Trump Promises $5,000 Payout to Every Adult American if Republicans Win Midterms
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will offer every adult American a $5,000 (£3,700) payout if Republicans win both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections. This plan, which could cost over $1.3 trillion, was revealed during a speech at the Republican Party’s first-ever convention held in the middle of a US presidential term.
The offer sparked immediate criticism from Democrats, who termed it an "empty promise," and raised doubts among others regarding its legality.
With nearly 270 million American adults, such a payout would be a significant financial burden on the US government. Questions have arisen about the feasibility of the plan, particularly in light of rising prices caused by the ongoing tensions with Iran. The latter’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas transit, has led to fluctuations in oil prices worldwide.
Trump warned his supporters that the war with Iran would not end before the midterms and that oil prices would not decrease until then. He made these comments ahead of his speech in Texas, reiterating them at the convention where he justified the short-term economic pain as necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
"If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them," Trump said, *"I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000." He emphasized that the money must be spent within the US, adding, "We don’t want you going to Canada to spend the money. We don’t want you going to China, to Germany. You got to spend the money in the United States of America."
This is not the first time Trump has proposed such a payout; he had previously suggested $2,000 checks funded by tariff revenues.
