Watch the moment Elon Musk admits DOGE checks may never come
Elon Musk admitted that DOGE stimulus checks for taxpayers will be subject to congressional approval or President Donald Trump.
- Rumors of a fourth stimulus check worth $2,000 or more are circulating, originating from a July 19 article.
- Official confirmation of a fourth stimulus check is lacking from the IRS, Congress, and the Treasury.
Rumors have been circulating this week regarding a fourth stimulus check worth $2,000 or more.
The claim, which comes from a July 19 article written by Rick Adams, implied that “lawmakers were considering new payments due to mounting public pressure,” according to The Economic Times.
However, Americans who have been anticipating another wave of stimulus checks shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. Here’s why.
What did Rick Adams’ article state regarding stimulus checks?
Adams’ article stated that Americans earning less than $75,000 and married couples earning under $150,000 would qualify for a stimulus check. Dependents would also earn additional amounts. If approved, direct deposits would be made available beginning late 2025 or early 2026.
Has there been confirmation of a fourth stimulus check?
A fourth stimulus check has not been officially confirmed by the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Congress, or the Treasury Department.
What happened to the DOGE dividend check proposed early this year?
The idea of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dividend was first proposed earlier this year by James Fishback, CEO of Azoria. To send out the dividends, DOGE would need to achieve a threshold of $2 trillion in savings. DOGE has saved $180 billion as of May 29, but the likelihood of Americans receiving a check remains bleak, especially since Congress has not formally approved of the proposal. Elon Musk’s exit as the head of DOGE has also kept the possibility of dividend checks uncertain, with the government savings initiative scheduled to discontinue operations during the summer of 2026.
Then, there is the big question of who will actually be receiving the dividends.
“The potential refund would be sent only to households that are net-income taxpayers ― people who pay more in taxes than they get back ― with lower-income Americans not qualifying for the return, according to news reports,” per Arizona Republic. “The Pew Research Center cites most Americans who have an adjusted gross income of under $40,000 pay effectively no federal income tax.”
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com