US President Donald Trump has said he is considering sending Americans direct payments of $1,000 to $2,000, funded by revenue from tariffs on imported goods. Speaking in an interview with One America News on October 2, Trump described the potential payments as “almost like a dividend” to US citizens.
Trump explained that the tariff collections could be used both to reduce national debt and to provide direct support to households. “With the kind of growth we have now, the debt is very little… You grow yourself out of that debt,” he said, adding, “We’ll pay back debt, but we also might make a distribution to the people.”
The idea mirrors proposals such as Senator Josh Hawley’s American Worker Rebate Act, which also sought to channel tariff revenues directly to families. While Trump stressed that debt reduction remains a priority, he said the country’s strong growth provides flexibility to explore such direct payments.
If implemented, the plan would mark a new kind of stimulus measure, linking tariff revenues to household payouts, at a time when debates over inflation, economic growth, and fiscal responsibility remain central to US politics