$2,000 Rebate Checks on the Horizon? Trump Taps Tariff Revenue for Direct Payments
President Donald Trump signaled he is considering sending Americans $2,000 rebate checks funded by revenue collected through tariffs during an interview with NBC News correspondent Tom Llamas aired ahead of the Super Bowl. The potential program would be tied to his trade agenda, according to Trump.
In the interview, Trump stated he is “looking at it very seriously,” arguing that tariffs are generating “hundreds of billions of dollars” for the United States. He added: “We’d make it — I’m looking at it very seriously. I’m the only one who can do it because I’m taking in hundreds of billions of dollars of money from tariffs.”
When pressed on whether Americans should expect the payments, Trump acknowledged some checks could be issued but stopped short of committing to a formal rollout. “Oh yeah, sure. I can do that,” he said. “I haven’t made the commitment yet, but I may make the commitment.”
Trump compared the potential payments to recent military bonus-style checks, referencing a $1,776 payment linked to his budget priorities. The proposal follows Trump’s ongoing defense of tariff policies, which he claims have strengthened the U.S. economy and forced foreign nations to contribute more to American growth. He described tariffs as “making our country rich” and stated they are bringing in “tremendous amounts of money.”
“The one thing that they don’t say anymore is affordability, because I fixed the problem that they created,” Trump said during the interview.
