What sounded like free money was always built on shaky ground. Tariffs have generated less than a fraction of what’s needed to fund broad $2,000 payouts, and much of that revenue is already locked in legal disputes. A skeptical Supreme Court could not only gut Trump’s authority to unilaterally impose these tariffs, but also force the government to return funds instead of redistributing them to households.
Even if the legal hurdles vanished, Congress would still have to define who qualifies, how payments are delivered, and whether they arrive as checks, tax credits, or another mechanism entirely. Trump’s vow to “do something else” if blocked offers no details, only more uncertainty. For many Americans, the episode feels painfully familiar: a dramatic promise shouted from the podium, followed by fine print, court fights, and yet another reminder that political theater doesn’t pay the rent.