Trump talked out of increase in stimulus checks

WASHINGTON — White House aides intervened Thursday to prevent President Donald Trump from issuing a statement calling for substantially larger stimulus payments for millions of Americans, according to two people granted anonymity to share details of the private exchange.

On a phone call Thursday afternoon, Mr. Trump told allies that he believes stimulus payments in next relief package should be “at least” $1,200 per person and possibly as big as $2,000 per person, the officials said. Congressional leadership is currently preparing a stimulus package that would provide checks of $600 per person.

Mr. Trump was in the middle of formally drafting his demand for the larger payments when White House officials told him that doing so could imperil delicate negotiations over the economic relief package, the officials said. Congressional Republicans have insisted that the relief bill remain less than $1 trillion, and it’s currently designed to cost around $900 billion.

Larger stimulus checks could push the package’s total over $1 trillion.

Mr. Trump ultimately did not call for the larger stimulus payments. His only public comments on the matter came in the morning, when he tweeted that “stimulus talks [are] looking very good.”

“The aides were really frantic, saying: ‘We can’t do this; it will blow up negotiations,’ ” said one person who heard the exchange and was granted anonymity to describe conversations.

A White House spokesman did not comment on the exchange but issued a statement saying the administration was working on approving another round of stimulus payments through negotiations with Congress.

“The President has heard from Americans all over the country who are hurting through no fault of their own, and he’s made clear he wants the next round of relief to include stimulus checks at a significant number,” said Ben Williamson, the White House spokesman. “We’re workingwith Congress to settle on an agreement that can passas soon as possible.”

The White House divisions underscore the internal Republican tensions over the next relief package and likely the president’s last major economic piece of legislation. In March, Mr. Trump signed into law the $2 trillion CARES Act, which sent $1,200 stimulus checks to more than 100 million Americans.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin put Mr. Trump’s name on the checks — a move many Democrats thoughtwas overtly political.