The Tesla CEO and President Donald Trump have floated the idea of $5,000 checks derived from government spending cuts, but you should probably not get your hopes up.

By definition, a dividend is a distribution of profits by a corporation to its shareholders and a refund is a payment made back to a user that previously paid for something. A stimulus check, on the other hand, is a direct payment to encourage spending and stimulate the economy by putting money directly into the consumers' hands.

The hypothetical DOGE stimulus checks would rely on additional mass cuts to the federal workforce and government spending.

A social media post claiming the U.S. government would issue $5,000 stimulus checks, referred to as "DOGE dividends," on a make-believe date in February appears to have fooled some people online. Anti-Trump PAC The Lincoln Project posted on X,

Wondering if you are going to get $5,000 from DOGE? Is it a DOGE dividend check, stimulus check or refund? Here's what to know on Trump's plan.

President Trump has floated the idea of giving taxpayers a $5,000 refund check as a dividend from savings created by DOGE. Here's what to know.