GOP Senator Doesn’t Support Trump’s $2,000 Tariff Refunds

Sen. Ron Johnson on Monday pushed back against President Trump’s proposal to issue $2,000 “tariff dividend” checks to Americans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, arguing the money should instead go toward reducing the federal deficit.

Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, told Fox Business Network’s “Mornings With Maria” that he supports the concept in principle but believes restoring the nation’s fiscal stability should take precedence.

“We’re $38 trillion in debt,” he said. “We’ve averaged $1.89 trillion deficits over the last five years. In the next 10 years, the projection’s about $26 trillion from accumulated deficits.”

“We have to address the deficit problem. We are on borrowed time here. So many people are whistling by the graveyard. If we’re bringing in revenue through the tariffs, that oughta be applied to reduce the deficit,” the Wisconsin Republican added.

Trump has repeatedly suggested issuing tariff-funded payments to the public. Earlier this month, he proposed $2,000 checks for Americans below a certain income threshold, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated would be about $100,000 a year for families, the New York Post reported.