Overview
- In a New York Times interview, President Trump first asked “When did I do that?” about the promise before saying the checks could arrive toward the end of the year.
- The White House has not submitted a formal proposal to Congress, and NEC Director Kevin Hassett says any payouts would require an appropriation.
- Trump suggested Congress may not be needed, but officials and process experts say new authority would be required before any checks could be issued.
- A pending Supreme Court ruling on the president’s IEEPA tariffs could halt the duties and trigger refunds to importers such as Costco, jeopardizing the plan’s funding.
- Analysts estimate $2,000 payments could cost roughly $280 billion to more than $600 billion, while reported tariff receipts total about $195 billion to $216 billion, creating a significant shortfall; officials have floated targeting working families under about $100,000 with no finalized rules.