Experts Raise Doubts About Trump’s Dividend Payment Proposal

A bogus online post falsely claims that this month the federal government will issue “a $2,000 direct deposit payment for eligible U.S. citizens” in three phases from Nov. 10 through Nov. 30. 

There are no scheduled direct deposits, and no checks are in the mail.

President Donald Trump has only talked about using revenue collected from tariffs, or customs duties, on imported foreign goods to reduce the federal debt and make “rebate” or “dividend” payments to Americans. He reiterated his wishes on Nov. 9.

“People who are against Tariffs are FOOLS!,” Trump wrote on Truth Social that day. “We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high-income people!) will be paid to everyone.”

He made his pitch again the next day while taking press questions in the Oval Office.

“Without tariffs, we would be — this country would be in such trouble, as they were for many years,” he said. “That’s why we owe $38 trillion. And one of the things we’re going to do is issue a dividend of about $2,000 to our middle- and lower-income people. And we’re going to use the remaining tariffs to lower our debt.