For months, President Donald Trump has floated the idea of sending Americans a $2,000 check funded from the United States’ tariff revenue.
Trump first floated the idea of a dividend check in July, releasing a few more details to the public in early November. The President told reporters on Nov. 17 in the Oval Office that “individuals of moderate income” could expect dividends “probably in the middle of next year,” according to USA TODAY reporting.
However, Tennesseans shouldn’t expect to see any money hit their accounts on New Year’s Day 2026 or anytime in the near future. In fact, there’s no guarantee that Trump’s checks will be mailed at all.
Here’s why.
What is Trump’s tariff dividend check plan?
Trump proposed that middle-class Americans could get a cut of the country’s tariff revenue. While the proposal sounds nice, there are only vague details available as to who would see the money, if issued at all.
On Nov. 16, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that the administration would “need legislation for that” when asked about the checks, adding that the checks “could go out.”
Who would get Trump’s tariff dividend checks?
The money would go to “low and middle income” U.S. citizens, according to a Nov. 10 Truth Social post.
When are we getting the tariff dividend checks?
No release date for a $2,000 check has been announced yet.
In November, Trump said that the checks could come in “the middle of next year.”
Trump advisor expects president to bring $2,000 check proposal to congress in 2026
On Dec. 21, Director of the White House National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, revealed on CBS News’ “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that Congress would need to sign off on the checks, not just Trump.
“The deficit relative to last year is down by $600 billion and so, in the summer, I wasn’t so sure that there was space for a check like that. But now I’m pretty sure that there is, and so, I would expect that in the new year, the president will bring forth a proposal to Congress to make that happen,” Hassett said.
Why does Trump want to issue tariff checks?
Trump has been talking about a dividend rebate since July, saying revenue from tariffs, which he began instituting in March and April, could lead to “a little rebate, but the big thing we want to do is pay down debt.”
The president has repeatedly referenced the potential checks regularly since then. Trump likely wishes to issue the checks because U.S. residents have helped pay for the tariffs.
According to USA TODAY, Trump told reporters on Nov. 14 that tariffs “may in some cases,” raise prices, after signing an executive order exempting certain agriculture products — including bananas, coffee and beef — from reciprocal tariffs he imposed on April 2.
Are tariff dividends checks the same as 1776 warrior dividends?
No, the checks are not the same.
The 1776 warrior dividend, announced by Trump on Dec. 17, was a housing stipend sent to all active and reserve U.S. Servicemembers in December 2025. Trump framed the checks as a sort of Christmas bonus.
The money to fund the Christmas bonus checks for servicemembers is from Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which was signed into law in July, according to the Department of War, formerly known as the Department of Defense. Congress appropriated the additional funds to supplement the housing allowance.
That money has already been sent out to troops, according to Trump.
On the other hand, the tariff dividends are just an idea so far. There has been no congressional action, which would likely need to be written and authorized legislation to make a tariff check happen, according to the Tax Foundation.
Who is eligible to get Trump’s warrior dividend check?
The funds will be sent to 1.28 million active-duty and 174,000 reserve component military members, according to the Department of War.
Why is the warrior dividend check $1,776?
The check’s amount may seem arbitrary, but it’s not. The reason each check is $1,776 is an ode to the year the United States became an independent nation and the “250 years the U.S. military has been defending the nation,” according to the Department of War.
Tennessee Connect reporter Diana Leyva contributed to this report.
Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Will Trump’s $2,000 dividend checks still happen in 2026? The latest