President Donald Trump has signaled his support for a “DOGE dividend” — direct payments to taxpayers from the money saved by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The proposal initially came from a post on X by Azoria Investment Firm CEO James Fishback, who suggested that the Trump administration take 20% of the $2 trillion that DOGE plans to save by July 2026 and give that money to American taxpayers.
He asserted that the American people deserve compensation for the waste, fraud, and corruption that was funded by their hard-earned tax dollars — noting that 20% of that money would equal $4 billion, which could go a long way in helping the American people. Fishback explained in his proposal that the “DOGE dividend” should be paid to the roughly 79 million households who “will be net payers of federal income tax.”
Fishback further argued that his plan “compensates American taxpayers for the egregious misuse and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars that DOGE has uncovered” and “works to restore public trust between taxpayers and their government, making good on this social contract and increasing tax morale.”
He concluded by pointing out that this was the perfect time for the U.S. government to “right the wrong” that was done to taxpayers.
President Trump and @ElonMusk should announce a ‘DOGE Dividend’—a tax refund check sent to every taxpayer, funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/p5AZZj3Ttc
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) February 18, 2025
Fishback also noted in a video posted to his account that the remaining 80% of the savings should be allocated to paying down the national debt.
American taxpayers deserve a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% the money that DOGE saves should be sent back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check. It was their money in the first place!
At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund… pic.twitter.com/mmgfWcZAOf
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) February 14, 2025
Fishback’s proposal attracted the attention of Musk, who replied: “Will check with the President.”
Will check with the President
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 18, 2025
Trump was later asked by reporters about the possibility of moving forward with the “DOGE dividend” plan, and he seemed supportive.
“I love it!” the president told reporters. “A 20% dividend, so to speak, for the money that we’re saving by going after the waste and fraud and abuse and all the other things that are happening. I think it’s a great idea.”
A reporter then asked Trump how much money he believed that DOGE could save. He shrugged, responding: “I don’t know, it could be a lot. It’s 20%, it would give back a lot of money to the taxpayer.”
🚨REPORTER: "Elon Musk is proposing giving money to Americans based on what DOGE is finding. Do you have any thoughts on that?"
TRUMP: "I love it. A 20% dividend for the money that we're saving by going after fraud, waste, and abuse. I think it's a great idea. It could give back… pic.twitter.com/dWbCLOriXp
— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) February 20, 2025
