Trump offers $5,000 ‘dividend’ to Americans if Republicans win midterms

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has unveiled an extraordinary election-year promise: a $5,000 “Trump dividend” for every adult American if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

Trump made the pledge during a primetime address at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, putting his personal political brand at the centre of the November 3 vote.

“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump said.

He added one condition: the money would have to be spent inside the United States. However, he offered no details on how the payments would be financed, administered or authorised, leaving questions over the proposal’s practical and legal feasibility.

With roughly 270 million US adults, a payment of $5,000 per person could carry a price tag of about $1.35 trillion, according to Reuters. The scale of the proposal immediately makes it one of the most striking economic promises of the midterm campaign.

Trump puts himself at centre of midterms

The announcement came during a speech that lasted about an hour and 45 minutes, in which Trump presented his presidency as a period of historic achievement and urged Republicans to treat the election as a referendum on his leadership.

“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump told supporters, making clear that he intends to play a central role in Republican campaigns across the country.

The strategy comes at a challenging moment for the president. Reuters/Ipsos polling has shown Trump’s approval rating at historically weak levels, while concerns about inflation, household costs and the prolonged war involving Iran have become increasingly important to voters.

Trump has promised to visit battleground states and competitive congressional districts repeatedly in the eight weeks before Election Day, seeking to energise the voters who helped Republicans secure control of Washington.

Republicans bet heavily on Trump

The two-day convention in Dallas highlights how closely Republican electoral prospects remain tied to Trump.

Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters reportedly dubbed the event “Trumpapalooza,” reflecting the president’s dominant role in the gathering. Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled to deliver a keynote address before Trump returns for the convention’s closing remarks.

But the strategy carries risks for Republican candidates in competitive races. Some lawmakers facing strong Democratic challengers stayed away from the convention, apparently wary of either distancing themselves from Trump or alienating his most committed supporters.

At least 16 candidates in competitive House and Senate contests were scheduled to speak, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Ohio Senator Jon Husted.

Cost of living and Iran war dominate concerns

While Republican speakers spent considerable time attacking Democrats over immigration, transgender athletes and other cultural issues, voters’ economic concerns received comparatively less attention.

The war involving Iran has also become a major political challenge. Trump defended US military action against Tehran and argued that it was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

He also promised that oil prices would fall once the conflict ends, while insisting that victory would come soon. Yet the conflict has continued for months, adding to pressure on energy prices and the broader cost of living.

Democrats see an opportunity

Democrats have sought to portray the Republican convention as a distraction from economic problems facing American households.

Republican speakers, meanwhile, repeatedly described Democrats as “socialists” and “communists,” framing the election as a choice between Trump’s agenda and what they portray as an increasingly left-wing Democratic Party.

The convention also produced an unusual bipartisan moment when Democratic Senator John Fetterman appeared in a prerecorded video introducing Republican Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick and expressing support for working with Trump to protect the state’s steel industry.

A high-stakes November election

The stakes are considerable. Republicans currently control Congress, but Democrats are hoping to win at least one chamber in November and use that power to constrain Trump during the final two years of his presidency.

Trump’s $5,000 proposal now adds a dramatic new element to an already closely watched campaign.

Whether the promised dividend can actually be delivered remains unanswered. For now, however, the proposal has ensured that the Republican midterm campaign begins with a headline-grabbing offer that puts money, Trump and congressional control at the centre of the political debate.