Speculation had been bubbling for days, but on Sunday morning former President Donald Trump blew the lid off the rumor mill with a surprise announcement that instantly dominated headlines. In a fiery Truth Social post, he unveiled a sweeping idea: a $2,000 “tariff dividend” for every American, funded by revenue collected from tariffs imposed on countries around the world. The promise was bold, dramatic, and perfectly timed to grab national attention.
Trump pitched the proposal as a direct boost for everyday Americans — “not the rich ones,” he stressed. He argued that the tariffs under his administration had already generated massive revenue, strengthened retirement accounts, and fueled economic growth without driving up inflation. His message was unmistakably defiant: tariffs were winning, and anyone who doubted it was, he said, a “FOOL.”
But the political context made the announcement even more striking. Just days earlier, the Supreme Court had raised serious questions about whether Trump’s use of emergency powers to enact wide-ranging tariffs was legally sound. A coalition of states and trade groups claimed the administration had stretched national-security law far beyond its intended scope. If the Court rules against him next summer, the government could be forced to refund billions to importers — an awkward backdrop for launching a brand-new payout promise.
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