Back in November, Donald Trump announced his plans for a $2,000 stimulus check to all Americans, as he revealed the extra revenue from the controversial tariffs he implemented. “A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high-income people!) will be paid to everyone,” the POTUS wrote on Truth Social.
However, his idea received massive backlash even at that time, as experts pointed out that instead of handing Americans the stimulus check, he should focus on paying down some of the massive debt the United States has been dealing with.
Meanwhile, critics blasted the whole idea as baseless. At that time, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated that giving out a $2,000 dividend check to most Americans could cost up to $600 billion in total, which is more than double the additional revenue generated by Trump’s tariffs earlier this year.
Now, Kevin Hassett, a White House advisor, has suggested what must be done if Trump wants the plan to move forward. He insisted that the plan will “depend on what happens with Congress.”
🚨 UPDATE: President Trump says he’ll give out $2,000 THOUSAND to low and middle income Americans from the tariffs – and it will make a difference.
Sounds like it might hit before the 2026 midterms. 👀
“When I pay people $2,000 each for low- and moderate-income and… pic.twitter.com/goPXZLoKzU
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 15, 2025
“I would expect that in the new year, the president will bring forth a proposal to Congress to make that happen,” Hassett said on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, as per CBS News. It is important to note that, following the POTUS’s proposal, Congress must approve the funds officially before the checks can be handed over.
The director of the National Economic Council explained that lawmakers would probably pass a new legislation that would allow the Treasury Department to send the dividend checks. Although it’s a lengthy process, Hassett feels positive about the whole idea. The White House advisor claimed that there has been “a lot of positive news about the economy,” which made him feel that the checks are not as bad an idea as many claim.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett says he expects President Trump to “bring forth a proposal to Congress” in the new year on his vow to send Americans $2,000 checks, but wasn’t clear on where the funds would come from.
“It could come from tariff revenue, but in… pic.twitter.com/BL5FmlpP8i
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 21, 2025
In November, Trump said that the $2,000 stimulus checks, which could go lower, will be coming from the tariff revenue. Hassett said that “In the end, you know, we get taxes, we get tariffs, we get revenue from lots of places, and then Congress decides how to spend that money. That’s an appropriation.”
However, there is a legal issue that could come the POTUS’s way. The Supreme Court is currently gearing up to evaluate whether his imposition of tariffs through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act was constitutional. The administration is also facing lawsuits from retailers like Costco, which demanded reimbursement for tariffs they paid if the Supreme Court is to rule against Donald Trump.
“We really expect the Supreme Court is going to find with us,” said Hassett.
