President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, an extraordinary gambit to reverse his party’s sagging fortunes in November.
The dubious promise would most likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation.
“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump said during the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas. “It will be called the Trump Dividend.”
He likened the payments to a corporation’s distributions to shareholders, citing “our tremendous strength and success economically.”
Within an hour, Vice President JD Vance appeared to try to walk back Trump’s proposal — at least in part — by suggesting the dividend payments would not go to the wealthy. Vance suggested it could be paid for by U.S. tariff revenues, though the suggested payment dwarfs what the U.S. has taken in through the protectionist measures.
The White House did not respond to a message seeking details.
Trump’s $5,000 adult-citizen ‘dividend’ would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.23 trillion
Congress would need to approve or otherwise acquiesce to the payment. The sum would far exceed U.S. tariff revenues even before the Supreme Court tossed much of the president’s tariff program last year.
The national debt last month topped $40 trillion for the first time.
Trump has frequently lamented that, during the modern era, the president’s party almost always loses seats in Congress during the midterms, and he has looked for unorthodox ways to defy the trend, including this week’s convention.
“We’re going to change that,” Trump said. “There’s no reason for it.”
Marc Goldwein, the senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a think tank in Washington, said Trump has no authority to send money to Americans without approval from Congress.
Goldwein added that dividends are something that companies pay when there’s a surplus, but the U.S. is running $2 trillion annual deficits and has $40 trillion in debt.
“The idea that we’ve had fiscal success is backwards and bordering on laughable,” he said. “We don’t have surpluses to give away.”
The move was reminiscent of billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to buy votes in last year’s Wisconsin state Supreme Court race, where he handed out million-dollar checks to voters to try to boost a candidate who ultimately lost.
Trump has discussed the possibility before but has never tied it to his party’s electoral fortunes. Earlier this year, he proposed a $2,000 dividend and said he didn’t think he needed approval from Congress.
Last year, Trump gave members of the military a $1,776 check that he called a “warrior dividend.”
“I will get a bill ready so that we can get the Trump Dividend passed immediately after the November 3rd election,” Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio wrote on X late Wednesday. “Because Republicans (and America) will win!”
A $5,000 check would give each American more money than they received in direct government payments from COVID-19 relief measures during Trump’s first term.
Trump’s proposal would be legal because the payment would go to everyone regardless of how they voted, or whether they voted at all, said New Mexico-based attorney John Day.
“This is a campaign promise,” Day said. “It’s not a payment to individuals to try to get them to vote in a particular way.”
Republicans are on defense as they look to defend their narrow House majority against strong headwinds. Trump is unpopular, and Americans overwhelmingly oppose the war in Iran. Even the Senate, which Republicans once were well-positioned to keep, is up for grabs.
18 U.S. Code § 597 - Expenditures to influence voting
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 721; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 601(a)(12), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3498.)
President Donald Trump promised every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 check if Republicans retain their majorities in Congress during the party's first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9.
And U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said he would take the lead to make it happen.
"I will get a bill ready so that we can get the Trump Dividend passed immediately after the November 3rd election … because Republicans (and America) will win!" Moreno posted on X.
The president capped off the event, which competed with the NFL regular season kickoff on television, by attacking Democrats while rallying supporters in the Lone Star State in a bid to boost GOP enthusiasm across the country.
At a time when Americans are ranking cost of living as a top concern ahead of the November contests, the president's comments echo a promise that people would receive $2,000 tariff checks in late 2025.
"Because of our tremendous economic success... I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000," Trump told supporters assembled at the American Airlines Center.
Trump's remarks come as Republicans are holding two days of political pageantry aimed at blunting Democrats' momentum in the battle for control of Congress. Top GOP lawmakers, commentators and conservative voters during speeches on Wednesday addressed issues ranging from immigration across the Texas border to transgender athletes.
Still, the president's approval rating has sagged as the Iran war continues and affordability remains top of mind for many voters.
President Donald Trump promised every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 check if Republicans retain their majorities in Congress during the party's first-ever midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9.
And U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said he would take the lead to make it happen.
"I will get a bill ready so that we can get the Trump Dividend passed immediately after the November 3rd election … because Republicans (and America) will win!" Moreno posted on X.
The president capped off the event, which competed with the NFL regular season kickoff on television, by attacking Democrats while rallying supporters in the Lone Star State in a bid to boost GOP enthusiasm across the country.
At a time when Americans are ranking cost of living as a top concern ahead of the November contests, the president's comments echo a promise that people would receive $2,000 tariff checks in late 2025.
"Because of our tremendous economic success... I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000," Trump told supporters assembled at the American Airlines Center.
Trump's remarks come as Republicans are holding two days of political pageantry aimed at blunting Democrats' momentum in the battle for control of Congress. Top GOP lawmakers, commentators and conservative voters during speeches on Wednesday addressed issues ranging from immigration across the Texas border to transgender athletes.
Still, the president's approval rating has sagged as the Iran war continues and affordability remains top of mind for many voters.
