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

The State Department told Fox News that it is aware of reports Wednesday that two American tourists were attacked in a popular European seaside destination that local media and police said left one person dead and another wounded.

The alleged attack happened early Wednesday in Cascais, Portugal, a coastal resort town about 20 miles west of Lisbon. 

Video taken by Reuters showed blood stains on a sidewalk, where a stabbing had taken place during an attempted robbery, according to media reports.

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency takes seriously its commitment to protect U.S. citizens abroad and stands ready to provide consular assistance. 

‘One of the young men died at the scene and the other suffered injuries to his face and arms and was taken to [a] hospital,’ the Portugal Resident newspaper cited the Lisbon Metropolitan Command police force as saying.

The attack was carried out by three suspects who fled the scene in a vehicle, the newspaper added.

Further details about the incident and the identities of the victims were not immediately available. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

Fox News’ Nick Kalman contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced federal law enforcement will next set its eyes on San Francisco, commending the FBI’s more than 23,000 violent criminal arrests, which he said is more than double the number arrested in the final year of the Biden administration.

During an Oval Office news conference at the White House, Trump said the FBI has ‘destroyed or severely disrupted’ more than 170 organized criminal enterprises and gangs, 1,600 of the most violent gangs, and confiscated more than 6,000 illegal firearms since he was sworn in.

He added he wants to make every city safe, and his focus has turned to San Francisco.

‘These are great cities that could be fixed,’ the president said. ‘I’m going to be strongly recommending … [we] start looking at San Francisco. I think we can make San Francisco one of our great cities. … It’s a mess, and we have great support in San Francisco. … Every American deserves to live in a community where they’re not afraid of being mugged, murdered, robbed, raped, assaulted, or shot.’

During the news conference, FBI Director Kash Patel announced ‘Operation Summer Heat,’ which the FBI created to target violent criminals, yielded 8,700 arrests of violent offenders in three months.

More than 2,200 guns and 421 kilograms of fentanyl seized during the operation—enough fentanyl to kill 55 million Americans, according to Patel.

To date, he said the FBI has seized 1900 kilograms of fentanyl—enough lethal doses to kill 127 million Americans alone to date.

‘If you look at the past four years of the Biden administration, [there were] 16,000, 17,000, 15,000, 15,000 … arrests year over year of violent felons in this country,’ Patel said. ‘You have 28,600 arrests of violent felons in just seven months alone because of your leadership and the dedication of the men and women at the FBI who want to go out there and do the job they were prevented from doing. … This number is historic by every metric.’

Patel also highlighted the FBI’s efforts to find missing children, claiming 5,400 were located since January.

‘That is a 30% increase year to date over the last administration,’ he said. ‘Violent crimes against children arrests alone are up 10% [and] gang arrests are up 210% in the last seven months alone. … Mr. President, you said we have to go after the worst of the worst. … This is just the beginning.’

It has been a turbulent yet inspiring year for Koreans. A declaration of martial law last winter plunged the nation into uncertainty, but what followed was not chaos – it was the reaffirmation of a people’s unshakable faith in democracy. 

The ‘Revolution of Light,’ culminating in the peaceful election of a new government, reminded the world that the Republic of Korea’s constitutional order rests not on the will of any ruler, but on the collective conscience of its citizens. 

Some observers abroad have mistaken the intensity of Korea’s political transition for fragility or deviation from democratic norms. In truth, such intensity is the very pulse of democracy itself. Our debates are often fierce, our elections passionately contested, yet our institutions endure. That resilience – born of experience, sacrifice, and civic discipline – is Korea’s greatest democratic asset.

Since taking office, President Lee Jae Myung has acted swiftly to reinforce the foundations of democracy at home and to renew the Republic of Korea’s partnership with the United States. In word and deed, President Lee has recognized the vital importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance and strengthened pragmatic cooperation with President Donald Trump, and put our interlocking security and economic objectives, and shared values at the heart of his agenda. 

This approach reflects Korea’s confidence as a mature democracy and responsible global partner. President Lee views the alliance not merely as a legacy of the past, but as a living partnership, adapting to new challenges – from regional security and economic cooperation to advanced future technology.

This vision was clear at their August summit, where the two leaders spoke with candor and mutual respect, underscoring their shared determination to build what they called a ‘Future-Oriented Comprehensive Strategic Alliance.’ President Trump’s remark, ‘We’ve gotten along very well,’ captured the new tone of trust shaping this alliance. 

President Lee and the whole of the Korean government have meticulously ensured that even as we focus on restoring our democratic system, we not flail for one second in our responsibilities as friend and ally.  This makes certain commentaries – portraying Korea’s new leadership as undemocratic, illegitimate or even hostile to religion – so bewildering and saddening. Such claims, often repeated in online forums and even on opinion pages, bear little resemblance to facts and hinder our joint efforts for real solutions. 

Let’s set the record straight: The government of the Republic of Korea was democratically elected. President Lee prevailed in a fair and transparent vote recognized around the world for meeting the highest election standards. Neither Korea’s independent judiciary nor its opposition parties objected to the result. 

