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$2,000 stimulus checks: Did Trump forget about the tariff dividend payout? Here's what he said
Trump appears to forget his promise of $2000 checks to Americans as a"tariff dividend". During a recent interview, he questioned when he made that promise.
President Donald Trump appeared to forget his own promise to send many Americans a $2000 tariff dividend check funded by tariff revenues.
Last week, reporters Tyler Pager and Katie Rogers released an extensive interview with the president. Rogers is heard in the clip that was uploaded on X, asking, “ You promised $2,000 checks to Americans based on your tariff revenues. When can…”
Trump responded to Roger's question with a question of his own, saying, “I did do that? When did I do that?”
Read more: Will Americans get $2000 ‘tariff dividend’ in 2026? Latest update
What was promised and what is happening now?
Trump first announced his vision for a $2000 tariff-funded dividend in late 2025. He touted the tariff revenue as a way to share the “wealth” generated by his sweeping tariff policies with everyday Americans and potentially help pay down the national debt.
Top economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, “I would expect in the new year the president will bring forth a proposal to Congress to make the $2,000 checks a reality."
Hasset said that the money "could come from tariff revenue. But in the end, we get taxes, we get tariffs, we get revenue from lots of places, and then Congress decides how to spend those monies, that’s in appropriation. This would have to be money that’s an appropriation.”
Read more: Is Trump giving Americans $2000 this month? What the tariff check plan means
Trump promised a date again
Trump defends himself by bringing up the “war dividend” checks to the military personnel. He said, “Well, I did $1,776 for the military.”
He claimed that the money for the military came from these funds, which were derived from the reciprocal tariff.
However, Thomas Novelly, a senior reporter, cited that the money actually came from “Congressionally-allocated reconciliation funds intended to subsidise housing allowances for service members.”
He then goes on to say, “Well, I am going to, the tariff money is so substantial that’s coming in, that I’ll be able to do $2,000 sometime, I would say toward the end of the year.”