Issuing a $5,000 check to roughly 245 million adult U.S. citizens carries a price tag of $1.2 trillion to $1.3 trillion. For context, that is nearly equal to the entire annual discretionary budget of the federal government.
So don't count the money till it hits your hand. Don't worry your math will never be challenged.
Issuing a $5,000 check to roughly 245 million adult U.S. citizens carries a price tag of $1.2 trillion to $1.3 trillion. For context, that is nearly equal to the entire annual discretionary budget of the federal government.
So don't count the money till it hits your hand. Don't worry your math will never be challenged.
It's a lot no doubt, though it probably won't happen. The Dems are probably going to gain at least one house. I also doubt it would be every adult in the country. I am sure there would have to be some sort of qualifier attached. I wouldn't want it to be a very high bar to meet, but wouldn't want people walking down the street handing checks to every crackhead sleeping on the sidewalks.
It would probably be cheaper in the long run over Medicare for all, free tuition, so on and so forth.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Issuing a $5,000 check to roughly 245 million adult U.S. citizens carries a price tag of $1.2 trillion to $1.3 trillion. For context, that is nearly equal to the entire annual discretionary budget of the federal government.
So don't count the money till it hits your hand. Don't worry your math will never be challenged.
It's a lot no doubt, though it probably won't happen. The Dems are probably going to gain at least one house. I also doubt it would be every adult in the country. I am sure there would have to be some sort of qualifier attached. I wouldn't want it to be a very high bar to meet, but wouldn't want people walking down the street handing checks to every crackhead sleeping on the sidewalks.
It would probably be cheaper in the long run over Medicare for all, free tuition, so on and so forth.
Let's ignore how immoral it is to offer voters $5k to vote you into office. Good god. I can't even imagine your reaction if this had been a Biden/Harris pledge back in 2024 - but now because it's Trump you accept the bribery and corruption as if it's standard operating procedure in America. And if you think Trump would come through .... read the article I posted above and the other 15 times Trump promised a check, rebate or dividend and NEVER came thru .... or maybe that's an inconvinient truth that you'll choose to not pay attention to.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
If any democrat anywhere had proposed such a thing he would be calling it trying to buy an election and communism. We both know it. But not when trump and the Republicans do it.
They are great and making accusations based on myths but when the facts smack them right in the face and it's one of their own? That's right, crickets.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Let's ignore how immoral it is to offer voters $5k to vote you into office. Good god. I can't even imagine your reaction if this had been a Biden/Harris pledge back in 2024 - but now because it's Trump you accept the bribery and corruption as if it's standard operating procedure in America. And if you think Trump would come through .... read the article I posted above and the other 15 times Trump promised a check, rebate or dividend and NEVER came thru .... or maybe that's an inconvinient truth that you'll choose to not pay attention to.
It was basically an Andrew Yang pledge back in 2020. "Freedom dividends" were a big part of his campaign.
Yes, Trump is trying to "buy" votes in close to its barest and most straightforward form. But it's not really anything new. Yes, I find it awful, and a big part of that is because its him and I want nothing to do with him continuing to be in office. Yet, free college/loan forgiveness is ultimately more or less the same thing, as is campaigning on tax cuts, so acting like offering people things if they win an election hasn't been "standard operating procedure" is a bit disingenuous. Trump is just not even trying to make it sound better. Unfortunately, he's not offering the cash up front for the vote which would be illegal. Since the "pledge" is to every American regardless of whom they voted for it is most likely "legal."
Can he actually do it? Maybe. Would it probably cause bad inflation if he could? Probably. Would Trump do more damaging things if he has control of both houses? Almost definitely.
Still I find the trying to whitewash how the system has worked aggravating.
You mess with the "Bull," you get the horns. Fiercely Independent.
At no time in our nation's history has a sitting president ever offered a cash reward directly for votes.
You try and conflate things as though they are the same and they are most certainly not.
I'll give you one example you mentioned. Student loan debt. We have students leaving college with tens of thousand if not over 100k in student loan debt. It's perfectly legal to file bankruptcy on your debts but not student loan debt. It's a caveat created strictly for young people starting out in life. It prevents them from buying a home and starting a family. To forgive those loans helps increase home sales and births.
It isn't some, "Hey, vote for me and I'll send you a check" scheme.
It puts student loan debts on equal footing with any other debt that you can legally wipe out with bankruptcy.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
As Pit said you are trying to make one thing exactly like another, when it's not.
I can understand that a candidate offering, say, to cut taxes as a campaign promise, or reduce student debt, or provide free healthcare .... might be debated/argued as a promise that sways a voter and could be seen as an incentive. But as usual there is a difference between that and the POTUS doing and saying what he did. It was deseperate and cringeworthy and most definitely a new low.
I guess at least you called it out as being an attempt to buy votes - as opposed to trying to bypass that and accept it. BTW - in looking up the Yang Dividends - there are some major differences including specifying how it would be paid for and what the goal of the policy was. They may be slight details - but again, painting one thing as exactly like another when they are not seems a big part of the problem with having honest conversations.
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
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