Video falsely claims $1,000 stimulus approved for ‘every U.S. resident’ | Fact check
The claim: A ‘no-strings-attached $1,000 stimulus’ payment was approved for ‘every US resident’ ahead of Trump’s term
A Dec. 3 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes a video that claims all U.S. residents are eligible for a sizable payment from the government.
“In a shocking, unprecedented move, a no-strings-attached $1,000 stimulus has been rushed through prior to the incoming term in an effort to kickstart the economy immediately,” the video’s narrator says. “Every U.S. resident qualifies, no exceptions.”
The narrator instructs social media users to “tap the link below” and “answer a few simple survey questions” to claim the money.
The video’s caption reads, “This new Giveback scheme wont (sic) last. Claim it now before it’s gone for good.”
The post was shared more than 200 times in two weeks.
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Our rating: False
Congress has approved no such payment. The website linked in the post isn’t affiliated with the U.S. government.
No new stimulus payments approved since March 2021
Federal lawmakers haven’t passed any legislation that would provide all U.S. residents with a $1,000 stimulus payment ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in office. There are no credible news reports of such payments, and nothing similar is mentioned in any statements released by the Treasury Department or IRS.
The Facebook post links to a nongovernment website that asks users for personal information to “enter to win a $1,000 stimulus.” Of course, stimulus payments aren't "won," they're distributed to eligible people.
The federal government distributed three rounds of “direct relief payments” during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Treasury Department. But the last of those measures was approved more than three years ago. In March 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that included direct payments of $1,400 for individuals or $2,800 for married couples.
Before that, there were two rounds of payments during Trump’s first term. The first was in March 2020, when the unemployment rate spiked early in the pandemic. It included $1,200 per adult for individuals earning less than $75,000 a year. The second, a $600 payment for individuals, was sent out in December 2020.
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The footage of Trump in the Facebook post shows him speaking at an Oct. 31 campaign rally in New Mexico. He doesn’t mention anything in that speech about a new round of stimulus payments.
Paste BN has previously debunked false claims about stimulus payments, including that Biden approved a stimulus plan granting homeowners $185,000, that every American over 25 is entitled to a $500 stimulus card and that the government gives parents $5,000 per month for each child.
PolitiFact and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim.
Paste BN reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources
- Congress.gov, accessed Dec. 17, Search results
- Govtrack.us, accessed Dec. 17, Advanced Search for Legislation
- Treasury Department, accessed Dec. 17, Press Releases
- Treasury Department, accessed Dec. 17, Economic Impact Payments
- IRS, accessed Dec. 17, News releases for current month
- Donald J. Trump (YouTube), Oct. 31, LIVE: President Trump in Albuquerque, NM
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