‘REALLY FRANTIC’

White House Aides Talked Trump Down From Demanding $2,000 Stimulus Checks, Says Report

The president was reportedly in the middle of drafting a statement demanding bigger stimulus checks when aides stepped in to stop him.

White House aides reportedly had to intervene to stop President Donald Trump from issuing a public demand for $2,000 stimulus checks Thursday—a move they feared would blow up delicate relief-package negotiations. According to The Washington Post, Trump told allies on a Thursday call that he wanted stimulus payments in the next relief package to be “at least” $1,200 per person and potentially as big as $2,000. He then reportedly started drafting a public statement to make his demand for the bigger checks—when panicked staff stepped in to stop him. “The aides were really frantic, saying, ‘We can’t do this. It will blow up negotiations,’” one person familiar with the talks told the Post. Congressional leaders have said that they’re nearing agreement on a $900 billion economic relief package that will include checks of between $600 and $700.