Trump proposes $5,000 payout to every adult if Republicans win midterms
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President Donald Trump announced a plan to give each adult American a $5,000 payment if Republicans control both houses of Congress after the November midterm elections, without providing details on funding or implementation.
President Donald Trump told attendees at the Republican National Convention that a $5,000 payment would be issued to every adult citizen if the party secured majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections. He said the money must be spent within the United States but offered no specifics on how the program would be financed or administered.
The proposal, which would cost roughly $1.3 trillion based on an estimated 270 million adult population, was met with criticism from Democrats who called it an "empty promise" and raised questions about its legality and feasibility. Vice-President JD Vance linked the potential funding to revenue generated from tariffs imposed by the administration, describing the payout as a "dividend for American workers."
"What the president is talking about is fundamentally a dividend for American workers," Vance said on Fox News.
Former Republican strategist Robert Moran described the pledge as an "extraordinary promise" made during a campaign season, noting that historically the president’s party often loses seats in midterm elections. He added that the source of the money remains unclear.
"It is an extraordinary promise, and I'm not sure where that money is going to come from – but it is campaign season," Moran told the BBC World Service.
The White House has not indicated whether Congress would be asked to approve the payments, and no existing federal dividend program currently exists. Legal experts are divided on the proposal’s compliance with campaign finance laws, with one attorney stating it could be permissible as a general promise to voters rather than a direct inducement.
The announcement comes amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Iran and rising oil prices, which Trump said would not subside until after the midterms. The plan adds to the political debate ahead of the November 3 election, which will determine control of Congress.