Erica York
Role at the time: Tax Foundation economist, commenting on her own X account
Challenged the characterization
Response to this claim
Tariff penalties have raised substantial revenue and helped pay down federal debt; that revenue could help fund the proposed dividend.
“There has been no paying down of the debt with tariff revenue”
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Erica York challenges tariff funding and the debt-reduction rationale · Erica YorkOriginal X post and reply context
York responds to the tariff-revenue defense, arguing that a one-time payment would consume almost a decade of projected new-tariff revenue and contesting debt reduction. These are her fiscal assertions; the case does not certify her projection model.
Why we used this label
Explicitly disputes the factual fiscal description supporting the proposed dividend. This is not treated as agreement with the bribery accusation.