President Donald Trump has surprised the public with a bold proposal to pay at least USD 2,000 to most Americans as a form of “dividend” from his controversial tariff policy.
The announcement was made on November 9 via the Truth Social platform, just a day after he also proposed direct payments to citizens to purchase health insurance instead of relying on Obamacare subsidies.
“Those who oppose tariffs are fools! We are now the wealthiest, most respected nation in the world, with virtually no inflation and record stock markets,” Trump declared. “Every American (except the high-income group!) will receive a dividend of at least USD 2,000 from this policy.”
When asked about the proposal, a White House spokesperson confirmed by email on the evening of November 9 that the Trump administration is committed to ‘using tariff revenues effectively for the benefit of the American people,’ but provided no further details about how the plan would be implemented.
Experts say such payments would require Congressional approval — a major obstacle to the proposal. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared to downplay expectations for direct payments during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” the same day.
“I haven’t discussed this issue with the President, but the USD 2,000 ‘dividend’ could take many forms,” Bessent clarified. “It might simply be part of the President’s tax-cut agenda — exempting tips from taxes, eliminating income tax on overtime pay, removing taxes on Social Security benefits, or introducing new deductions for car loans.”
Legal Challenges
The proposal comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court expressed doubts about President Trump’s authority to impose reciprocal tariffs under emergency powers. Trump pushed back, warning that repealing the tariffs would be a “disaster” for America.
This is not the first time President Trump has floated the idea of using tariff revenue for direct payments. In October, he suggested issuing checks worth USD 1,000 to USD 2,000, and as early as August, he mentioned a USD 600 tax rebate check.
Although the tariffs have generated tens of billions of dollars, Trump’s trade policy remains deeply controversial among economists. While the President has consistently emphasized that most of the revenue would go toward reducing the national debt, his new “dividend” idea suggests a significant portion could be distributed directly to citizens.
Despite enthusiastic support from voters, the proposal faces strong opposition from economists, who argue that tariffs are essentially an indirect tax on consumers, and any so-called “dividend” merely returns a fraction of the costs Americans have already borne through higher prices on imported goods.
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