The Pentagon decided to cut its funding to Stars and Stripes in Feb., expecting it to end this month. Going against the administration's order, Donald Trump vowed to continue funding the independent military newspaper, assuring that the US government will not withhold funds under his watch.

Taking to his Twitter account on Friday, the president tweeted that the U.S. will not be cutting funding to the famed military newspaper. The tweet comes as Trump faces backlash over a report in The Atlantic that said he degraded military members.

The Defense Department, which informed Stars and Stripes earlier this year about its plan to cut funding, told the outlet's publisher in a memo earlier this month that it has decided to discontinue the publication of the newspaper. First reported by USA Today, the memo instructed the newspaper publisher Max Lederer to give the Defence Department a plan that dissolves the organization by Jan. next year.

Furthermore, the memo ordered Stars and Stripes to stop publishing by Sept. 30, 2020, when the fiscal year comes to an end. A spokesperson for the Defence Department acknowledged Trump's tweet while responding to CNN's request for comment. The newspaper was introduced during the Civil War by Union soldiers, and the Congress funds it partially.

The House included funding for Stars and Stripes in its 2021 budget, but the Senate is yet to release its appropriations bill for 2021. If Congress decides to continue funding the newspaper in the 2021 fiscal year, the newspaper will not cease publishing.

Congress is still wrestling over a 2021 budget so the Defence Department has come forward and ordered Stars and Stripes to shutter. Following these closure instructions to the newspaper, Sen. Lindsey Graham defended the publication. In his Aug. 26 letter to Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, Graham noted that it would be too early to shutter the outlet before giving the Senate a chance to voice its support.

Graham urged Esper to not take actions that would shutter the publication until Congress completes the appropriations process. Pointing at the history and the importance of the newspaper to the members of the Armed Forces, civilian employees, and their families, Graham said the request is more than reasonable.

A spokesperson for Graham said that Esper has not responded to his letter yet. Lederer said the future of Stars and Stripes is very uncertain, adding that he is prepared for both outcomes.