President Donald Trump announced Sunday that each American would receive at least $2,000 from U.S. tariff revenues — a move aimed at bolstering support for his controversial trade policies. The payments, Trump noted on Truth Social, would apply to all but “high-income people.”
“A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” Trump wrote, framing the plan as a direct benefit of his sweeping tariffs. In the same post, he labeled critics of his tariff approach as “fools,” asserting that his policies have strengthened the U.S. economy and elevated the country’s global standing.
“We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price,” Trump wrote. He added that Americans’ 401(k) accounts are at record highs and claimed the federal government is “taking in trillions of dollars” from tariffs, funds he suggested could help pay down the nation’s $37 trillion debt. Trump also touted what he described as “record investment in the USA,” citing increased construction of plants and factories across the country.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from HuffPost regarding Trump’s dividend plan.
Trump’s announcement follows a Nov. 5 Supreme Court hearing, during which justices from both political leanings questioned the legality of the president imposing tariffs without congressional approval. No decision has yet been issued. Trump has relied on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify higher tariffs — a move unprecedented among modern presidents. Critics note that two lower courts and most judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit previously ruled that the president lacks authority to implement tariffs in this manner.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to temper expectations for Trump’s promised dividend during an interview Sunday on ABC’s This Week. Pressed by host George Stephanopoulos about whether a concrete plan exists, Bessent suggested that the $2,000 figure could take a variety of forms, rather than a direct cash payment.
“The $2,000 dividend could come in lots of forms, in lots of ways, George,” Bessent said. “You know, it could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing on the president’s agenda. You know, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security.”
He added, “Deductibility of auto loans. So, you know, those are substantial deductions that, you know, are being financed in the tax bill.”
The proposal, still lacking a formal framework, underscores the ongoing debate over Trump’s tariff strategy and its potential impact on the U.S. economy.
