President Donald Trump said Thursday he is weighing a plan to send Americans rebate checks of up to $2,000, funded by tariff revenues collected under his trade policies. The idea, which he described as a type of dividend for the public, would rely on federal funds generated through tariffs imposed on foreign imports.
Trump said the rebate, ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 per person, could serve as both economic relief and a return of revenue to taxpayers.
He emphasized that while reducing the national debt remains a priority, a portion of the money collected could also be distributed directly to Americans. The proposal, however, would require approval from Congress to move forward.
In an interview with One America News Network, Trump said the tariffs have only recently begun to show their full impact.
He predicted that annual tariff revenue could eventually exceed $1 trillion. The president argued that the current national debt, which stands at $37 trillion, is manageable because of the record sums the government is now taking in through tariffs.
Tariff revenue grows as Trump touts financial impact
So far this year, the federal government has collected about $214.9 billion in tariff revenue, according to Treasury Department data cited by Fox Business.
September alone brought in $31.3 billion, though that figure was slightly below the record set in August. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has projected that total tariff revenue will surpass $300 billion by the end of the year.
Trump has floated the idea of a so-called tariff dividend before, but his renewed focus on the plan comes as legal challenges to his tariff authority reach the nation’s highest court.
In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that most of Trump’s tariffs were not supported by the emergency powers law, echoing earlier decisions from two lower courts that found many of the trade levies unlawful.
Supreme Court to decide fate of tariff policy
Despite the rulings, the appeals court allowed the tariffs to remain in effect while the administration appeals to the Supreme Court. The justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments in the first week of November.
In a filing to the court, Bessent warned that if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs, the federal government could be required to return between $750 billion and $1 trillion in collected and expected revenue.
The legal outcome could significantly impact both Trump’s tariff agenda and the proposed public rebate plan, as the court weighs the scope of presidential authority over trade policy.
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