President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his plan to provide $2,000 payments to low- and middle-income Americans, saying the funds will come from what he calls the “massive” revenue the U.S. is collecting through newly expanded tariffs. In an update posted on Truth Social, Trump said the federal government now earns significant income from tariffs placed on imports from nearly all countries. According to him, this money is enough to fund the $2,000 dividends and still leave extra revenue.
Trump added that any remaining funds—after distributing the payments—will be used to help reduce the national debt, which he estimated at $37 trillion. He emphasized that only low- and middle-income Americans would receive the payments, excluding high earners.
On Sunday, Trump again promoted the idea on social media, stating, “A dividend of at least $2,000 a person will be paid to everyone,” and repeated his argument that tariff revenue is fueling economic growth. He also defended the tariffs, calling critics “fools,” insisting that the U.S. is seeing low inflation, a strong stock market, and record-high 401(k) balances.
Trump also claimed that tariff income will help the country start paying down its debt while continuing to attract record investment, with companies opening new factories across the U.S. However, legal uncertainty remains. The Supreme Court recently questioned whether a president has constitutional authority to impose broad, country-wide tariffs. A ruling on the issue is expected by the end of the year.