Trump Offers Every American $5,000 If Republicans Win The Midterms
The extraordinary proposal, delivered during the president's speech at the midterm convention, would cost $1.2 trillion and raised immediate ethical questions.
President Trump has pledged to give every American $5,000 if his Republican party secures control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. This so-called "Trump Dividend" proposal was touted during a speech at the Republican midterm convention in Texas, with the aim of boosting voter turnout among Trump's supporters.
However, experts have pointed out that the cost of such a scheme would be astronomical, estimated at around $1.2 trillion. This is far beyond the $284 billion in customs revenue collected in the first half of 2026, and would require additional funding from tariffs or other sources. Critics argue that Trump's offer is essentially a bribe to voters and a recipe for financial disaster.
Trump's economic adviser JD Vance suggested that such a payout could be funded by tariff revenues, but pointed out that the administration has already returned billions in refunded tariffs. For the Republican National Committee, the main concern is that the midterms will hinge on voter turnout, which could be lower for Republicans due to Trump's absence from the ballot.
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