Trump says $2,000 stimulus isn’t guaranteed, says no commitment has been made

Millions of Americans are waiting to know if they will really get $2,000 stimulus checks promised by President Donald Trump. Since July, the Trump administration has talked about giving $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks to low- and middle-income Americans earning under $100,000. At first, Trump suggested these checks could arrive by mid-2026.

Recently, Trump said the $2,000 checks are not guaranteed and no final promise has been made, as per NBC News interview. Trump was asked about the checks in a Feb. 4 interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas. Trump said he is “looking at it very seriously” but has not fully decided yet. Trump claimed he could fund the checks using money collected from tariffs. When asked if he could promise Americans the checks, Trump said he “may make the commitment,” but has not done so yet.

Military payments explained

Trump also said he recently gave $1,776 payments to active U.S. military members. He called those military payments the “Warrior Dividend” in a December national address. Trump linked the $1,776 military payments to tariff money in his speech, as noted by The Mirror US. However, Congress had already approved those payments as part of a housing subsidy under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.


In a New York Times interview last month, Trump appeared to forget about promising $2,000 checks. When asked about the $2,000 promise, Trump responded, “I did do that? When did I do that?” During that interview, Trump again mentioned the $1,776 military dividends instead. Trump has also announced a $12 billion aid package for farmers using tariff money. He has proposed using tariff revenue to cut income taxes and reduce the federal deficit.

Congress approval needed

When asked when the $2,000 checks could arrive, Trump said “toward the end of the year”, as cited by The Mirror US. So far, the Trump administration has not sent any official plan to Congress for approval. Trump has suggested he may not need Congress to approve the payments. Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, said Congress must approve sending the money. Hassett said the president is expected to present a proposal to Congress in the new year.

Trump has repeatedly said tariff money would pay for the checks, reduce debt, and fund defense spending. Tax experts say the $2,000 checks would cost between $279.8 billion and $606.8 billion. U.S. Customs data shows tariff collections in 2025 totaled $216.7 billion, which is lower than the estimated cost. Tax Foundation experts warned that sending $2,000 checks would increase, not reduce, the federal deficit.

FAQs

Q1. Is Trump giving $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans?

No, Trump says the $2,000 checks are not guaranteed yet and no final promise has been made.

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

Trump said it could be toward the end of the year, but there is no approved plan yet.