Here’s how you can make yourself eligible after Donald Trump promised to give $2,000 to almost everyone in America.
This week, the president took to Truth Social to announce that every American will receive a “dividend” thanks to the nation’s newfound wealth from his tariff policies.
He framed this payout as a result of the tariffs he has implemented, which he argues have made the US the “richest, most respected country in the world”.
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!” he wrote.
“With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion.
How to make yourself eligible
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the proposed checks may be limited to families earning under $100,000 a year.
“Well, there are a lot of options here that the president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate and those – that would be for families making less than, say, $100,000,” Bessent told Fox & Friends.
While the income cap isn’t final, he confirmed the plan is still “being discussed.”
If the White House lands on that threshold, it could make nearly 150 million Americans eligible, a massive expansion compared to previous Trump-backed stimulus programs, which capped eligibility at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples.
Erica York from the Tax Foundation estimates that using a $100,000 cap would push the total cost of the program to around $300 billion.
Checks or something else entirely?
Bessent has also downplayed expectations that the $2,000 would come as a straightforward check.
Speaking to ABC, he said the dividend “could come in lots of forms,” adding: “You know, it could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing on the president’s agenda – you know, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans.”
Bessent said these tax benefits were already helping Americans.
“What we did with the tax bill is financing the president’s no-tax-on-tips policy, overtime, Social Security relief, and the big refunds people will start seeing,” he explained.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added on Wednesday that the president remains “committed” to delivering the $2,000 payments, even though the details are still unclear.
“The president made it clear he wants to make it happen,” Leavitt told reporters.
“So his team of economic advisers are looking into it.”
How will they pay for it?
The biggest unanswered question is how the Trump administration plans to fund a program this large.
As of September 30, total US tariff revenue stood at $195 billion – well short of what’s needed to fund the promised payments.
The Treasury Department is projecting $3 trillion in tariff income over the next decade, and the administration could opt to pull from future revenue.
But that would add to an already staggering national debt, which now exceeds $38 trillion.
More tariffs are on the way as new measures include a 50% tax on imported cabinets and a potential 100% tax on branded pharmaceuticals.
Trump has defended the aggressive increases, claiming tariffs are making the US the “Richest, Most Respected Country In the World.”
