Stimulus Checks: Some Donald Trump Supporters Demand He Veto Relief Bill

Michael Hein

12/23/2020 01:23 am EST

Some of President Donald Trump's supporters are calling on him to veto the new stimulus bill, but so far, there is no sign that he will follow through. Some far-right pundits have made exaggerated claims that the bill provides foreign aid to other countries, causing the call for a veto to trend on Twitter on Tuesday. Confusingly, Trump was tweeting about vetoing the U.S. military spending bill at the same time.

The new stimulus deal has people on every end of the political spectrum upset. After a seven-month wait for the new federal aid, the $900 billion deal provides a half-sized stimulus check to American taxpayers, compromises on key programs and ignores other needs. However, according to a report by Newsweek, the claims on social media that the bill gives money away to foreign governments is misleading and basically false. In some cases, the pundits promoting these claims seem to have the stimulus bill mixed up with the U.S. Congress' yearly spending bill and this year's new military budget.

Lawmakers passed their omnibus spending bill on Monday, with the $900 billion stimulus deal separately. The omnibus bill encompasses $1.4 trillion in government and defense spending — a budget that Congress haggles over at the end of every legislative session. That omnibus includes all of the U.S. government's spending for the year, much of which is unrelated to the country's coronavirus pandemic aid needs.

While it is hard to see billions going to military programs while Americans are struggling with a historic economic recession, those items are not a part of the stimulus bill, so vetoing it would not do any good. However, Trump is threatening to veto the defense bill within the spending omnibus — the National Defense Authorization Act.

Trump tweeted that he wants to veto the military spending bill because it will displease China. According to a report by The Hill, he is also unhappy with the bill because it does not repeal a liability shield for the tech industry like he asked for, and it orders military bases named after Confederate leaders to be renamed.

Still, if Trump goes through with that veto it will be a symbolic inconvenience for Congress and nothing more. The omnibus passed with an overwhelming majority that allows Congress to override a presidential veto, and leaders in both legislatures have already promised to do so.

All of this information became muddled throughout the day on social media, where Trump's supporters simply called on him to veto the stimulus bill. While the bill is disappointing in many ways, the president's critics joked about this act, apparently against the people's self-interest. Here is how the conversation played out online.

'Slap in the Face'

Many Americans were insulted by the stimulus package, asking Trump to veto it on principal. The package cuts the stimulus check in half compared to the last payment, while other countries have adopted much more robust aid programs throughout this pandemic.

Foreign Countries

Many Americans complained that the stimulus bill gives money to foreign countries, which is inaccurate at best. The omnibus includes all of the government spending for the year, including military commitments and foreign aid, but the U.S. government is not giving coronavirus-related stimulus funds to other countries.

Call Senators

Many users implored each other to call their senators and congressional reps, begging them not to override Trump's veto of the stimulus bill. This strategy seemed doomed to fail considering the leaders' earlier promises to see the bill through.

Outlast

While most calling for a veto were drawn in by misinformation about the spending bill, some genuinely did not want stimulus checks to be distributed. They argued that government aid was not needed in spite of the evidence to the contrary.

Spite

Even knowing that Trump's veto could be overruled by Congress, many of his supporters thought it was important for him to make the symbolic gesture.

Bipartisan

People on both ends of the political spectrum were upset by the way the stimulus check bill was passed, perhaps best exemplified in this agreement between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and far-right pundit Candace Owens. Owens retweeted Ocasio-Cortez's complaints about the last-minute Congressional vote, although Owens shared many misleading posts about how the veto would work.

Nothing

Finally, more than a few critics of the stimulus bill said that they would rather receive no pandemic aid if it meant this bill would be vetoed. Sadly, others could not turn down an inadequate stimulus check on principle.

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