Since then, the principles of the rule of law have been scrupulously observed. Ongoing legal proceedings concerning the previous administration’s declaration of martial law and other alleged abuses of power are being conducted by independent prosecutors appointed by the National Assembly – not by the Presidential Office. These legal proceedings demonstrate the rule of law, not the erosion of it.

Equally unfounded are recent claims that the new government is ‘anti-Christian.’ Such narratives appear to arise from ongoing investigations into bribery allegations involving church funds, but for people familiar with Korea, the notion of prejudice is demonstrably absurd.

Christianity, along with Buddhism and other faiths, has played an integral role in Korea’s social and cultural life. Christian missionaries helped establish many of the nation’s leading educational and medical institutions, countless Christians sacrificed their lives for Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule. 

Today, a large share of Korean population identifies as Christian, with millions of both Protestants and Catholics contributing to the fabric of Korean society. These individuals, like people of all faiths, continue to play a vital role in civic life, community service and the pursuit of national unity.

President Lee himself is a man of Christian faith. He and his administration have the deepest respect for freedom of religion and expression, which our Constitution enshrines. They, like all Koreans, are unambiguously proud of the legacy of Christianity and believe freedom of religion in the Republic of Korea rivals that of any place in the world.

To portray legitimate, lawful efforts to restore democratic order as a campaign against Christianity is not only misleading, but it undermines Christian legacy and respect for religious freedoms that are central to Korea’s democratic values.

As Koreans committed to democracy, vigorous debate and even disagreement are more than welcomed. It is what the new Korean government strove so vigorously to safeguard these past four months. But mischaracterizing all that has occurred does nothing to advance mutual understanding or produce real solutions for the Koreans and Americans alike.

The Republic of Korea and the United States have sustained our alliance through eight decades of bravery and sacrifice. Today’s challenges require nothing less. Under President Lee’s government, Americans can be assured that they have a friend and partner who shares core values and is committed to the success of both of our nations. 

Look no further than their summit on Aug. 25 where the two leaders ushered in the era of a ‘Future-oriented Comprehensive Strategic Alliance’ – one that looks confidently toward a more secure, democratic and prosperous future for both nations. Korea’s story is not one of uncertainty but of conviction: that a free people, tested by history, can renew both their democracy and their alliance with courage and grace. 

At a White House ceremony in the Rose Garden on Tuesday on what would have been her husband’s 32nd birthday, Erika Kirk accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom on behalf of Charlie Kirk and delivered a powerful, deeply personal tribute to his life and legacy.

‘Thank you, Mr. President, for honoring my husband in such a profound way,’ she began. ‘Charlie always admired your commitment to freedom.’

She offered thanks to the first lady, the vice president, and friends and family ‘watching from all around the world,’ along with Turning Point USA staff and chapters nationwide. ‘You are the heartbeat of this future and of this movement,’ she said. ‘Everything Charlie built lives through you.’

Erika added that the Presidential Medal of Freedom itself is rooted in America’s Founding. ‘The very existence of the Presidential Medal of Freedom reminds us that the national interest of the United States has always been freedom,’ she said.

‘Our founders etched it into the preamble of our Constitution, and those words are not relics on parchment. They are a living covenant. The blessings of liberty are not man’s invention. They are God’s endowment.’

She recalled how Charlie wrote about freedom often. ‘He believed that liberty was both a right and a responsibility. And he used to say that freedom is the ability to do what is right without fear. And that’s how he lived,’ Erika said.

‘His name, Charles, literally means ‘free man.’ And that’s exactly who my husband was,’ she continued. ‘From the time I met him, sitting across from him being interviewed about politics, philosophy and theology, I saw the fire in his soul. There was this divine restlessness within him that came from knowing God placed him on this earth to protect something very sacred. He never stopped fighting for people to experience freedom.’

Erika recalled Charlie often saying that ‘without God, freedom becomes chaos’ and that liberty can only survive ‘when anchored to truth.’ She remembered him telling an audience: ‘The opposite of liberty isn’t law. It’s captivity. And the freest people in the world are those whose hearts belong to Christ.’

Looking back at his years building Turning Point USA, she said, ‘While he was building an organization, he was also building a movement: one that called people back to God, back to truth, and a movement that was filled with courage.’

She described him as a man who loved life’s simplest pleasures: quiet walks, shelves full of books and Saturday mornings in the sun with decaf coffee and his phone turned off for the Sabbath. His birthday tradition, she recalled, was mint chocolate chip ice cream, enjoyed only on July 4 and his birthday.

‘Last year, his one birthday wish was to see the Oregon Ducks play Ohio State — and they won,’ she said. ‘Mr. President, I can say with confidence that you have given him the best birthday gift he could ever have.’

Turning to his final moments, Erika shared: ‘It was written across his chest in those final moments on one of his simple T-shirts that always carried a message — this one bearing a single word: freedom. That was the banner over his life.’

She said her husband never told anyone what to say but always encouraged them ‘to think outside of traditional political labels, anchored in wisdom and truth.’

‘Charlie wasn’t content to simply admire freedom. He wanted to multiply it,’ Erika said. ‘He wanted young people to taste it, understand it and defend it. He wanted them to see that liberty isn’t selfish indulgence — it’s self-governance under God.’

