Small businesses take on Trump’s tariffs at Supreme Court
The Supreme Court will now decide whether President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff policy is legal.
Need an additional $2,000? Most of us won’t turn down extra money. Will you get a new dividend check from the federal government in Georgia? It’s complicated.
On Sunday, Nov. 9, President Donald Trump said Americans will get a $2,000 check from tariff income in a Truth Social post. He said there’s no inflation, the stock market is at a record high and 401Ks are thriving.
The most recent report from the Labor Department shows inflation is on the rise.
Stock markets have seen highs in 2025. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq set records in June. The S&P 500 has been high in November. The markets were trending upward Monday, following news that the government shutdown could be almost over.
“A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” the president shared.
Later Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on “This Week” that he hadn’t spoken with Trump about the proposal in an ABC News interview.
An important factor to consider is what’s going to happen to the tariff funds once the Supreme Court rules on whether the tariffs are constitutional. Justices heard arguments on Nov. 5 and have not yet ruled. If they determine they’re illegal, the government will likely refund those billions of dollars to U.S.-based businesses and citizens who paid them.
Earlier this year, Trump said his administration was considering a rebate but preferred to focus on the national debt.
The president also floated offering a cut of savings from the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency to taxpayers, based on a plan suggested by an investment CEO in early 2025. The cause was championed by the richest man in the world Elon Mus, who had been tasked with leading DOGE.
At the time, the organization claimed it would make massive cuts to the government, saving taxpayers trillions. Have DOGE cuts met the mark? What happened to DOGE checks?
Here’s what we know about the proposed rebates so far. Will Americans get an extra check? When?
What, exactly, did Trump say about the tariff checks?
“People that are against 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’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” he posted.
Am I getting a $2,000 tariff check? Who could qualify?
The president did not clarify what income level is considered high income.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by the University of Georgia, about 12.9% of Georgia residents live in poverty. The weighted average poverty threshold for a family of four was $26,496 in 2020.
Can the president order that money be sent to all Americans?
No. Only the U.S. Congress can approve spending like reimbursement checks.
So far, the $2,000 checks have not been proposed in official legislation.
There is, however, a similar bill already introduced in the U.S. Senate.
Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley proposed the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 in late July. If passed, it would give $600 tariff rebates to many Americans and their children, or $2,400 for a family of four, according to The Hill. The bill was referred to the finance committee, but there have been no additional updates.
Will tariff checks be paid?
Bessent told anchor George Stephanopoulos during his interview that the funds could be issued in different formats.
“You know, it could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing on the president’s agenda — you know, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans,” he said.
When could I get the money?
Congress would have to approve the spending before Americans see a dime.
There is no current timeline on when or if Congress might address the issue.
What happened to DOGE checks?
Earlier this year, Azoria investment firm CEO James Fishback pitched the concept of a DOGE reimbursement check going out to taxpayers on Musk’s social media platform X.
Fishback said they “should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’ — a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE.” He shared a four-page “DOGE dividend” proposal, saying it should only go to households that pay taxes and make above a specific income level. He said the plan was developed in about two and half hours before being sent to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other members of the Trump administration.
The proposal relied on DOGE hitting an estimated $2 trillion savings goal before checks would be considered.
At the time, Musk was leading DOGE, promising large-scale government cuts that would lead to saving tens of billions. Fact checks, however, showed vastly overstated totals and some court decisions reversed promised DOGE cuts since then.
In late February, Trump cited hundreds of billions in savings and said, “We’re considering giving 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and 20% to paying down the debt.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said at the time that he’d prefer the funds go toward paying down the national deficit.
Trump’s political action committee teased DOGE stimulus checks for followers in emails and fundraised on the issue as late as August. (Poll emails sent from the PACs usually require payment to answer.) Never Surrender Inc. is the new name of Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. In the first six months of 2025, it raised $28 million for party leadership. Emails from the group say they aren’t endorsed by any candidate or candidate’s committee, but links direct readers to donaldjtrump.com. PACs fundraising for Trump have also touted tariff refund checks.)
As of Monday, Oct. 10, the DOGE Wall of Receipts claims $214 billion in savings, or abut $1,329 per taxpayer.
To date, DOGE is still approximately $1.786 trillion short of its initial savings goal, and Congress has not addressed the issue.
Contributing: Bebe Hodges
Bonnie Bolden is a Deep South Connect reporter for USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
