$1,776 Checks for the Military: The president is considering bonuses for many service members.

[demmiblue]

President Donald Trump is considering an Oprah-style You get a car! And you get a car! reveal for members of the U.S. military tonight when he addresses the nation. Specifically, he is debating announcing that many of them will receive onetime bonus checks, pegged to a sum with deep patriotic significance: $1,776.

Yet the White House was still doing last-minute speech preparations this evening, and it had not reached a final decision on whether Trump would announce the bonuses during his 9 p.m. remarks. Other options include having Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth share the news in a video, announcing it another way, or not doing it at all.

The potential announcement is in keeping with the sort of grand, dramatic gestures the president often favors. As the host of NBC’s The Apprentice, he savored dramatic twists and tense cliffhangers, and as a Manhattan developer, he reveled in emblazoning his name in big, bold (often gold) letters on his properties, a trend that has continued into his presidency. In his first term, Trump included his full name (“President Donald J. Trump”) just below the words “Economic Impact Payment” on stimulus checks, and his Treasury Department recently confirmed that a portrait of him—the image of him raising his fist following the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the words fight. fight. fight.—may be featured on a commemorative $1 coin pegged to America’s 250th birthday next summer.

https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2025/12/1776-military/685304/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=694340c0c2e22c00016e65dd&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=edit-promo&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

[underpants]

1. $2,344,320,000. I thought his being on the coins was out. Jesus.

There are 1.32 million members of the US armed forces.

[Retrograde]

4. Probably less than that

since if Hegseth gets his way the checks won't be going to female, trans, or a lot of minority members of the military. Only the "warfighters" will get them. Or, like most of Donnie's ideas, this one will sink without trace

[underpants]

7. That's true.

I was just figuring the max. Can Trump award some of it to the Commander in Chief?

[Brother Buzz]

6. many of them will receive onetime bonus checks

Many is the operative word.

Wonder if you sign the loyalty oath to the marmalade shartcannon, you get bumped onto the ‘Many’ list.

[underpants]

8. Can Trump award some of it to the Commander in Chief?

I was figuring the max.

[BOSSHOG]

2. Because he doesn't know how lo Lead, Govern or Manage Money

Tacky worthless handout over substance

Gosh with all the news going on we can forget about the PEDOPHILIA STUFF IN THE EPSTEIN FILES or how Jack Smith made a fool (again) of gymboy Jordan, this time in private, or how Susie Q let it slip that trumps an incompetent lying jerk. Gosh what will we do?

[SheltieLover]

3. Someone freaking out about Jack Smith's testimony today & eps file deadline of 12/19?

[underpants]

9. He's just sure everyone wants to hear from him

and as the greatest salesman ever, he’s sure he can sell it to everyone.

[SheltieLover]

10. I don't. Never could stomach the slob from 1st time I saw him.

[Ars Longa]

5. Basically, Bribery, payola....

[rampartd]

11. "bonuses based on patriotic numbers" wut?

have they outsourced policy to grok?

[lame54]

12. Bribes