Need to know
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President Donald Trump was asked again about the $2,000 tariff exemption checks and when they would arrive
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“I’m looking at this very seriously. I can only do this because I’m taking hundreds of billions of dollars in tax money…” Trump told NBC News.
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Asked if Americans could “promise” to receive checks, Trump replied, “I can do that. I haven’t made a commitment yet, but I can make a commitment.”
President Donald Trump said he may promise Americans will receive $2,000 in tariff rebate checks, but he has not “committed yet.”
In an interview with NBC Nightly NewsOn Wednesday, Feb. 4, Tom Lamas asked the anchor, 46, about Trump, 79, “the idea of a $2,000 rebate check from tariff revenue for Americans,” asking, “Who’s going to get that and… when is that going to happen?”
“We’re going to make it — I — I’m going to — I’m looking at it very seriously,” Trump responded, according to an NBC News transcript. “I can do it alone because I’m taking hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs…”
“But can you promise that some Americans will get those checks?” Lama asked.
“Oh yeah, sure. I can — I can do that. I haven’t made a commitment yet, but I can make a commitment,” Trump said, before claiming he “just gave $1,776” to US military service members.
When Lamas pressed the president for clarification, Trump continued to discuss the “warrior dividend” program he announced on December 18. The money to pay for those checks came from Big Beautiful Bill, according to the White House.
“You know, it was $1,775. They presented it to me because I want to take care of our military in the budget we made. Nobody takes care of the military like I do,” Trump claimed, adding $1,775 to the amount before referring to the “best known date” when he signed the American Declaration on Independ 74 on July 764.
Francis Chung/POLITICO/Bloomberg via Getty
The president was also asked about tariffs and his statement in a January interview about sending rebate checks to Americans. The New York Times‘ White House Correspondents Katie Rogers and Tyler Pager.
“You have promised Americans a $2,000 check based on your tariff revenue. When can they expect it?” Rogers asked in an interview published Jan. 11.
The president initially asked him the same question, “Did I do that? When did I do it?”
Rogers responded, “Well, I mean, your –,” but Trump added, “Yeah, I’m thinking. Well, I did $1,776 for the military.”
Saul Lobb/AFP via Getty
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The pager followed up by asking for a timeline. “When will those Americans get those checks?”
“Okay, I’m going,” Trump replied. “The tariff money is very important. That is coming, that I will be able to do $2,000 sometimes. I want to say at the end of the year.”
Asked if he would need congressional approval, Trump replied, “No, I don’t believe we do. We have it coming from other sources.”
PEOPLE has previously reached out to the White House regarding the discounted checks.
The president promised a $2,000 tariff rebate check in a Nov. 9 Truth Social post. “Record investment, plants and factories are going up everywhere in the United States. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (except high-income people!) will be paid to everyone,” he wrote at the time.
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