Donald Trump told his supporters that Democrats would “steal” their future tariff rebate checks and give them to “illegals” if they didn’t donate to him within an hour.
A screenshot of the desperate email sent out Monday and posted by MeidasTouch shows Trump’s fundraising team at his Never Surrender political action committee using a high-pressure pitch built around alarmist language.
“Troubles are BOILING OVER,” it says, alongside an image of Trump at a stove with a pot foaming over.
“Here are 3 reasons I need YOU to STOP THE BOIL NOW,” the message continues, claiming “REBATE CHECKS ON THE LINE” and insisting, “Dems want to send your check to illegals if you don’t respond in the next hour!”
The fundraising blast also framed the ask as an end-of-year emergency, declaring: “Only a massive and immediate response will do,” and warning supporters that “EVERYTHING we’ve worked so hard to accomplish could go BYE BYE” without help in hitting a “midnight tomorrow” goal.
Two bright red buttons followed, inviting supporters to “STAND WITH TRUMP” and “STOP THE BOIL.”
Trump, 79, has been publicly flirting with the idea of sending Americans a $2,000 payment funded by tariff revenue—an idea the White House has said he is “committed” to, even as his own senior economic officials admit the mechanics are a “mess.”
Consumer-protection experts have warned that talk of government “dividend” payments can become instant bait for fraudsters. After the administration’s tariff-check chatter first began to make waves, online safety groups flagged a spike in posts and messages claiming people had money waiting—often directing recipients to click links or hand over personal information.
The policy rationale behind the fundraising email is also murky. Economists generally describe tariffs as taxes collected at the border from importers, with costs often passed through the supply chain into prices—meaning any “rebate” would be separate from, not a natural byproduct of, what consumers experience at checkout.
Trump’s email appeal comes as some of his own supporters have expressed frustration with his handling of the economy.
It was reported on Monday that focus groups in swing states found some voters who backed Trump for president in 2024 are souring on him over the economy, after months of giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Participants said they no longer believe his tariff push is part of a bigger plan and increasingly see it as a cost people pay, with some accusing him of a “bait and switch.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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