President Donald Trump’s administration is distributing $90 checks to millions of seniors this month. It is far from his first vow to send cash to Americans, but similar past promises have not always materialized.
More than 20 million Medicare Part B enrollees across all 50 states are set to receive the $90 payments in the coming days. The checks are intended to help pay Part B premiums and are being paid for from a fund earmarked by Congress in 2008, the White House said.
In recent weeks, Trump has also pledged to send $5,000 checks to adults if Republicans keep control of Congress. Critics have called the proposal an inappropriate bribe for votes.
Here is a look at other payment promises that did—and did not—put money in Americans’ pockets.
Payments That Reached Americans
- $500 Affordable Care Act refunds: Beginning Sept. 30, nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states who used HealthCare.gov received $500 payments. The administration said recipients had been overcharged fees through the federal exchange for buying health insurance.
- Trump Accounts: The investment accounts, essentially an IRA for children, include a $1,000 deposit for children born between 2025 and 2028. The accounts went live in July and are administered by parents until the child turns 18. Trump said 6 million children had accounts as of July 6.
- Military bonus: In December 2025, all military members received $1,776 bonuses. Trump initially said the money would come from tariff revenue, but the checks were paid for with Defense Department funding appropriated under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Promises That Never Materialized
Trump has also made payment pledges that did not result in checks.
- $2,000 dividends: For months in 2025, Trump discussed giving some Americans $2,000 payments using tariff revenue. He said at one point the checks would go out in mid-2026, but they never materialized.
- DOGE stimulus checks: In early 2025, the now-dismantled Department of Government Efficiency floated the idea of $5,000 stimulus checks funded by the agency’s accrued savings. Those payments never arrived, and DOGE officially shut down earlier this year.
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