Trump pushes $5,000 citizen checks, eyes wealthy foreign visas for funding

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to deliver $5,000 checks to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain the House and Senate, a pledge he first unveiled at the midterm convention. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that the administration plans to fund part of the program through a forthcoming Trump Platinum Card, which would require foreign nationals to pay a $15,000 processing fee and a $5 million contribution in exchange for tax-free stays of up to 270 days per year.

Lutnick claims a waitlist of more than 100,000 could raise $500 billion, covering only about 41 percent of the $1.23 trillion cost estimated by one outlet. Additional financing ideas include tariff collections, gains from a government stake in Intel, and a congressional budget reconciliation package, yet each source falls far short of the total needed. Critics, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Dan Goldman, denounced the plan as a corrupt, illegal promise that would require congressional approval. The proposal follows earlier, unimplemented dividend ideas such as a “DOGE dividend” and a $2,000 tariff dividend.