Here's what needs to happen for the $2,000 tariff checks to become real

• "We need legislation for that," he said.

Zoom out: It's unclear who would get a check, but there is a process to make it happen.

• The checks, though, could potentially goose inflation — even as the White House insists they're bringing prices down.

The intrigue: A mid-2026 timetable means the government would be putting a check in most voters' pockets on the eve of crucial midterm elections.

• Republicans face the brunt of voter blame for high prices of late.

Here's how the checks would become real.

What the tariff checks are

Trump has floated the dividend checks for multiple weeks. He told One America News in October that the checks could potentially range from $1,000 to $2,000.

• Government-issued checks were popular for Trump during the pandemic.
• Bessent said Sunday these checks would be for working families and have an income limit.

How the tariff checks would happen

Congress would need to consider legislation to make the checks happen.

• Lawmakers would need to present a bill that would have to pass the House, Senate and, ultimately, received a signature from Trump.

Yes, but: The Supreme Court could eliminate a chunk of Trump's tariffs, with justices recently sounding skeptical of the president's authority.

What others have said about tariff checks

What they're saying: Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, also indicated that the checks would require legislation.

• "It's something that will require legislation, but if you look at how much tariff revenue has been coming in, then there would actually be enough room to cover those checks and not go into the rest of the budget," he told reporters last week.
• "We're actively studying the matter and getting the numbers straight so the president has all the choices he needs to decide what to do."

The White House said Trump has an appetite to make the checks happen and that the administration "is exploring the legal options of how we get that done."

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the American Worker Rebate Act (AWRA), which would provide financial relief to Americans, similar to the stimulus checks released during the COVID pandemic.

What economists say about a tariff stimulus check

Zoom in: The government generated $195 billion in tariff-related revenue in fiscal 2025, according to the Treasury Department.

Erica York, an economist at the Tax Foundation, said in a post on X earlier this month that if Trump were to make the dividend payments available to everyone earning $100,000 or less, the policy would affect about 150 million Americans, or roughly $300 billion in dividends.

• "The math gets worse accounting for the full budgetary impact of tariffs: a dollar of tariff revenue offsets about 24 cents of income and payroll tax revenue," she wrote.
• "Even a even a narrowly targeted rebate would use up all of the collections so far" and "would have to be deficit-financed," York told PBS News. "And that leaves no money left over to reduce the deficit or begin to pay down the debt."