Donald Trump Promises Christmas Cash Gift To Millions Of Americans To ‘Fix Biden’s Mess’

President Donald Trump announced a plan to send one-time payments of $1,776 to over 1.4 million active-duty service members before Christmas. He described this as a “warrior dividend,” framing it as a patriotic nod to the nation’s founding year of 1776.

In a televised White House address, Trump stated the checks were already being processed for delivery. He suggested the program would be funded by revenue generated from his administration’s tariffs on imported goods.

The proposal immediately raised logistical and legal questions. Reports noted the unclear budgetary authority for such payments and the ongoing legal challenges surrounding the president’s tariff powers.

Trump has long promoted the idea of using tariff revenue to fund direct payments to Americans. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously discussed the feasibility of similar “tariff dividend” rebates, acknowledging procedural constraints.

The announcement comes amid public economic concerns and attempts by Trump to defend his trade policies. He presented the military payment as a tangible benefit stemming from those policies.

The scale of the plan implies a multi-billion-dollar cost, covering approximately 1.45 million personnel. Details on eligibility and the exact disbursement mechanism through military payroll systems remain unspecified.

A central unresolved issue is whether the administration can legally earmark tariff revenue for this purpose without congressional approval. Despite these questions, Trump portrayed the decision as final, emphasizing the imminent arrival of the checks as a holiday reward for the military.