Trump says his $5,000 payout would barely cover a burger and dessert
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President Donald Trump mocked his own promised $5,000 cash payment to adult Americans, joking it would buy little more than a hamburger and a small dessert, even as voters face crushing cost-of-living pressures ahead of the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump told a rally in Texas that the $5,000 payment he has promised to every adult citizen if Republicans win both chambers of Congress would buy "a hamburger and maybe a small dessert" at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. He added that price-conscious voters might not even be able to afford that, telling them not to go there.
The comment comes as the cost of living remains a dominant concern for voters ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with recent polling showing that a majority of adults view affordability as a key issue. Economists have warned that a one-time $5,000 payment would do little to ease household budgets and could instead intensify inflationary pressures.
Implementing the payment would cost about $1.2 trillion and would require congressional approval. The pledge follows earlier promises by the president of cash assistance that have not materialized.
"Go to Florida, go to any one of our great places. You can even come to Mar-a-Lago. The problem is that for $5,000, the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert," Trump said.
The remarks were made amid broader campaign discussions, including criticism of the White House renovation by former President Barack Obama, which the president dismissed as partisan attacks.