Trump, hoping to salvage midterms, makes dubious pledge to give every US adult $5,000 if GOP wins

Republicans at risk of losing in the November midterm elections, the offer essentially amounted to a financial enticement to Americans. US President Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 “dividend” for every adult American if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in the November midterm elections. Speaking at a Republican Party event in Dallas on Wednesday, Trump linked the proposed payment to what he described as the country’s economic success and the Republican Party’s ability to retain control of the House of Representatives and Senate.

“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of the tremendous power and economic success we have, I will give a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of $5,000,” Trump said. He added that recipients would have to spend the money exclusively in the United States.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 Trump did not immediately provide further details about how the proposed payments would work, who would qualify beyond adult US citizens, or how the government would fund the programme. The promise comes ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, when Americans will vote for seats in both chambers of Congress.

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… The US president gave a wide-ranging speech at the Republican midterm convention. He defended the war in Iran, trade wars and tariffs, and the White House ballroom.

He also called Democrats evil and immigrants animals. President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, an extraordinary gambit to reverse his party’s sagging fortunes in November. The dubious promise would likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation.

“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump said during the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas. “I will be called the Trump Dividend.” He likened the payments to a corporation’s distributions to shareholders, citing “our tremendous strength and success economically.” Congress would need to approve or otherwise acquiesce to the payment. tariff revenues even before the Supreme Court tossed much of the president’s tariff program last year.

The national debt last month topped $40 trillion for the first time. Trump has frequently lamented that, during the modern era, the president’s party almost always loses seats in Congress during the midterms, and he has looked for unorthodox ways to defy the trend, including this week’s convention. The move was reminiscent of billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to buy votes in last year’s Wisconsin state Supreme Court race, where he handed out million-dollar checks to voters to try to boost a candidate who ultimately lost.