President Donald Trump said this weekend that his administration could send Americans direct cash payments for health care and $2,000 dividends funded by tariff revenue — proposals that Treasury and White House officials later described as early-stage brainstorming rather than formal policy.
In a series of Truth Social posts, Trump wrote that he had recommended Senate Republicans redirect “hundreds of billions of dollars currently being sent to money-sucking insurance companies” under the Affordable Care Act directly to the American people “so that they can purchase their own, much better, healthcare.”
He also urged Republicans to expand health savings accounts, which allow Americans to save pretax income for medical expenses.
Trump’s Truth Social Post (Sunday)
“People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS! We are now the Richest, Most Respected Country In the World, With Almost No Inflation, and A Record Stock Market Price. 401k’s are Highest EVER. We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion. Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
— President Donald Trump, Truth Social, Nov. 9, 2025
Officials Temper Expectations
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Trump’s health-care idea was not a developed plan.
“We don’t have a formal proposal,” Bessent told ABC’s This Week. “We’re not proposing it to the Senate right now … We’ve got to get the government reopened before we do this.”
The federal government remained shut down for the 40th day as Democrats and Republicans stayed deadlocked over health-care and spending provisions.
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National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett likewise described the president’s posts as “brainstorming.”
“He’s trying to help the Senate come up with a deal that can get the government open,” Hassett told CBS’s Face the Nation. “Everybody believes that people should have health care, and so why not take the people who have higher premiums and just mail them a check and let them decide.”
Tariff Dividend Discussion
Asked about the tariff dividend, Bessent said he had not yet spoken with the president about specifics but suggested it “could come in lots of forms,” including tax breaks already under discussion.
“It could be just the tax decreases that we are seeing on the president’s agenda: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, deductibility of auto loans,” he said. “So those are substantial deductions that are being financed in the tax bill.”
The idea of rebate checks funded by tariff revenue has surfaced before. In July, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to provide $600 checks to adults and children using tariff proceeds, though the Senate has not taken up the bill.
Political Context
Trump’s weekend remarks came as both parties continued to clash over the protracted government shutdown.
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An NBC News poll found more Americans blamed Republicans for the stalemate, though other surveys show a narrower divide. A Quinnipiac University poll found voters nearly split — 45% holding Republicans in Congress responsible and 39% blaming Democrats — while an AP-NORC poll showed majorities in both parties sharing responsibility for the impasse.
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