Overview
- In a Truth Social post, President Trump promised at least $2,000 per person excluding high‑income individuals and labeled opponents of tariffs as “fools.”
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he has not discussed the payout with the president and indicated any “dividend” could take the form of tax relief such as untaxed tips, overtime, or interest deductions.
- Independent estimates put the cost of broad $2,000 payments at roughly $300 billion to as high as $513 billion, compared with about $195 billion in tariff receipts reported for the first three quarters and far lower net revenues after offsets.
- Reporting notes a direct-payment scheme would likely require congressional approval, adding a significant procedural hurdle to any rollout.
- The Supreme Court is reviewing the president’s authority to impose the expansive tariffs after adverse lower-court rulings, and Trump warned it would be “catastrophic” if the policy is struck down.