Why You Shouldn't Bank on Trump's $5,000 Dividends Happening
Updated on: September 10, 2026 / 7:35 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- A $5,000 payment to every adult U.S. citizen would cost over $1.2 trillion.
- Such payments require an act of Congress, which has not been initiated.
- Legal scholars state the president does not have the constitutional authority to make these payments without congressional appropriation.
- Republican leaders in Congress have not supported the idea due to concerns about the national debt and existing spending cut pledges.
- Polling suggests Republicans may lose control of Congress, making approval by a Democratic-controlled chamber improbable.
- Previous promises of 'DOGE dividends' and tariff refunds have not resulted in universal cash payments to Americans.
- The revenue generated from tariffs is insufficient to fund the proposed $5,000 payments, with much of it being returned to companies as refunds.