Trump has built the promise of his second term around the illusory benefits of tariffs, insisting countries like China are footing the bill, even as American farmers and consumers absorb the hit. Now he’s floating a sequel: mailing Americans “tariff dividend checks” financed by… the very tariffs Americans pay.
The pitch sounds bold until you look at the math, or the history, or frankly the basic mechanics of trade. Economists across the spectrum have warned for years that broad tariffs punch holes in household budgets, raise prices, and invite retaliation, and Trump’s new version would undoubtedly speed up the damage, turning the trade war into a self-licking ice cream cone of higher taxes and political theater.
Our video walks through what Trump’s plan would cost, where the money would come from, and why the loudest promises of “free money” tend to come with the steepest bill.
Watch it below or on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.
© The UnPopulist, 2025
Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.