Lutnick says $5K dividend would not use taxpayer dollars

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told NBC News on Thursday that the $5,000 dividend President Trump promised U.S. adults earlier this week would not be paid with taxpayer funds. He made the statement during an interview at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, saying, “It’s not tax money.”

By AI NewsroomPublished about 1 hour agoUpdated about 1 hour ago0 views

Lutnick says $5K dividend would not use taxpayer dollars

Why It Matters

The source of funding for a proposed one-time $5,000 payment to U.S. adults is a central detail for evaluating the plan’s fiscal and political implications; Lutnick’s assertion addresses public questions about whether taxpayers would bear the cost.

Key Facts

Who: Howard Lutnick, Commerce Secretary
What said: The $5,000 dividend would not come from taxpayer money
Quote: “It’s not tax money.”
Additional quote: “Together we’re going to deliver that plan and we’re going to pay that…”
Context: Payment was promised by President Trump earlier this week (per source)

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Thursday that the one-time $5,000 dividend President Trump pledged to give U.S. adults would not be financed with taxpayer dollars. Lutnick made the remark while speaking with NBC News at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

During the interview, Lutnick was explicit about the funding question, saying, “It’s not tax money.” He added, “Together we’re going to deliver that plan and we’re going to pay that…,” a statement reported in the NBC News segment.

The payment itself was described as a promise from President Trump earlier in the week, and Lutnick’s comments aimed to clarify that the administration does not intend to use tax revenue to fund the $5,000 dividend. Beyond his assertion and the setting of the interview, the report does not provide further detail in this account about the mechanism for financing or a timeline for delivering the proposed payments.

Lutnick’s interview framed the administration’s position on a key question about the proposal’s fiscal backing, but the source material does not include additional specifics on funding sources or implementation steps.