U.S. President Donald Trump, in a recent interview, issued a stark warning about potential federal worker firings and project cancellations if the ongoing government shutdown continues. Adding a surprising twist, he also suggested that American citizens might receive rebate checks funded by new tariff revenues.
Laying blame squarely on congressional Democrats, Mr. Trump declared to the OAN television network, “There could be firings, and that’s their fault.” He further emphasized his intent to “permanently cut” projects he believes “should have never been approved in the first place,” asserting his authority to do so.
The federal government had initiated a partial shutdown earlier in the week after Congress failed to reach a consensus on a crucial funding deal, leaving only vital services operational.
During the same interview, Mr. Trump estimated that new tariffs could eventually generate up to $1 trillion annually. He posited that these substantial funds could be used to help reduce the nation’s ever-growing debt, which he projected could reach $38 trillion.
Notably, this tariff revenue estimate significantly exceeds the $500 billion annual figure suggested by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last month. Official U.S. Treasury data currently places the federal government’s debt at $37.64 trillion.
Beyond debt reduction, the Republican President indicated his administration was actively exploring the idea of distributing tariff revenues directly to Americans. “We also might make a distribution to the people, almost like a dividend to the people of America,” Mr. Trump revealed to OAN, hinting at potential checks ranging from “$1,000 to $2,000.”