President Donald Trump definitely wants to use tariff revenue to send $2,000 checks to Americans, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.
Trump has floated the possibility of issuing a $2,000 "dividend" to every American funded by the revenue from his sweeping tariff program.
During the White House press briefing, Leavitt was asked whether the checks were a real possibility, considering Trump earlier this year suggested doing something similar with money saved by the Department of Government Efficiency.
DOGE checks to taxpayers never materialized.
"The White House is committed to making that happen and exploring legal options to get that done," Leavitt said of the tariff dividend checks.
"I can confirm the president made it clear he wants to make it happen. His team of economic advisers are looking into it."
"When we have an update, we'll provide one," she said.
Trump on Monday took to his social media platform to explain revenue derived from tariffs can help enrich taxpayers and pay down the national debt.
"The president's put out a statement clarifying he wants to do both things with the tariff revenue that he's bringing into this country," Leavitt told reporters during the briefing.
"Trillions are expected to pour in, and part of the reason that the Supreme Court case is so vital for our country's future is to restore our manufacturing industry in this country, to protect our national security, to continue to allow the president to use tariffs as leverage to negotiate economic deals that are good for national security."
"That revenue can then be used for various reasons to pay down debt and also, perhaps, to give these rebate checks back to Americans, which again, the White House is exploring legal options of how we can get that done," she added.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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