Trump Is Mailing $500 Checks to Nearly 1 Million Americans — Are You Getting One? (Ep 853)

Just the Truth Podcast with Joey Hudson Check your mailbox. The Trump administration is sending out nearly half a billion dollars in $500 refund checks to more than 950,000 Americans. And South Carolina is one of the states where eligible residents will receive them. The Treasury Department began sending the payments to people in 30 states who purchased health insurance through the federal Affordable Care Act marketplace. But the check isn't arriving by itself. President Donald Trump is also sending recipients a signed letter explaining why they're receiving the money. The administration says the federal ACA exchange collected more in user fees than was necessary to operate HealthCare.gov, and those costs were ultimately passed along to consumers through their insurance premiums. Trump says that surplus belongs to the people who paid it. Most of the recipients paid most or all of their insurance premiums without federal premium assistance. So who qualifies? Why is the federal government sending the money back now? Why are residents in only 30 states eligible? And if you live in South Carolina, could there be a $500 check headed to your mailbox? We'll explain exactly what's happening. 🇺🇸 A MASSIVE NEW MILITARY BASE — COULD SOUTH CAROLINA GET IT? Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced plans for what the Pentagon is calling the “Next Great American Base.” And this isn't going to be a small installation. The proposed base would house approximately 15,000 to 25,000 military personnel and occupy hundreds of thousands of acres. Hegseth says the installation would be built from the ground up using modern technology. It would generate its own power. It would be capable of operating independently from the commercial electrical grid. It would incorporate autonomous systems and advanced air defenses. And it would serve as a major hub for military operations, command-and-control and cyber and technological capabilities. Here's where this gets interesting for South Carolina. The Pentagon plans to hold a nationwide competition. Governors and state adjutants general will be invited to pitch their states directly to military leadership. So here's the obvious question: Could South Carolina compete for it? Think about what South Carolina already has. Fort Jackson. Shaw Air Force Base. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Joint Base Charleston. The Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. A growing aerospace and defense industry. The Port of Charleston. And a state with a long military tradition. There are plenty of unanswered questions. Where would you find hundreds of thousands of acres? What infrastructure would be required? How much would the project cost? And what would a base housing potentially 25,000 troops mean for housing, roads, schools and the economy of the community that gets it? But governors are going to get an opportunity to make their case. So should South Carolina throw its hat into the ring? We'll look at what Hegseth announced and what the Pentagon says it's looking for. 🛂 RUBIO: MORE THAN 250,000 VISAS REVOKED Secretary of State Marco Rubio's State Department says it has now revoked more than 250,000 U.S. visas since President Trump returned to office. The administration says the revocations involve a wide range of cases. That includes foreign nationals accused of committing crimes, violating the terms of their visas, committing fraud, abusing the immigration system, supporting terrorism or posing national-security concerns. The total also includes approximately 2,300 visa revocations connected to so-called “birth tourism”—foreign nationals allegedly traveling to the United States specifically to give birth so their children receive U.S. citizenship. The administration says the crackdown is part of a much larger effort to continuously vet foreign nationals who have been granted permission to enter the United States. The State Department's message is simple: A visa is a privilege—not a right. We'll look at how the program works, why visas are being revoked and what this tells us about the Trump administration's broader immigration strategy. 🌴 AMERICA'S ECONOMIC CENTER OF GRAVITY IS MOVING SOUTH And finally, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, something significant is happening to the country's economy. The economic center of gravity continues moving south. A new analysis estimates that the American South has grown into a roughly $6 trillion regional economy, with population, businesses and investment continuing to migrate toward Southern states. And South Carolina is right in the middle of that story. South Carolina led the nation in inflation-adjusted GDP growth in 2024 at 4.2%. The state tied for first in 2025 with 3.1% growth. And South Carolina ranked first in the country in population growth during 2024-25. Think about what's driving it: BMW and the automotive industry in the Upstate. Boeing and aerospace in the Lowcountry. The Port of Charleston. Advanced manufacturing. Defense. Logistics. Foreign investment. And hundreds of thousands of people who continue moving South. But growth comes with challenges. Housing. Traffic. Energy. Infrastructure. Schools. And making sure the workforce can keep pace with employers. South Carolina isn't just benefiting from America's move South. In many ways, we're becoming one of the clearest examples of it. We'll look at the numbers and what this growth could mean for South Carolina's economy over the next decade. 📩 Join our mailing list at JoeyHudson.com 📱 Firmin Ford Text Line: 864-477-JOEY (5639) Your texts are always welcome, and you can also leave a voice message that could be aired on a future podcast. Subscribe for daily political analysis, breaking national news, South Carolina stories, consumer news and conversations about the issues affecting American families. Facebook: facebook.com/joeyhudsononline X: @joeyhudson #DonaldTrump #TrumpChecks #500DollarCheck #Obamacare #ACA #PeteHegseth #USMilitary #MilitaryBase #SouthCarolina #SCNews #MarcoRubio #Immigration #Visa #Economy #SouthCarolinaEconomy #GreenvilleSC #CharlestonSC #BreakingNews #JustTheTruth