Rebate checks coming to bank accounts of millions - Trump floats payouts to Americans amid Epstein fallout
Donald Trump
is trying to change the story as the
Epstein scandal
continues to loom large. The move seems to have been timed to take the public's attention away from the renewed interest in his past ties to Epstein.
Donald Trump has hinted that he might send Americans rebate checks that would be paid for by higher
tariff revenue
. The announcement comes at a time when people are once again talking about Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump is trying to shift the focus to economic gains while staying away from the ongoing
Epstein fallout
.
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Trump suggested cash relief while promoting his most recent trade agreements on Friday, after saying that "people should really focus on how well the country is doing" instead of his ties to the deceased child trafficker, as per a report by the Daily Beast.
How is Donald Trump planning to use tariff money?
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At the White House, he told reporters, "We're thinking about that actually—we have so much money coming in, we're thinking about a little rebate.' 'We have so much money coming in from tariffs that a little rebate for people of a certain income level might be very nice.'
He is doing this by collecting more than $100 billion in tariffs. According to U.S. Treasury data, tariff revenue topped $100 billion for the first time this fiscal year, indicating that the Trump administration's policies have resulted in higher levies.
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The U.S. government could receive $2.8 trillion in tariff revenue over the next ten years, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who stated on Tuesday that he anticipates the growth to continue.
Although the administration has previously suggested a rebate, Trump's remarks come as he tries to shift the public's attention away from the Epstein scandal and toward more conventional GOP areas of strength, like immigration and the economy, as per a areport by the Daily Beast.
Could rebate checks shift public attention?
However, despite efforts to calm the situation, it appears to be getting worse in battleground states that will be crucial for the midterm elections next year as well as in Washington, where House Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday to vote on the release of the Epstein files.
Pennsylvania-based GOP consultant Christopher Nicholas told The Daily Beast, "It's resonating in the'real world,' as you might say, only because it's pretty obvious that no one knows what they're doing about it."
Additionally, issues of this nature simply cut across traditional partisan divides. Everyone in society agrees that child abuse is horrible and wrong, and it appears that this case has been handled badly from the beginning.
Why now, amid renewed Epstein scrutiny?
The announcement, however, didn't happen in a vacuum. It followed days of escalating attention on Trump's past relationship with Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal trafficking charges.
Though Trump has long denied any close connection to Epstein, his comments Friday made it clear he's feeling the heat. According to Trump, the public ought to concentrate on Epstein's other associates, citing former Harvard president and Treasury Secretary Larry Summers as well as former President Bill Clinton.
He even offered to give a "list" of individuals to examine, claiming that it would include "hedge fund guys" who shared a residence with Epstein.
And as the 2026 midterms get closer, Trump seems eager to get more support from voters with lower and middle incomes. He is relying on a promise of real financial help, along with claims of being a good economic steward, to protect himself from a scandal that won't go away.
The rebate plan is still just that: a plan. But the timing, tone, and purpose of his actions show that Trump knows exactly what kind of political storm he's trying to avoid. Whether Americans believe the economic pitch or want more information about Epstein is a question that could shape the next few months.
FAQs
Who would be eligible for Trump's proposed rebate checks?
Trump suggested that they could target people with specific income levels, but he did not elaborate.
Is this the first time President Trump has mentioned tariff rebates?
No, but it's the first time he's mentioned it in light of the growing controversy surrounding Epstein's ties.
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