In November 2025, President Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the political and economic world with a bold new pledge: a $2,000 “dividend” payment to most Americans, framed not as stimulus, not as welfare, but as a shareholder payout from the federal government. Announced on Truth Social, the proposal instantly ignited public enthusiasm — and a fierce debate among economists, lawmakers, and legal experts.
Trump’s pitch was simple and electrifying: America makes money from tariffs, so Americans should get a cut. Unlike the COVID-era stimulus checks funded by deficit spending, Trump argued that these payments would be backed entirely by tariff revenue generated from foreign imports — a move he described as turning the U.S. government into a kind of “national corporation” returning profits to its people.
But soon after the applause began, analysts started running the numbers — and the math quickly got messy.
The Funding Problem No One Can Ignore
To send $2,000 to nearly all Americans (minus high earners), federal budget experts estimate the government would need $300 billion to more than $500 billion on hand.
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