MICHIGAN — Are Michigan taxpayers in line for another stimulus check? President Donald Trump expressed support for the idea of returning a portion of the projected savings generated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to U.S. taxpayers as a form of dividend.
The president mentioned that his administration is exploring the possibility of allocating 20 percent of the savings achieved through DOGE’s cost-saving measures back to Americans, while another 20 percent would go towards reducing the national debt.
DOGE advisor and Azoria Investment Firm CEO James Fishback introduced the concept of a “DOGE Dividend” on X.com (formerly Twitter), referencing the department’s expected $2 trillion in savings.
Musk noted on his social media platform on Tuesday that he “will check with the President.”
Speaking at an investment conference in Miami on Wednesday, Trump also indicated that the potential for dividend payments would encourage citizens to report wasteful expenditures.
“They’ll be reporting it themselves,” Trump remarked. “They participate in the process of saving us money.”
These initiatives aimed at downsizing the federal government and reducing spending have resulted in significant layoffs and budget reductions across various agencies.
Fishback later conveyed to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that the dividend program is “totally reasonable,” stating that checks would be distributed in 2026 once DOGE achieves its target.
“This isn’t a handout. This was taxpayers’ money that was sent to D.C. in the first place,” Fishback asserted. “It wasn’t sent to D.C. to then be quickly sent to Myanmar for a DEI musical or Colombia for a transgender opera.”
However, some financial experts have criticized the proposal, claiming it could lead to higher prices. Preston Brashers, a research fellow for tax policy at the Heritage Foundation, labeled the idea of issuing dividend checks as a “bad idea.”
“The dividend we get from slashing spending is that it helps to control inflation,” he remarked on social media. “But if the government sends out stimmy checks, inflation will return with a vengeance.”
Fishback countered concerns about inflation by suggesting that tax-paying households would likely save any payment they receive.
The initiative would also necessitate Congressional approval to redistribute the savings.
This article contains reporting from the Associated Press.
