Trump reaffirms promise of $5,000 checks if GOP retains Congress

President Donald Trump told reporters outside Air Force One on Sept. 13 that the $5,000 dividend checks he pledged to every American will be delivered "100 percent" if Republicans maintain control of Congress following the November midterms. He said the payments would be funded by "trillions and trillions of dollars" the country is taking in and would be delayed until after the elections to avoid a Democratic win, which he claimed would leave the country "in shambles."

During the GOP midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, Trump announced the "Trump dividend" and said the checks must be spent in the United States. A White House news release the next day cited "unleashed trillions in new private investment" and reduced government waste as the basis for the proposal, though no specific financing plan was provided.

The pledge follows earlier promises of payments such as the 2025 "Warrior Dividend" for military personnel and proposed $2,000 checks funded by tariff revenue, none of which have been delivered. Critics from both parties have questioned the feasibility and cost of the new dividend proposal.