Overview
- President Donald Trump proposed paying at least $2,000 per person from tariff revenue, excluding high-income households, in a Truth Social post.
- Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is committed and advisers are exploring ways to execute the idea, offering no specifics or timeline.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said no decision has been made and the benefit could take non-cash forms such as tax changes, suggesting a possible cutoff near $100,000.
- Analysts estimate the payouts would cost roughly $300–$600 billion, far above the roughly $195–$220 billion collected so far and more than projected annual tariff receipts.
- A Supreme Court challenge to Trump’s tariff authority could require refunds of tariff collections, and betting markets currently assign low odds to checks arriving this year.