Is the Trump stimulus executive order real?

Is Donald Trump about to start handing out free money? There’s a viral theory that the Trump administration is considering giving out stimulus checks funded by savings from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The idea came from James Fishback, the CEO of an investment firm called Azoria, who suggested distributing a “DOGE Dividend” to taxpayers. However, there are many obstacles, and it’s unclear if this plan will actually happen.

One major point of the proposal is that low-income households who don’t pay federal income taxes would not receive these checks. This has led to criticism, especially since earlier stimulus efforts included people from all income levels. The reasoning for this decision is that wealthier individuals are more likely to save extra money rather than spend it, potentially helping the economy in a different way than past stimulus checks did.

Is a DOGE stimulus check coming?

Unfortunately, as of writing, no stimulus checks are coming. For this to be something on the way, the President would need an unchallenged executive order, and the prerequisites haven’t come close to being met. Plus, if the claimed $115 billion saved is accurate (and there’s a big question mark over that), it’s only a fraction of what is needed.

The overall financial situation is also important. The national debt in the U.S. is around $35.5 trillion, raising doubts about the practicality of large stimulus spending. DOGE would need to save about $2 trillion to make the stimulus checks feasible. Even if it manages to hit the savings targets, the plan still needs approval from Congress. Given the national debt and opposition from some lawmakers, it’s uncertain if the plan will pass.

Congress must approve the spending before any stimulus checks can be sent out. Clarion Ledger reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson has mentioned he would prefer using the funds to reduce the budget deficit instead of providing stimulus payments. So, the proposal faces clear political challenges in gaining the necessary support.

Ultimately, the success of this proposal depends on DOGE’s ability to save a lot of money. Although DOGE has shared some cost-cutting claims, The American Enterprise Institute has questioned these. Initially, DOGE said it saved $55 billion but later changed that number to $105 billion on the Wall of Receipts. These varying figures have led to skepticism about the plan’s overall feasibility.

DOGE’s creation and actions are also being challenged legally, with some lawsuits questioning whether what it’s doing is legal. There’s also some confusion about who actually leads the department; Elon Musk is described differently in various reports, while Amy Gleason is currently the acting administrator.

While the administration seems vaguely interested, there are many legal, financial, and political hurdles to overcome. The claimed savings from DOGE are contentious, and organizations from both sides of the political aisle have pointed out inaccuracies in DOGE’s financial reports and calculations.

Due to the uncertainty about these savings, along with Congressional opposition and concerns about the national debt, it looks unlikely that these stimulus checks will be issued anytime soon. Based on all the information, nobody’s getting that sweet stimmy anytime soon.