Washington: US President Donald Trump has pledged to issue a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections, a proposal that could cost the US government around $1.3 trillion.
Trump announced the plan during a speech at the Republican Party’s first convention held during a president’s term, telling supporters in Dallas, Texas, that the payments would be issued if Republicans win control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Trump did not provide details on how the payments would be funded or distributed, although he indicated that recipients would be expected to spend the money within the United States.
The proposal, which Trump referred to as ‘Trump Dividends’, is expected to face questions over its cost, funding and legal basis. With nearly 270 million adults in the US, payments of $5,000 each would amount to approximately $1.3 trillion.
Vice-President JD Vance suggested the proposed payments could be funded by revenue generated through the Trump administration’s tariff policies. He described the plan as a dividend for American workers, arguing that the government was collecting substantial revenue from tariffs imposed on foreign companies and countries.
However, the proposal has drawn criticism from Democrats, while legal experts have questioned whether an election-linked promise of direct payments could violate federal laws governing attempts to influence voters.
US Congress controls federal spending, meaning any nationwide payment programme would require congressional authority. Trump did not say during his speech whether he would seek approval from lawmakers for the proposed payments.
The legal debate comes amid broader questions about campaign-related financial incentives. Federal law prohibits certain payments intended to influence voting, although some legal experts argue Trump’s proposal could instead be interpreted as a promise to reduce taxes or return government revenue to citizens.
New Mexico lawyer John Day told the Associated Press that the proposal could be considered legal because it was presented as a promise to all adult US citizens rather than a direct payment conditional on voting for a particular candidate or party.
Trump has previously proposed direct payments to Americans, including $2,000 cheques that he said could be funded through tariff revenues. Vance also linked the latest proposal to the administration’s tariff income.
The announcement comes as Trump faces economic and political pressure over rising prices and the impact of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The conflict has disrupted global energy markets, with the Strait of Hormuz largely closed amid Iranian retaliation against US bases and Gulf allies. Around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits through the strategic waterway, making disruptions there a major factor in global energy prices.
Trump has warned supporters that the conflict could continue beyond the November midterm elections and that oil prices would not fall until the war ends. At the Republican convention, he argued that short-term economic difficulties were necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The November 3 midterm elections will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate. Trump’s proposed $5,000 ‘dividend’ has already become one of the most striking economic promises linked to the upcoming vote.
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