Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the $5,000 payments President Donald Trump has promised to Americans would not be financed with taxpayer money, NBC News reported on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Lutnick's remarks came as Trump administration officials worked to contain the fallout from the pledge, which the president said would go to all Americans, according to CNN. The Hill also reported Lutnick's claim that the $5,000 dividend would not rely on taxpayer dollars.
Axios published an explainer on how the check promise is meant to function. The reporting does not specify a funding mechanism, and no details were given on eligibility, timing or how the payments would be delivered.
The proposal has drawn criticism from economists. CBS News reported that economists say the $5,000 dividend would reignite inflation and increase the U.S. deficit.
The pledge has also prompted questions about its feasibility, with administration officials scrambling to manage the response, CNN reported. NBC News reported Lutnick's comments as part of that effort.
What to watch next: whether the administration releases specifics on how the payments would be funded and who would receive them.
