Is Trump sending out $2,000 stimulus checks? What he said, what we know

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As Americans battle rising prices and the impacts of the longest government shutdown in our history, many are hopeful that the rumors and promises about stimulus checks this year will be accurate.

President Donald Trump sparked new conversations about stimulus checks over the weekend when he posted on social media that a dividend from tariffs would be sent to some Americans.

“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, Nov. 9.

“A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone,” He added.

A day later, Trump brought it up again in Oval Office comments on Nov. 10, according to USA TODAY.

“We’re going to issue a dividend to our middle income people and lower-income people of about $2,000 and we’re going to use the remaining tariffs to lower our debt, we’re going to be lowering our debt, which is a national security thing,” Trump said on Monday afternoon.

But are they actually headed our way? Here’s what Floridians need to know.

But first, what is a rebate? Stimulus check?

According to the Legal Information Institute, a rebate is a partial refund of a payment or a deduction from an amount that has already been paid. It can also refer to a government subsidy to assist with rent payments.

As for stimulus checks, they are funds sent to taxpayers by the federal government, typically aimed at stimulating the economy by providing people with additional spending money.

Is Trump issuing $2,000 stimulus checks in 2025?

Trump’s post indicated that a $2,000 dividend would be sent out at some point. However, the post included very few details, and he has yet to provide more information.

Can Trump issue stimulus checks on his own? No, here’s why

For a stimulus payment to become a reality, Congress would need to approve the proposal, which has yet to happen. With lawmakers focused on passing government funding legislation, there is no news, updates or movement on those proposals.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an ABC News interview on Sunday that he had not spoken with Trump about his proposed dividend, “The president is posting about it, but again, we have got to get the government reopened before we do this. We are not going to negotiate with the Democrats until they reopen the government. It’s very simple.”

Who would be eligible for Trump’s proposed $2,000 stimulus check?

Trump’s Truth Social post indicated the $2,000 per person checks would be sent to Americans “not including high income people!”

Trump provided no more information on what he meant by “high-income people.”

Has Trump mentioned issuing stimulus checks before?

This is not the first suggestion of offering Americans stimulus checks this year. Discussion was first sparked earlier in 2025 due to the claimed savings from the Department of Government Efficiency.

In February, Trump said he would consider the plan to pay out $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers in the form of a “DOGE dividend” during a summit in Miami. He explained it as utilizing part of the 20% of the savings identified by billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE and returning it to taxpayers.

As of November 2025, there has been no indication that DOGE will issue a stimulus check to taxpayers; nor have any stimulus checks from DOGE savings been formally approved by Congress.

What is the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025?

After Trump originally suggested stimulus checks, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley later proposed the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025. According to news reports from August, it would provide a minimum of $600 per adult and dependent child, or $2,400 for a family of four.

“Americans deserve a tax rebate after four years of Biden policies that have devastated families’ savings and livelihoods. Like President Trump proposed, my legislation would allow hard-working Americans to benefit from the wealth that Trump’s tariffs are returning to this country,” Hawley said in a press release.

The bill would allow for a larger rebate if the tariff revenue exceeds projections. See PDF of Hawley’s bill here. As of November 2025, this bill has not passed through Congress.

Is Florida giving out inflation relief checks?

While several states have sent or are sending out “inflation relief checks” to residents who paid higher sales taxes due to inflation, Florida is not among them.

How many stimulus checks have Americans recieved post-pandemic?

The first stimulus check was for up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples, plus $500 per qualifying child under the age of 17. While the second stimulus check was up to $600 per individual, $1,200 for married couples and $600 per qualifying child under 17.

The third stimulus check was for $1,400 per eligible individual, and married couples filing jointly received an additional $1,400 for each qualifying dependent.

The opportunities to claim or file for the first stimulus payment (issued in March and April 2020) or the second stimulus check (issued by Jan. 15, 2021) or the third stimulus check (issued between March and December 2021) have now passed.

The deadline to file for the third and final stimulus check was April 15, 2025, marking a three-year deadline to claim any tax refunds or, in this case, the $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit for 2021.

Contributing: Shelby Slade, Arizona Republic

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Trump reignites discussions of stimulus checks. Are we getting them?