Donald Trump has proposed paying Americans a $2,000 dividend funded by tariff revenue, even as the U.S. Supreme Court reviews the legality of his trade policies.
U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed distributing a $2,000 “dividend” to most Americans, financed by revenue from tariffs on imported goods, according to Reuters reporting.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said the U.S. government is “taking in trillions of dollars” through tariffs and could soon begin reducing its $37 trillion national debt. “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” he wrote, describing the plan as a reward for America’s trade gains.
The announcement coincides with the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of the legality of tariffs imposed during Trump’s presidency. Justices recently questioned whether the tariffs functioned as revenue-raising taxes rather than emergency trade measures, a ruling against which could force the government to refund over $100 billion to importers.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the tariffs on ABC’s This Week, saying they aimed to “re-balance global trade relationships.”
Trump’s renewed plan, which lacks an implementation framework, follows his recent imposition of up to 30% tariffs on goods from countries including South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, and Ghana, signaling a tougher U.S. stance on trade.