Donald Trump Reportedly Supports Second Stimulus Check to Help Him Win Re-Election

After signing the CARES Act into law back in March, President Donald Trump is reportedly putting his support behind a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks. Citing three sources familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations, The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that the president is backing a second potential round of economic impact payments, as he believes it will bolster his chances at re-election. The president also reportedly believes a second round of payments could help the hurting economy, which has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

News of the president’s reported support comes just a day after Trump said that a “very generous” stimulus package was in the works. Speaking with Joe St. George, National Political Editor & Washington Correspondent for Scripps, Trump confirmed that the relief package would include another round of stimulus checks, though he refrained from stating how much Americans could expect those checks to be. Stating his belief that the package would be bi-partisan, Trump said that he thought it would be announced within a “couple of weeks.”

Despite those claims, however, The Washington Post reports that further economic impact payments remain a controversial subject among lawmakers. According to the outlet, “the president’s advisers and allies are split” on the topic, and “leading congressional Republicans and some senior White House officials remain skeptical of sending more checks, creating a rift within conservative circles.” One senior administration official said that the White House may support a second round of checks that is smaller in value than the initial round of checks and would target low-income Americans.

The Trump administration is reportedly continuing to study stimulus checks and the president is hearing from different advisors, White House officials said. He has not yet come to a decision. The outlet also notes that even with the president’s support, it is unclear whether congressional Republicans would back it.

The first round of stimulus checks, consisting of $1,200 for eligible single Americans and $2,400 for eligible joint filers, began going out in mid-April. While most Americans have already received their checks, there have been increased calls for a second round, and a number of potential relief packages have since been introduced, with stimulus checks ranging from $2,000 per month for the remainder of the pandemic to checks acting as an incentive to those returning to work. Recent reports have suggested that a second stimulus check could be passed in July, though it is believed that Congress has a short window to pass another coronavirus stimulus package.