In a primetime televised address from the White House on Wednesday night, President Donald Trump announced a special initiative to send over one million U.S. military personnel a “warrior dividend” of $1,776 each.
Speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump stated, “Because of tariffs, along with the just-passed ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ tonight I am also proud to announce that more than 1,450,000 military service members will receive a special warrior dividend before Christmas.” The president added, “And the checks are already in the mail.”
Largest Tax Refund Season of All Time
In the same address, Trump also remarked that 2026 will be “the largest tax refund season of all time,” attributing this to the tax changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)
Americans can anticipate a $1,000 boost to their tax refunds in the upcoming filing season, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. At a December 11 briefing, Leavitt attributed this jump to a series of policy changes ushered in by President Trump and the OBBBA.
Citing projections for 2026, Leavitt said that refunds are expected to be the largest on record, crediting the expanded child tax credit, higher standard deductions, and the removal of federal tax on tips and overtime as major contributing factors.
Leavitt pointed to an analysis by Piper Sandler, noting that refunds are projected to rise by $91 billion, supplemented by an additional $30 billion in tax relief due to reduced withholdings in 2026.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed these remarks, suggesting that working households could anticipate “very large refunds,” in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 per household.
Earlier in December, the White House reinforced these estimates on its official X channel, describing 2026 as the “largest tax refund season in American history” and highlighting the impact of Working Family Tax Cuts.
