Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed on Thursday that the $5,000 dividends promised by President Trump will not be funded by taxpayer money. This proposal, which surfaced earlier this week at the GOP midterm convention, aims to distribute a total of $1.2 trillion to approximately 270 million U.S. adults. During an interview at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum with NBC News, Lutnick opened up about the funding source. “It’s not tax money,” he said. He added, “Together we’re going to deliver that plan and we’re going to pay that money to the Americans, and not from taxpayer money.” According to Lutnick, the administration intends to earn these funds through specific initiatives rather than adding to the deficit or pulling from taxpayer pockets. The primary mechanism for this funding involves the Trump Platinum Card. While this product hasn’t launched yet, it is designed as a way for immigration applicants to gain legal status. Under this plan, applicants would join a waitlist and receive the ability to live in the U.S. for 270 days per year without being subject to tax on non-U.S. income. Applicants would be required to pay a $15,000 processing fee, undergo vetting by the Department of Homeland Security, and provide a $5 million contribution to the U.S. government to secure guaranteed citizenship. Lutnick noted, “We have a waitlist of more than 100,000 people who want to come.” He calculated that this interest alone could generate $500 billion. Beyond the immigration-based revenue, the administration is looking at existing federal investments Lutnick pointed specifically to the investment the federal government made into Intel last year. He stated that this move generated more than $30 billion over the last several months. “Everybody knows we got just about 500 million shares, and the stock was $20, and now it’s $100, so we’re up $50 billion,” Lutnick stated. President Trump’s promised $5,000 “dividend” for all U.S. adults would not be paid for with taxpayer dollars, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says. https://t.co/kpID72mPkc— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 11, 2026 There are other potential avenues for the funding as well. Kevin Hassett, the Director of the White House National Economic Council, suggested on Friday that the necessary funds could come from a reconciliation package. However, the proposal is not without its skeptics within the GOP. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed concerns regarding the national debt and the potential for increased inflation. “What I don’t think you want to do is borrow another trillion-and-a-half dollars and then just try to flood that into the economy, because that will lead to more inflation,” DeSantis said. Notably, President Trump has tied this dividend payout to a specific outcome. The money would only be distributed if Republicans manage to maintain control of both chambers in Congress following the elections in November.