US President Donald Trump has promised a federal payment of $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans maintain control of both chambers of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Trump made the pledge on Wednesday during the Republican Party’s first midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, where he presented the proposed payment as a federal “dividend” for Americans.
Speaking to party supporters, Trump said the payment would be made if Republicans won both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
He did not provide details on how the proposed scheme would be financed or administered, but said the payment would be possible because of what he described as the country’s strong economic performance.
Trump also said the money would have to be spent within the United States.
The proposal would involve a substantial financial commitment from the federal government. Estimates cited by Reuters suggest that giving $5,000 to approximately 270 million American adults could cost around $1.35 trillion.
The legality and practical arrangements for implementing the proposal were not immediately clear.
The Associated Press also estimated that the plan could cost more than $1 trillion, while questions remained about its funding and administration.
US Vice President JD Vance appeared to suggest that higher-income Americans could potentially be excluded from receiving the payment, although Trump did not outline any such restriction in his announcement.
The promise comes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, in which all seats in the House of Representatives and roughly one-third of Senate seats will be contested.
Although Trump himself is not on the ballot, he sought to make the election a referendum on his presidency, urging supporters to vote as though his name were directly on the ballot.
The proposed payment also resembles an earlier idea associated with Trump.
In February 2025, Forbes reported that Trump had considered a so-called “DOGE dividend”, involving direct payments to taxpayers from savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency after Elon Musk proposed $5,000 refund cheques.
That proposal, however, did not result in a nationwide $5,000 payment.
Trump’s latest announcement is therefore a political proposal rather than an existing federal payment programme. Any implementation would require a clear funding mechanism and legal and administrative arrangements.
The pledge comes as Republicans seek to defend their congressional majorities amid political challenges, including concerns over Trump’s approval ratings and voter dissatisfaction with economic conditions and the war in Iran.
Source: The PUNCH
