Donald Trump previously pledged to provide $2,000 dividends to nearly every American, but now he has disclosed when those payouts could be made.
The president declared on Truth Social this week that every American would get a “dividend of at least $2000” as a result of the country’s increased prosperity brought forth by his tariff measures.
The 79-year-old explained this compensation by saying that the US is now the “richest, most respected country in the world” as a result of the tariffs he put in place.
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!” he wrote. “With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER. 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.”
When Will The Cheques Go Out?
On Friday, the president affirmed that his much anticipated tariff dividend payments would not be available until 2026.
“It will be next year… The tariffs allow us to give a dividend. We’re going to do a dividend and we’re also going to be reducing debt,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, per The New York Post.
The checks, which are intended for families with incomes below a specific threshold, would be paid for by Trump’s aggressive tariff policy—a tactic that is now beset by significant legal and practical challenges.
“We will see,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during a recent Fox Business interview, when asked if the plan would happen at all. “We need legislation for that.”
A Bumpy Road Ahead
Although Trump marketed the $2,000 payouts as a “dividend” from tariff earnings, congressional approval is far from certain.
Details are still unknown, despite the president’s insistence that the payouts would only be available to working families.