Former President Donald Trump has outlined a sweeping economic proposal on Truth Social, calling for a nationwide dividend funded through tariffs on foreign imports. In his post, Trump promised that Americans would receive “a dividend of at least $2,000 per person,” with high-income earners excluded from the payout. The announcement immediately sparked widespread attention and debate, as it ties a direct payment to individuals with an aggressive trade policy approach that Trump has long championed. Supporters see the idea as a way to return government revenue directly to citizens, while critics question whether such a plan is financially and legally realistic.
According to Trump, the strategy behind the proposal is simple: impose higher tariffs on imported goods, collect the resulting revenue, and redistribute a portion of that money back to the public. He argued that tariffs strengthen the domestic economy by encouraging companies to invest and manufacture within the United States. In his statement, Trump insisted that opposition to tariffs is misguided, claiming the country is now “the richest, most respected” in the world, with low inflation and record-high stock market levels. He portrayed tariffs not as a burden on consumers, but as a tool to drive growth and reinforce economic independence.