Trump Calls Tariff Critics "Fools", Promises $2,000 Dividend

Donald Trump declared on Truth Social that "people that are against tariffs are fools," claiming the United States is "the richest, most respected country in the world" with "almost no inflation" and record-high stock markets and retirement accounts.

Trump said the country is taking in "trillions of dollars" and promised to begin paying down the $37 trillion national debt. He also vowed that "a dividend of at least $2,000 a person" would be paid to Americans, excluding high-income earners, as a benefit of tariff revenues.

The post did not clarify how the payments would be distributed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said in an interview on ABC's This Week that the $2,000 dividend could take "lots of forms", pointing to tax breaks already in the administration's agenda, including no tax on tips, overtime, or Social Security income, as well as new deductions for older loans.

Any plan resembling a direct cash dividend would almost certainly require congressional approval and a formal funding mechanism. Even if pursued, it would take time to move through Congress, meaning you probably should not expect a check anytime soon.