Every day, she recalled, he lived with fearless conviction. ‘He didn’t fear being slandered. He didn’t fear losing friends. He stood for truth and stood for freedom. Everything else was just noise to him. And it’s because his confidence in Christ was absolute.’

Erika said Charlie lived ‘only 31 short years on this side of heaven,’ but filled every day with purpose. ‘He fought for truth when it was unpopular. He stood for God when it was costly. He prayed for his enemies. He loved people when it was inconvenient. He ran his race with endurance, and he kept the faith. And now he wears the crown of a righteous martyr.’

She told the audience, ‘Heaven gained what earth could no longer contain — a free man made fully free. To all watching, this is not a ceremony. This is a commissioning. I want you to be the embodiment of this medal. I want you to free yourself from fear. I want you to stand courageously in the truth. And remember that while freedom is inherited in this country, each of us must be intentional stewards of it.’

Before closing, Erika shared her daughter Gigi’s birthday message: ‘Happy birthday, daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream. And I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you.’

‘I know that you’re celebrating in heaven today, but gosh, I miss you,’ she said through tears. ‘We miss you and we love you. And we promise we’ll make you proud. Charlie’s life was proof that freedom is not a theory. It’s a testimony. He showed us that liberty begins not in the halls of power, but in the heart of a man surrendered to God.’

She ended with a final tribute: ‘To live free is the greatest gift, but to die free is the greatest victory. Happy birthday, Charlie. Happy freedom day.’

A long weekend away from Washington, D.C., did little to soften Senate Democrats’ resolve as they again blocked an effort to reopen the government for an eighth time Tuesday.

The beginning of mass firings promised by the Trump administration and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought over the weekend also failed to sway Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

One pressure point was alleviated for both sides, however, with President Donald Trump’s directive to move money around at the Pentagon to pay military service members. Their paychecks are due Oct. 15.

Still, another payday, this time for Senate staffers, is fast approaching on Oct. 20.

Both sides are still dug into the same positions that launched the shutdown earlier this month, too. Talks between the opposing factions are still ongoing but have not yet yielded a result that either side is ready to move on.  

Senate Democrats want an extension to expiring Obamacare subsidies before the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, and they argue that unless Congress takes action, Americans that rely on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits will see their premiums skyrocket.

However, Trump appears unwilling to cave into Senate Democrats’ demands, and reupped Republicans’ argument that Democrats wanted to undo a total of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts from the ‘big, beautiful bill’ and clawback of funding for NPR and PBS to give, in part, to illegal immigrants. 

‘I don’t want to bore you with the fact that Schumer said 100 times, ‘You should never close our government,’’ Trump told reporters at the White House. ‘But Schumer is a weakened politician. I mean, he’s going to finish his career as a failed politician, as a failed politician. He’s allowed the radical left to take over the Democrat Party.’

Senate Republicans have said that they’re open to negotiating a deal on the subsidies, with reforms to the program only after the government reopens. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for now, has no intention of straying from his plan to continue to bring the House Republicans’ short-term continuing resolution (CR) to the floor again and again.

‘Democrats like to whine that Republicans aren’t negotiating, but negotiation, Mr. President, is what you do when each side has a list of demands and you need to meet in the middle,’ Thune said on the Senate floor. ‘Republicans, as I and a lot of other people pointed out, haven’t put forward any demands. Only Democrats have made demands. And by the way, very expensive demands.’ 

Schumer noted on the Senate floor that every time Thune has put the GOP’s bill on the floor, it has failed. 

‘That means, like it or not, the Republican leader needs to work with Democrats in a bipartisan way to reopen the government, just as we did when we passed 13 CRs when I was majority leader,’ he said. 

The administration’s movement on reductions in force (RIFs) over the weekend, and the lingering threat that thousands of nonessential furloughed federal employees may not get back pay once the shutdown ends have not swayed Senate Democrats.

The same trio of Senate Democratic caucus members, Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Angus King, I-Maine, all broke ranks with Schumer support reopening the government.

‘Donald Trump, come to the negotiating table,’ Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said at a rally outside the OMB on Tuesday. ‘Bring down costs and prices and stop inflicting harm and terrorizing federal employees and the American people.’

While most action on Capitol Hill has ground to a halt as the shutdown continues — the House, for example, has been out of session for over three weeks — the Senate has moved on other legislation, including the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and a massive package of Trump’s nominees. Thune also teased last week that the defense spending bill could come to the floor soon.

The latest failed attempt comes on the 14th day of the shutdown and all but ensures that the closure will last into at least a third week.

It also puts this shutdown, in particular, into historic territory. While the longest shutdown on record, from late 2018 to early 2019, was under Trump’s first term, it was only partial. A handful of appropriations bills had already passed at the time, including funding for the legislative branch and defense.

But the longest full shutdown happened over two decades earlier under former President Bill Clinton between late 1995 and early 1996. That shutdown lasted 21 days and was over a budget dispute between Clinton and then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

That particular dispute also led to two shutdowns in that fiscal year, the first in November and the second setting the 21-day record.