Phoenix, Sep 11:
US President Donald Trump has promised to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections, making an extraordinary financial pledge as his party faces a difficult electoral battle.
Trump announced what he called the âTrump Dividendâ during the Republican Partyâs midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday. He presented the proposed payment as a reward for what he described as the administrationâs economic success and compared it with the dividends paid by companies to their shareholders.
âIf the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,â Trump said, linking the proposed payment directly to a Republican victory in the midterms.
However, the proposal immediately raised questions about its cost, funding and legal feasibility. The payment would likely cost more than $1 trillion, while the US is already running an annual budget deficit of nearly $1.8 trillion and its national debt crossed $40 trillion last month. The proposal would also require congressional approval or acquiescence, according to financial and legal experts cited in reports.
Vice-President JD Vance appeared to qualify Trumpâs announcement shortly afterwards, suggesting that wealthy Americans would not receive the proposed dividend. Vance also indicated that tariff revenues could be used to finance the payments. But the proposed payout is far larger than the revenue generated by US tariffs, raising further doubts about how the scheme could be funded.
Marc Goldwein, senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said Trump did not have the authority to distribute such money without congressional approval. He also questioned the logic of calling the payment a dividend when the US government is running huge deficits and carrying more than $40 trillion in debt.
The proposal comes at a politically sensitive time for Republicans. The party is trying to defend its narrow majority in the House, while control of the Senate is also considered vulnerable. Trump has acknowledged the historical tendency of the presidentâs party to lose congressional seats during midterm elections and said he wanted to break that pattern.
The White House has not provided details on the eligibility criteria, exact funding mechanism or how the programme would be implemented. Vice-President Vanceâs comments have also left open questions about whether the $5,000 figure would apply to every adult citizen or only to those below a particular income level.
Trump has previously floated similar cash-payment proposals. Earlier this year, he proposed a $2,000 dividend and suggested that congressional approval might not be necessary. Last year, he gave members of the US military $1,776 checks that he described as a âwarrior dividendâ.
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio backed the latest proposal, saying he would prepare legislation to secure approval for the Trump Dividend after the November 3 election. The proposal, however, faces the challenge of winning congressional support at a time when lawmakers are already concerned about the countryâs debt and deficit.
The political implications have also drawn attention. Some critics have described the pledge as an attempt to influence voters ahead of the midterms, while attorney John Day offered a different legal assessment, saying the proposal would not constitute a payment for votes because the money would theoretically be available to people regardless of how, or whether, they voted.
For Trump, the promise represents a high-profile attempt to put economic benefits at the centre of the Republican midterm campaign. But with the proposed payout carrying a potential price tag of more than $1 trillion and no clear funding or legislative pathway yet outlined, its practical prospects remain uncertain.