Mnuchin Says Putting Trump’s Name On Stimulus Checks Was His Idea

TOPLINE

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin took credit for putting President Donald Trump’s name on stimulus checks, a widely-criticized decision that reportedly could delay their distribution.

KEY FACTS

Additional info 

Trump’s name aside, there have been other problems distributing the relief funding. Millions of Americans who signed up for direct deposit did not receive their money, or were issued the wrong amount, because of an IRS glitch last week. There were also issues with the online tool that allows people to track the status of their stimulus checks, with many getting a “payment status not available” message.

Chief critic

Critics accused the president of looking self-involved and, if the inclusion of his name ended up delaying the checks, irresponsible. “Trump looks vain, self-serving and indifferent to the interests of voters,” Bloomberg opinion columnist and political scientist Jonathan Bernstein wrote. “[He] has managed to turn a mildly positive story into one that’s going to be at least partly negative.” Even with Mnuchin taking credit for the decision, not everyone is convinced.

Tangent

In the same interview, Mnuchin was asked if relief for local governments was going to be included in the stimulus package the Trump administration is currently working on with Congress. He said that it will be saved for the next stimulus bill, though Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said Sunday that he was hopeful a deal for local governments could be cut at the 11th hour.

Further reading

Mnuchin says ‘we are very close to a deal today’ on small business package (CNN)

Millions Of Americans Haven’t Received Stimulus Payments Due To Glitches (Forbes)

Cuomo: ‘If You Want States To Reopen, We Need Funding’ (Forbes)

Less Than Half Of Los Angeles County Residents Report Having Jobs, Survey Finds (Forbes)

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