Former President Donald Trump has suggested sending stimulus payments to Americans, with amounts ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 for each person.
Unlike past stimulus checks that were paid for with government borrowing, Trump’s idea is to use money the government has collected from tariffs—taxes on goods imported from other countries.
Trump says these payments would be like “dividends” or direct distributions to the public, using the billions of dollars made from tariffs. In 2025, the Treasury Department reported over $214.9 billion collected in this way.
While Trump’s team is working to lower the national debt, he says they are seriously considering this type of direct payment to Americans. This brings back discussions from earlier in the year, when a bigger $5,000 payment was suggested but never happened.
Is This Proposal Possible?
The plan depends on whether the money collected from tariffs can be used for stimulus payments. Right now, the way these tariffs were put in place is being questioned in court.
The Supreme Court will decide if the president had the authority to set these tariffs. If the court rules against the tariffs, the money may not be available for stimulus checks.
What Did Trump Say?
In an interview with One America News, Trump explained:
“We’re going to do something, we’re studying something. Number one, we’re paying down the debt. Because people have allowed the debt to go crazy. We might as well do a distribution to the people, almost like a dividend for the people of the United States. We’re thinking maybe $1,000 to $2,000; that would be great.”
Where Would the Money Come From?
Trump’s plan is to use billions of dollars from tariffs the government collects on imports from many countries. He believes this is a practical way to help millions of Americans.
Previous Proposals
This isn’t the first time the idea of distributing stimulus checks has been proposed. Earlier in 2025, Elon Musk (who was then leading the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE) suggested sending $5,000 checks to Americans.
However, that plan did not happen, and Musk eventually left his position.
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