Could you get a $2,000 stimulus check? Trump proposal would cover only 58% of Americans

The U.S.President Donald Trump has talked about giving Americans a $2,000 stimulus-style payment using money collected from tariffs, but it would not go to everyone. Trump said the money would likely go only to people earning under $100,000 a year, which means higher earners would not qualify.

Speaking from the Oval Office last year, Trump said, "We've taken in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariff money. We're going to be issuing dividends...probably the middle of next year, a little bit later than that, of thousands of dollars for individuals of moderate income, middle income," as reported by The Mirror US. So far, there are no official rules or full details about who exactly qualifies for the tariff rebate.

Who can get the $2,000 check

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the checks would be meant "for working families" earning "less than, say, $100,000," he told Fox News. Trump has said the payment could come in 2026, after previously revealing when Americans might get the $2,000 check. If the income limit is fixed at $100,000 per year, anyone earning above that amount would be completely excluded from getting the payment.


In a Truth Social post on Nov. 9, Trump wrote, "A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people! ) will be paid to everyone". The very next day, Trump posted again on Truth Social saying, "All money left over from the $2000 payments made to low and middle income USA Citizens, from the massive Tariff Income pouring into our Country from foreign countries, which will be substantial, will be used to SUBSTANTIALLY PAY DOWN NATIONAL DEBT", as stated by The Mirror US.

How many Americans qualify

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that in 2025, about 42% of U.S. households earned over $100,000, meaning they would not qualify for the check, according to IBISWorld data. This means only about 58% of U.S. households would likely be eligible for the $2,000 payment under the current proposal. If eligibility is based on individuals instead of households, around 18% of U.S. adults would fall into the high-income group and be ineligible.

Since 2020, the number of U.S. households earning over $100,000 has gone up by 1.9 percentage points, and experts expect this number to keep rising. In 2024, the median family household income was $108,600, which is already above the proposed cutoff, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The overall median income for all U.S. households in 2024 was $83,730, showing that many families fall close to the eligibility line.

Cost and debt concerns

Before any $2,000 checks can be sent, Congress would need to pass new stimulus legislation. Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, said he expects stimulus legislation to be introduced early this year, according to The Mirror US. Tax experts at the Tax Foundation warned that giving these checks only to people earning under $100,000 could increase U.S. debt instead of reducing it.

The Tax Foundation estimates the checks would cost about $279.8 billion if paid only to tax filers and their spouses. The cost would rise even more if dependents and people who do not file taxes are included. As of September last year, Trump’s new tariffs had brought in around $117 billion, which is far less than what would be needed to pay for the rebates.

Tax Foundation experts said, "Under nearly any design option, sending out $2,000 payments to Americans would increase, not decrease, the federal budget deficit," as noted The Mirror US. The experts also added, "A better way to provide relief from the burden of tariffs would be to eliminate the tariffs".

FAQs

Q1. Who will get Trump’s $2,000 stimulus check?

Only low- and middle-income Americans earning under $100,000 a year may qualify, if the plan is approved.

Q2. When could the $2,000 stimulus check be sent?

The payment could come in 2026, but only after Congress passes a new law.