The US Treasury Department has ordered that President Donald Trump’s name be printed on emergency checks for millions of US citizens, according to the Washington Post. It is an unprecedented step, the paper (Wednesday edition) wrote, citing unspecified employees of the US tax authority IRS.
The decision was made on Monday evening, the checks now had to be reworked accordingly. There will be no delays in the delivery of the checks, Ministry of Finance officials said. However, the IRS technical team was only informed of the change yesterday morning (local time), a ministry official said. Originally, the checks were supposed to be ready for printing tomorrow.
It will be the first time that a president’s name appears on an IRS payout, the Washington Post continues. Neither has there been such a routine reimbursement or emergency check that the U.S. government has given taxpayers in the past few decades.
70 million people get $ 1,200 each
As part of the U.S. stimulus package, around 70 million people are expected to receive a check for $ 1,200 in the coronavirus crisis, with an additional $ 500 per child. This direct aid to taxpayers is part of the more than $ 2 trillion US government package to counter the economic slump.
The Washington Post saw the decision as another sign that Trump was trying to claim recognition for coronavirus help. A good six months before the presidential election and with an election campaign paused by a pandemic, the checks would give him the opportunity to contact voters directly.
