**Trump Suggests “DOGE Dividend” Payments in Second Term Agenda**
President Donald Trump has put forward the notion of distributing taxpayer payments in his second term, supported by expected savings from his contentious “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE).
During his speech at the Future Investment Initiative Institute Priority Summit on Feb. 19, Trump proposed a strategy in which “20 percent of the DOGE savings” would be allocated to American citizens, while an additional 20 percent would be aimed at lowering the national debt.
### The Concept’s Genesis
Instead of arising from a formal fiscal framework, this idea took shape through social media. On Feb. 18, James Fishback, CEO of investment company Azoria and a supporter of Trump, tweeted on X (previously Twitter) suggesting that the government should issue tax refunds referred to as “DOGE Dividends.” Fishback also expressed a willingness to meet with Trump and Elon Musk, the head of DOGE, in Washington, D.C.
Musk replied to the tweet, stating, “Will check with the President.” The following day, Trump introduced the concept at the summit, which swiftly ignited conversations about the viability of additional stimulus-like payments.
### Are DOGE Dividend Payments Legitimate?
At present, no formal policy or executive order has been implemented to actualize DOGE Dividend payments. The concept remains an informal suggestion based on anticipated federal budget reductions that have yet to materialize.
Nonetheless, Trump and Musk’s DOGE initiative may pursue this strategy as part of their broader initiatives to mitigate inflation and decrease government expenditures.
“Few in America accurately anticipated what to make of DOGE,” Fishback articulated in his comprehensive proposal. “Just a month into President Trump’s second term, DOGE is thriving. Full stop.”
According to Fishback, DOGE Dividend payments would motivate taxpayers to report governmental inefficiencies, waste, and fraud, thus boosting overall savings and, consequently, the amount of their checks. Both Musk and Trump have framed themselves as adversaries of what they see as immoral or corrupt governmental allocation, though some critics assert that DOGE’s method is unconstitutional.
### Doubts and Opposition
Despite backing from various conservatives, the proposal has encountered skepticism, even from DOGE advocates.
“Support DOGE’s efforts, but this proposal is flawed,” noted Preston Brashers, a tax policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation. “The advantage of reducing spending is to help control inflation. However, if the government distributes stimulus checks, inflation will surge back stronger.”
Fishback, on the contrary, maintained that the disbursements would not be considered a “handout,” but rather a form of compensation. “We are returning the citizens’ money, allowing them to save and reduce debt instead of letting it be squandered and misused,” he replied to a doubtful user on X.
### What Would Each Taxpayer Get?
DOGE aims to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget by July 4, 2026. Fishback’s proposal indicates that 20 percent of those savings—roughly $400 billion—would be shared among approximately 79 million U.S. taxpayers in 2025.
From this calculation, each taxpayer could potentially receive about $5,000, significantly exceeding the $1,400 stimulus checks disbursed in 2021.
However, the practicality of such payments remains questionable. While DOGE asserts it has already uncovered $16 billion in savings from federal contracts and is cutting $1 billion in spending daily, these claims have faced substantial skepticism from analysts and news outlets.
For the moment, DOGE Dividend payments exist as a speculative idea rather than an official governmental initiative. Whether the administration can meet its ambitious savings targets—and if those savings will lead to direct payments for taxpayers—remains uncertain.