ISLAMABAD: Former US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he plans to give most Americans $2,000 each, funded by tariff revenues collected under his administration.
“A dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high-income people!) will be paid to everyone,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, criticizing opponents of tariffs as “fools.”
Any such payments would need authorization from Congress, which remains locked in budget negotiations following a partial government shutdown that has stretched beyond 40 days, halting funding for key federal programs and disrupting air travel and other industries.
The US Senate on Sunday took a major step toward ending the shutdown, clearing the way for a formal debate on a motion to resume funding for federal agencies.
Trump has previously floated similar ideas, referring to the proposed payment as a “dividend” or “rebate.” Last month, he said his administration was “thinking about a little rebate,” but emphasized paying down national debt as a priority.
“We have so much money coming in,” Trump said at the time. “The big thing we want to do is pay down debt.”
Earlier this year, Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill to provide $600 tariff rebates to most Americans, arguing that citizens should benefit directly from trade revenue.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has expanded tariffs on major trading partners including China, Canada and Mexico. Under his “Liberation Day” announcement in April, the United States extended higher tariffs to most foreign nations, though some were later eased.
Trump has claimed the United States is collecting “trillions of dollars” through tariffs imposed on foreign nations, though the Treasury Department reported $195 billion in tariff revenue for fiscal year 2025.
His latest proposal comes as the US Supreme Court considers challenges to his authority to impose broad tariffs without congressional approval.
