Will $2,000 Trump has promised to almost everyone in America arrive before end of 2025? President has set a date with days left of year
He added: “We’ve taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money. We’re going to be issuing dividends later on… of thousands of dollars for individuals of moderate income, middle income.”
Also, Trump emphasized that the plan would help reduce the growing national debt, stating that part of the tariff revenue would go toward paying down the $37 trillion debt while the remainder would be distributed as dividends.
What Is a Tariff Dividend Payment?
Unlike a standard stimulus payment, a proposed tariff dividend would be financed using revenue generated from tariffs, not from the federal government’s general funds.
Economists, however, have questioned whether the idea is practical. Erica York, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, pointed out on X that if eligibility were capped at $100,000 in income, about 150 million adults would qualify, pushing the cost close to $300 billion—while newly imposed tariffs have brought in only about $120 billion so far.
By September 30, 2025, total tariff revenue had reached $195 billion, still well below what would be needed to fund such payments.
Some officials argue that projected future tariffs—estimated to generate $3 trillion over the next decade—could eventually be used to cover the cost of the checks.
