Trump pledges to provide Americans dividends funded by tariffs by the middle of 2026.

 

On Monday, President Donald Trump declared that as early as next year, Americans could get payment checks made possible by tariff proceeds. He stated that by the middle of 2026, "hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money" will be disbursed.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, "We've taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money." We will likely start paying dividends by the middle of the next year, however it might happen a little later.

What is being suggested?

The dividend idea follows Trump’s earlier announcement that he would use tariff revenue to send $2,000 payments to low- and middle-income Americans. Any remaining funds after payments would go toward paying down the national debt. He made those remarks last week.

Tariff revenues have increased, though; in fiscal year 2025, the United States collected over $215.2 billion in duty revenue. In relation to total federal revenue, those sums are still modest. For example, in fiscal 2025, individual income taxes generated about $2.6 trillion.