Over the past weekend, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that “most Americans” would receive a “dividend” of at least $2,000 per person. According to him, this payment would be funded by tariff revenue collected this year. He promised to distribute $2,000 stimulus checks to most U.S. citizens, although it is still unclear exactly who is included in the term “most Americans.”

Trump directly linked the feasibility of this proposal to tariff revenue generated through his trade policies. In his words: “People that are against tariffs are FOOLS! We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our enormous debt — $37 trillion. Record investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high-income people!) will be paid to everyone.”

However, the administration has not announced any concrete plan on how this dividend would work in practice. There has been no clarification on income thresholds, a timeline for implementation, or specific qualification criteria. This initiative would also require approval from Congress and could face significant legal and political hurdles.

Despite this lack of clarity, the White House stated that Trump remains “committed” to the $2,000 payment proposal, according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. However, she did not provide a timeline and declined to share further details about eligibility requirements, leaving many key questions unanswered.

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Who Would Qualify?

According to current information:

• Trump stated that a dividend of at least $2,000 would be paid to “everyone,” except for high-income individuals, but he did not define what “high income” means.

• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that families earning less than around $100,000 per year could qualify, but noted that this figure is still under discussion.

• There has been no official confirmation on whether children would receive separate payments.

• Past stimulus programs during the pandemic may offer some guidance. At that time, individuals earning under $75,000 and married couples under $150,000 received full payments, while higher earners received reduced amounts. However, this new proposal does not mention a tiered system and only refers to excluding “high-income” households.

Bessent also suggested that the benefits might come “in many forms,” not just direct cash payments. These could include tax cuts on tips, overtime pay, or Social Security benefits.

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How Would This Plan Be Funded? Major Challenges Remain

Funding from Tariffs

Trump intends to use revenue generated by tariffs — taxes on imported goods — to fund the payments. His argument is that higher tariffs will encourage domestic manufacturing, reduce reliance on foreign goods, and generate enough revenue to both support the economy and distribute dividends to citizens.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the federal government had collected approximately $195 billion in tariff-related revenue by around September of this year.

Key Concerns

• The cost of the program could be extremely high. Some estimates suggest that distributing $2,000 to most American adults could cost over $300 billion, far exceeding current tariff revenue.

• Economists warn that tariffs raise the prices of imported goods, which leads to higher costs for consumers. Issuing stimulus payments on top of that could increase inflationary pressure.

• Many lawmakers, including some within the Republican Party, are skeptical or opposed. They argue that tariff revenue should be used to reduce national debt, not to introduce new large-scale spending programs.

• The plan does not yet have a clear legal framework and would require congressional approval, making its future uncertain.

Timeline

Trump has suggested that these payments could be distributed around mid-2026, although no specific date or schedule has been confirmed.

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Key Takeaways

• Proposal: A $2,000 payment for most Americans, excluding high-income earners, funded by tariff revenue.

• Eligibility: Still unclear. Possible income limit around $100,000 per year, but not finalized. No clarity on children’s eligibility.

• Funding reality: Current tariff revenue (~$195 billion) is likely insufficient to fund nationwide $2,000 payments.

• Main obstacles: Risk of inflation, funding gap, legal and political challenges.

• Potential timeline: Around mid-2026 — unconfirmed.