Washington — Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett said Sunday that President Trump’s idea to give Americans $2,000 checks funded by tariff revenue will “depend on what happens with Congress.”
“I would expect that in the new year, the president will bring forth a proposal to Congress to make that happen,” Hassett said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Since July, Mr. Trump has floated a possible rebate for some Americans based on tariff revenue. And last month, the president posted on social media that a “dividend of at least $2,000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News last month that the checks would likely go to households making less than $100,000. He said at the time it remained “in discussion.”
Hassett noted that Congress would have to approve the funds, which would likely be issued through the tax code and require lawmakers to pass new legislation authorizing the Treasury Department to send checks. But Hassett touted “a lot of positive news about the economy” since July that he suggested makes the checks more possible.
“We’ve had a couple of quarters of almost 4% growth, we’ve got a big government surplus actually running for a few months in a row, the deficit relative to last year is down by $600 billion,” Hassett said. “And so, in the summer, I wasn’t so sure that there was space for a check like that. But now I’m pretty sure that there is.”
Hassett said the funds could come from tariff revenue, while noting that “in the end, you know, we get taxes, we get tariffs, we get revenue from lots of places, and then Congress decides how to spend those money. That’s an appropriation.”
The comments come as the president has defended the tariffs as one of his administration’s signature policies, touting the approach for helping the U.S. raise new revenue and driving investment in U.S. manufacturing.
Hassett said most of the tariffs put in place this year “have proven their mettle,” pointing to high growth, reduction in the trade deficit and lower imports from China.
“So there’s a lot of success to crow about in the tariff space,” Hassett said. “But there are also things that we’re hearing, when we talk to people like trading partners and companies that trade a lot in the U.S., there are also things that maybe could be adjusted.”
Hassett said “there’s an appetite to exempt things if they’re really not meant to be made in the U.S.,” because of factors like climate. He said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is leading that effort.
The top White House economic adviser also expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will side with the administration as the justices consider whether the president has the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs under a federal emergency powers law. The administration has relied on the law to impose duties on nearly every U.S. trading partner.
“We really expect the Supreme Court is going to find with us,” Hassett said.