Donald Trump has recently renewed his rollout of $2000 dividend checks to each American. In a post on social media early Sunday morning, he announced this new proposal. Those checks will be paid for by people who had their businesses shuttered through new tariff revenue. This further underscores Trump’s conscious choice to use trade sometimes as an alternative to economic stimulus.
This initiative estimated to cost $300 billion. Such an addition would raise the federal debt, currently over $38 trillion, even higher. If payment eligibility is determined to be $100,000 in yearly income or below, nearly 150 million Americans will benefit from this debt cancellation. For many of them, this support is life-changing.
Through September 30, the federal government has gotten $195 billion from tariff-related revenue. Therefore, Trump’s administration can use this short-term infusion of cash to pay for the forthcoming dividend payments. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, noted that the former president is very serious about seeing this plan through. She said the payments themselves could come in various forms. This indicates that there are alternative methods to organize or provide the dividends.
The proposal paints broad strokes of similarity with the two pandemic-era stimulus checks approved under the Trump administration, per Trump’s last administration. People making less than $75,000 would be able to receive those direct payments. Couples earning up to $150,000 were qualified, though higher earners were paid less.
“A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.” – Donald Trump
On trade, Trump continues to double down on the idea that tariff policies pumped up the U.S. economy. He stated, “People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER.” This sentiment helps explain President Trump’s plan to use new tariff revenue to finance economic relief.
Even with this ambitious proposal, substantive conversations about making it happen have been absent between the Trump camp and Scott Bessent, a well-known Trump advisor. Bessent noted that while there are substantial tax reductions on the president’s agenda—such as no tax on tips or overtime—there is uncertainty about how these changes might affect the dividend payouts.
