Musk intensifies DOGE efforts as Tesla shares decline, criticism mounts
On March 10, Tesla’s stock plummeted approximately 15%. Nevertheless, CEO Elon Musk has no plans to diminish his involvement with the U.S. government.
Are you curious about whether a $5,000 DOGE dividend check is on the horizon? Here’s what you need to know about the stimulus update and your eligibility based on income.
During a recent speech, President Donald Trump mentioned he would contemplate a proposal to distribute $5,000 stimulus checks to taxpayers through a ‘DOGE dividend’ scheme. He articulated this as a mechanism to return 20% of the savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to American taxpayers.
The concept of a ‘DOGE dividend’ was originally proposed by James Fishback, CEO of Azoria investment firm, on Musk’s social media platform X. He recommended that Trump and Musk publicly declare a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check issued to every taxpayer, funded solely by a share of the total savings accrued under DOGE. Musk responded with “Will check with the President.”
“The figures are astounding, Elon. We’re discussing millions, billions—hundreds of billions,” Trump declared in his address. “And we’re contemplating returning 20% to American citizens and using 20% to repay our national debt.”
In a recent NewsNation interview, Fishback expressed optimism that legislation to actualize President Trump’s vision for DOGE would soon be introduced. He added, “It’s not sufficient just to point out waste, fraud, and abuse. We must ensure that taxpayers receive refunds for their hard-earned money that was mismanaged, which is the essence of the DOGE dividend.”
Fishback described his discussions with lawmakers in both the House and Senate as “very productive,” indicating that a plan might be disclosed shortly.
So far, Trump has not provided any additional specifics about the potential ‘DOGE dividend’ or its feasibility.
Fishback’s four-page proposal for the ‘DOGE dividend’ suggests that it would be a refund “sent exclusively to tax-paying households.” He emphasized that unlike previous stimulus checks, DOGE checks would not contribute to inflation as they would be “exclusively funded by DOGE-sourced savings, in contrast to COVID stimulus checks which involved deficit financing.”
Fishback’s proposal would allocate dividends only to households exceeding a specific income threshold, distinguishing it from pandemic-era checks that were distributed “indiscriminately.”
“Many low-income families effectively received transfer payments equating to 25 to 30% of their yearly … income,” Fishback commented regarding the pandemic stimulus checks, adding, “This would exclusively benefit households that are net contributors to federal income tax, implying a lower tendency to spend and a greater inclination to save a transfer payment like the DOGE dividend.”
The proposed refund would be sent solely to households that are net-income taxpayers—individuals who pay more in taxes than they receive back—leaving lower-income individuals ineligible for the benefit, based on reports. The Pew Research Center indicates that the majority of Americans with an adjusted gross income under $40,000 effectively incur no federal income tax.
The suggested DOGE refund check would be issued per household as opposed to each individual taxpayer, including those receiving Social Security who meet the income tax criteria.
“I am honored to have the support of the president, but the plan is straightforward,” Fishback stated last week according to news sources. “DOGE is projected to save X amount of money over the forthcoming years. Let’s take 20 percent of that and return it to the hardworking taxpayers who sent it to D.C. in the first place.”
In essence, a dividend refers to a profit distribution by a corporation to its shareholders, while a refund pertains to a payment returned to a user who has previously paid for something. Conversely, a stimulus check is a direct payment aimed to encourage spending and energize the economy by directly providing funds to consumers.
Is a $5,000 DOGE stimulus check possible? What do we know so far.
A push for $5,000 stimulus checks from the Trump administration’s initiative to curtail federal spending is gaining traction, but will it truly materialize?
What is DOGE?
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formally known as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization, is a project initiated by Trump and led by the special government employee, Musk.
DOGE’s mission focuses on reducing federal expenditure, deregulation, and “modernizing federal technology and software to enhance government efficiency and productivity.”
Upon its rollout, DOGE aimed to save an impressive $2 trillion annually. To date, DOGE asserts it has already saved $115 billion.
Maria Francis is a journalist based in Pennsylvania, contributing to the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team.
