Americans may have to wait until after the election to learn how the White House would pay for the $5,000 checks Donald Trump promised to every adult if Republicans win the House and Senate in November.
Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said the administration is waiting until the 'other side of the election' to bring forward a proposal and start that conversation with Congress.
'We’re bringing in trillions of dollars in tariff revenues,' Vought said. He also pointed to 'astronomical savings' from the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill' and said those savings could help with deficit reduction.
Trump has pointed to tariff revenue as a way to fund the proposed dividend. But it remains unclear whether tariffs alone can fully cover the roughly $1.2 trillion plan. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he assumes Congress would have to approve the checks.
Johnson said Trump was telling voters that 'if you want more money in your pocket, you have to keep Republicans in charge.'
Why it matters: This is a test of whether tariff revenue can carry a major new federal commitment without widening the deficit. It also puts Congress back at the center of a promise built around taxpayer money.
The bottom line: The pitch is politically simple. The math is not. If the White House wants to turn a campaign promise into law, it will need a funding plan that survives more than applause.