US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump’s idea to give Americans a tariff “dividend” of about $2,000 may come through the tax cuts approved in his signature economic policy bill earlier this year.
Bessent’s statement on ABC’s This Week was in response to Trump’s Sunday social media post, where he called out people who criticize the tariffs, claiming that “everyone will be paid a dividend of at least $2,000 per person (except high earners!).
Bessent mentioned that he has not discussed the proposal with Trump, but “the $2,000 dividend could come in many forms and many ways. It could just be the tax cuts that we see on the president’s agenda — no tip tax, no overtime tax, no Social Security tax — deductibility on auto loans.”
What is Trump’s tariff dividend?
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “People who oppose tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the richest, most respected country in the world, with almost no inflation and a record stock market price. 401k is the highest EVER.”
While promising dividends to Americans, he added: “We are taking in trillions of dollars and will soon start paying off our HUGE DEBT, $37 trillion. Record investment in the US, factories and factories are growing everywhere. A dividend of at least $2,000 per person (excluding high earners!) will be paid to everyone.”
Supreme Court Doubts About Tariffs
The US president repeatedly defended his tariff policy after the Supreme Court’s arguments on November 5. Several justices appeared skeptical, suggesting that many of the tariffs could be overturned, potentially requiring refunds of more than $100 billion, Bloomberg reported.
The justices raised questions about whether the emergency law gives Trump “nearly unlimited power” to set and adjust import tariffs.
Trump warned that if the court ruled against him, it would be a “disaster” for the US.
The case involves Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs, which impose taxes ranging from 10% to 50% on most U.S. imports, depending on the country of origin. They argue that these tariffs are justified to address the nation’s long-term trade deficit.
At issue in the administration’s justification for the tariffs is whether the proceeds from them function as de facto taxes, which Chief Justice John Roberts said “have always been the principal power of Congress,” the report said.
Elaborating on Trump’s statement that the U.S. is taking in trillions of dollars through tariffs, Bessent said, “We could take in trillions of dollars over the next few years. But the real goal of tariffs is to rebalance trade and make it fairer.”
