Donald Trump has pledged to give every American adult $5,000 (£3,691) if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. The unprecedented move comes as the US President attempts to reverse his party’s sagging fortunes before polling booths open in November. The announcement drew raucous applause at the convention and Trump appeared to relish the moment.
Cost and Feasibility Concerns
The promise would probably cost more than one trillion dollars (£738.3 billion) and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly 1.8 trillion dollar (£1.3 trillion) annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation.
"If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get 5,000 dollars," Trump said during the Republican party’s midterm convention in Dallas, Texas. "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".
Vice President's Walk-Back
The 47th President gave no details on how the reward would work or be funded – saying only that the money would have to be spent in the United States. Within an hour, vice president JD Vance appeared to try to walk back Mr Trump’s proposal - at least in part - by suggesting the dividend payments would not go to the wealthy.
Mr Vance suggested it could be paid for by US tariff revenues, though the suggested payment dwarfs what the US has taken in through the protectionist measures. The White House did not respond to a message seeking details.
Democratic Criticism and Legal Questions
Democrats labelled it an "empty promise" and others questioned whether such a pledge was legal or feasible, BBC News reports. Congress would need to approve or otherwise acquiesce to the payment. The sum would far exceed US tariff revenues even before the Supreme Court threw out much of the president’s tariff programme last year.
The national debt last month topped 40 trillion dollars for the first time, according to Reuters.
Mr 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," Mr Trump said. "There’s no reason for it."
Federal laws prohibit payments that are intended to influence voting. The issue came to the fore ahead of the 2024 presidential election, during which billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk offered cash incentives to registered voters in seven swing states who signed a certain petition. However, some experts say the promise made by Trump during Wednesday's (9 September) speech may be seen as a pledge to cut taxes, which is legal.
