Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has provided crucial clarification regarding former President Donald Trump's recent promise to deliver $2,000 checks to Americans from tariff revenue, indicating significant legislative obstacles ahead.
Mixed Messages on Direct Payments
During an appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" with host Maria Bartiromo, Bessent responded to direct questioning about whether the Trump administration would be "sending these direct payments of $2,000 or more" to American citizens. The treasury secretary offered a cautious response, stating that the administration "will see" about the proposed tariff dividends and emphasizing that any such checks would require legislation to materialize.
Bessent further clarified that the $2,000 refunds Trump announced would specifically target working families and would include income limitations for recipients, narrowing the scope of who might qualify for these potential payments.
Trump's Original Promise
The clarification comes after Trump made a bold announcement on his Truth Social platform on November 9, where he appeared to use the promise of direct payments to build support for his widely criticized tariff proposals. In his post, Trump declared that "a dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone."
In the same social media message, Trump aggressively criticized opponents of his sweeping tariff plans, referring to them as "fools" while making expansive claims about America's economic standing. He asserted that "We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price."
Administration Reframes Promise
Later on November 9, during an appearance on ABC's "This Week," Bessent appeared to reinterpret Trump's promise when pressed by host George Stephanopoulos about whether the former president had a concrete plan for delivering the checks.
Bessent suggested that Trump's tariff checks could materialize in "lots of ways" that might not involve direct payments. He pointed to potential tax decreases on the president's agenda as alternative forms of financial relief, specifically mentioning proposals for "no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security."
The treasury secretary's comments across multiple news programs indicate the administration is walking back the immediacy and certainty of Trump's original promise, instead framing the $2,000 figure as part of broader tax relief measures that would require congressional approval.
