A recent survey revealed that a significant majority of Republican participants (60%) supported the idea of stimulus checks, compared to only 39% of Democrat participants.
Could $5,000 DOGE stimulus checks be a reality? Here’s what we know.
Stimulus checks of $5,000 have been proposed by the Trump administration in an effort to cut federal spending, but will they actually materialize?
Many Americans are curious about the potential for DOGE stimulus checks as a new government entity, informally led by billionaire Elon Musk, strives to lower government expenditures by undertaking significant layoffs of federal employees and other cost-cutting strategies.
The proposed $5,000 dividend checks would be derived from the anticipated savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims for a savings target of $2 trillion, as stated by President Donald Trump in February.
“We are contemplating allocating 20% of the DOGE savings to American citizens and another 20% towards reducing the national debt,” Trump mentioned at the Saudi-sponsored FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami Beach last month.
Ultimately, Congress would decide whether U.S. taxpayers will receive the $5,000 stimulus checks. This outlines the origin of the proposal and the current status of the initiative.
How did the concept of ‘DOGE dividend’ checks arise?
James Fishback, the CEO of the investment firm Azoria, introduced the concept of the “DOGE dividend” in February, stating on X that it would serve as “a tax refund check issued to every taxpayer, funded entirely by a portion of the total savings realized through DOGE.”
In response, Musk expressed, “Will check with the President.”
According to Fishback’s proposal, the tax refund checks would be disbursed after the conclusion of DOGE in July 2026.
“American taxpayers are entitled to a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% of the savings accrued by DOGE should be returned to hardworking Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money originally,” emphasized Fishback in another X post. “With projected DOGE savings of $2 trillion and 78 million tax-paying households, this translates to a $5,000 refund per household, with the remainder allocated to reducing the national debt.”
“@ElonMusk, let’s make this happen! This is a way to restore confidence in our government.”
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What are lawmakers saying regarding DOGE stimulus checks? Concerns from House Republicans about debt and inflation
Some legislators, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have voiced opposition to the stimulus check idea. The Louisiana Republican was less than impressed when the concept received applause from the audience at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference last month.
“Politically, it would be fantastic for us, since everyone would get a check,” Johnson remarked to the audience. “However, reflecting on our core principles, fiscal responsibility defines us as conservatives. Our federal debt stands at $36 trillion, and we are grappling with a huge deficit. I believe we need to prioritize paying down that debt.”
Other legislators, such as Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-UT, and Rep. Riley Moore, R-WV, have also expressed doubts regarding the stimulus checks.
“It seems more prudent to direct any savings towards the deficit, but it’s a discussion worth having,” Maloy stated, according to NOTUS. “My concern is that issuing stimulus checks could lead to inflation, which we are currently working to reduce. If we manage to save, we should retain the savings.”
“The viability of this really hinges on the magnitude of the savings for me,” Moore shared with NOTUS. “If the savings are substantial, it might make sense to return some of that money to the taxpayers. However, we must allocate a significant portion towards reducing the debt.”
Public sentiment concerning a stimulus check
Researchers from J.L. Partners in Washington, D.C. conducted a “DOGE Dividend poll,” surveying a representative sample of 1,001 registered voters regarding the stimulus checks from February 24-25.
A significant portion of respondents indicated support for a DOGE check. Specifically, 46% of the total sample strongly supported the one-time $5,000 checks, while 21% showed some level of support. Only 7% strongly opposed the checks, according to the poll.
Among party lines, Republican voters (60%) expressed greater support for the checks than their Democrat (39%) and Independent (39%) counterparts, as indicated by the poll. Additionally, younger Republicans aged 18 to 49, along with employed individuals, were the most likely to advocate for the DOGE dividend.
Current status of the DOGE stimulus checks
The fate of the proposed stimulus checks remains uncertain, as the reluctance of House Republicans appears to have dampened the idea’s momentum.
For context, when Trump held the presidency and Republicans had majorities in both chambers of Congress, there was generally less opposition to advancing GOP-favored initiatives. However, it’s unclear how a stimulus check would progress, if at all, through Congress.
Stimulus payments were previously distributed during Trump’s last presidency, but that occurred only in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Congress passed—and President Trump signed—a $2 trillion bipartisan stimulus package aimed at alleviating the economic hardships spawned by the pandemic.
The package included $1,200 checks for qualifying individuals and $2,400 for most married couples filing jointly, along with an additional $500 for each qualifying child under 17. These stimulus payments were sent to U.S. taxpayers who had filed their tax returns in the prior two years or were in receipt of Social Security or veterans’ benefits. The package also contained funding for small business loans and grants, plus additional weekly unemployment insurance payments.
Contributors: Mike Snider, Maria Francis, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Greta Cross, Joey Garrison, Jessica Guynn, Nick Penzenstadler, and James Powel, USA TODAY
