Funding from Tariffs
Trump wants to use revenue from his sweeping import tariffs to finance these payments. He argues that these duties have strengthened the U.S. economy, reduced reliance on foreign production, and generated “trillions” in revenue that could be returned to citizens.

White House Says It’s Serious
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s team is actively exploring how to make the payments happen. Leavitt says economic advisers are working on the plan, but they’ve not yet nailed down all the details.

Unclear Mechanism
It’s not yet defined how people would receive the dividend. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has floated the idea of tax cuts instead of direct checks, such as reducing taxes on tips, overtime, or even auto-loan interest. Bessent also mentioned an income cap (possibly around $100,000), but that threshold remains “in discussion.”