US: Trump says military troops would get “Warrior Dividend” payments
US: As part of what he called a “broader economic and national security reset,” US President Donald Trump announced that more than 1.45 million service members will receive $1,776 checks before Christmas as part of a special one-time “Warrior Dividend” payment.
In his speech to the country on Wednesday (local time), Trump said, “I am also proud to announce tonight that more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special — we call Warrior Dividend — before Christmas.” Every soldier will get $1,776 from us. Additionally, the inspections are already en route.
Trump connected the payout to the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by stating that it was being made “in honor of our nation’s founding in 1776.” He attributed the payouts to freshly enacted legislation and tariff revenues.
He said, “Nobody deserves it more than our military. We made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs, and the bill helped us along.”
Trump made the statement in an effort to emphasize how his leadership has increased military morale and recruiting. He said that the US military was seeing “record enlistment,” which was a dramatic improvement from what he called “among the worst recruitment numbers in our military’s history” the previous year.
Trump said, “What a difference a year makes.”
The president claimed that his administration had brought the military back to unparalleled global supremacy and presented the dividend as a component of a larger initiative to regain American power both domestically and internationally.
“We have the most powerful military in the world, and it’s not even close, after rebuilding the United States military during my first term and with the addition we are adding right now,” he said.
Additionally, Trump linked the dividend to his larger economic narrative, claiming that the US economy had been sufficiently strengthened by tariffs, the development of jobs in the private sector, and increased investment to support direct payments without the need for new taxes.
Trump said, “I’ve restored American strength,” characterizing the military as essential to what he saw as a resurgence of international respect for the United States.
Despite its small size, the Warrior Dividend has symbolic significance and supports Trump’s rhetoric about economic independence, military might, and nationalism in the run-up to the historic 250th anniversary festivities next year.