Trump Wanted Huge Stimulus Payments, but White House Aides Intervened

With Americans still suffering mightily under the economic devastation of the coronavirus crisis, there is but one hope:  That Congress can remove their craniums from their derrières long enough to pass a COVID stimulus bill before the end of the year, when a nationwide moratorium on evictions expires.

The various packages that have been debated within the halls of Congress are wildly varied, and have been vociferously argued over the course of several months.

One bone of contention is whether or not Americans will be receiving direct payments, akin to the $1,200 checks received back in the early days of the pandemic.  As it stands today, the prevailing theory is that a $600 check could be coming, but that’s far from what President Trump was hoping for.

President Donald Trump’s advisors talked him out of calling for $2,000 direct payments to Americans in the next federal coronavirus rescue package since it might’ve derailed the relief negotiations on Capitol Hill, The Washington Post reported.

The newspaper cited two sources familiar with the events.

The Post reported that Trump held a phone call with allies in which he said he wanted stimulus payments to be “at least” $1,200 and perhaps as large as $2,000. Congressional leaders are drafting a $900 billion relief package with $600 direct payments for Americans, half the $1,200 amount distributed in March and April through an earlier package of pandemic aid.

Trump was said to be in the midst of outlining his desire when White House officials told him the move would capsize the negotiations between top Republicans and Democrats, which appear likely to last into the weekend. Republicans are trying to keep the price of a relief package under $1 trillion, and larger direct payments could swell the legislation’s cost well beyond that.

If no deal is reached, there is a grave possibility that millions of Americans could fall into eviction proceedings and even more debt as the economy continues to falter.