‘Just getting started’: Trump speech on DOGE, budget and border
President Donald Trump outlined his vision for the next four years in remarks delivered before a joint session of Congress.
Curious about the potential $5,000 dividend check from DOGE? Here’s the latest on the stimulus status and eligibility criteria.
In a recent address, President Donald Trump expressed his openness to the concept of $5,000 stimulus checks for taxpayers, referred to as a ‘DOGE dividend’. This plan involves allocating 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) back to the American public.
The ‘DOGE dividend’ proposal was initially suggested by James Fishback, CEO of the Azoria investment firm, on Musk’s platform, X. Fishback proposed that Trump and Musk “should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’ — a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded entirely by savings from DOGE.” Musk responded, “Will check with the President.”
“The figures are astounding, Elon. We’re talking millions, billions — even hundreds of billions,” Trump stated during his speech. “We’re contemplating giving back 20% to the American public and allocating another 20% towards debt repayment.”
In a recent interview with NewsNation, Fishback expressed his optimism regarding the impending legislation that aligns with President Trump’s DOGE vision. He added, “It’s crucial to not only identify wasteful spending but to return the hard-earned money of taxpayers when their funds have been mismanaged, which is the essence of the DOGE dividend.”
Fishback described his discussions with lawmakers in both the House and Senate as “very productive,” indicating that a plan could be unveiled soon.
Trump has yet to provide additional specifics or assurances regarding the proposed ‘DOGE dividend’.
According to Fishback’s four-page document about the ‘DOGE dividend’, it is intended as a refund “exclusively for tax-paying households.” He emphasized that unlike previous stimulus payments, DOGE checks would be “funded solely by savings from DOGE, as opposed to COVID relief checks which incurred national debt.”
Fishback’s plan stipulates that dividends would be distributed only to households earning above a certain income threshold, a departure from the indiscriminate distribution of pandemic checks.
“Many lower-income households received transfer payments amounting to 25 to 30% of their annual income,” Fishback noted regarding the pandemic stimulus checks. He remarked, “This distribution is targeted exclusively at households that are net federal income tax payers, who typically tend to save rather than spend a transfer like the DOGE dividend.”
The proposed refund is designated solely for net-income taxpayers — those who pay more in taxes than they receive back — thereby excluding many lower-income Americans, as highlighted by reports. The Pew Research Center indicates that most individuals with an adjusted gross income below $40,000 effectively pay no federal income tax.
“I’m grateful for the president’s backing, but the plan is straightforward,” Fishback stated last week. “DOGE will result in significant savings over the coming years. Let’s allocate 20% of that back to the diligent taxpayers who contributed to D.C. in the first place.”
In financial terms, a dividend refers to profit disbursement by a corporation to its shareholders, while a refund signifies a repayment given to a user for a prior payment. Conversely, a stimulus check serves as a direct financial incentive aimed at stimulating consumer spending and economic activity.
Could $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks happen? Here’s what we know.
The prospect of $5,000 stimulus checks from the Trump administration’s efforts to curb federal spending has been mentioned, but is it feasible?
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), officially identified as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is an initiative launched by Trump, with Elon Musk playing a pivotal role.
The primary objective of DOGE is to reduce federal expenditures, deregulate sectors, and “modernize federal technology and software to enhance governmental efficiency and productivity.”
At its inception, DOGE aimed to generate savings of up to $2 trillion annually, and claims to have already achieved savings of approximately $105 billion.
Maria Francis is a journalist based in Pennsylvania with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
