"The 1.3 million men and women of America's Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Space Force, who serve honorably and put their lives on the line to defend us all are not being paid," Leavitt said in a briefing.
The federal government shut down Wednesday amid partisan deadlock in Congress over spending.
As hundreds of thousands of federal workers and military service members were furloughed without pay and an array of services cut off, Republican and Democratic lawmakers and White House officials (whose salaries are safe) have launched a meme war online, demanding that the other side back down.
President Trump has threatened to use the shutdown to slash federal departments.