- President Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult American citizen if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and Senate in the November 2026 midterm elections.
- Trump made the pledge during the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, as he sought to energise Republican voters and turn the congressional elections into a referendum on his presidency.
- The proposed payout could cost more than $1 trillion, with Trump providing no clear explanation of how it would be funded, while legal and constitutional questions could arise over tying a government payment to an electoral outcome.
- The pledge comes after previous proposals for broad cash payments, including a tariff-funded dividend, failed to materialise, raising fresh questions about whether the latest promise is a serious policy proposal or an attempt to boost Republican turnout.
September 10 (THEWILL) – President Donald Trump has promised to pay $5,000 to every adult citizen in the United States if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in the November 2026 midterm elections.
Trump made the pledge on Wednesday during the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, where he sought to rally the party’s base ahead of a closely watched congressional election in which control of the House and Senate is at stake.
“Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000. That alone should win the midterms”, Trump told supporters.
The US President Trump described the proposed payment as the “Trump dividend”, saying the money would have to be spent within the United States.
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The announcement came as Republicans seek to overcome the traditional turnout disadvantage faced by the party of a sitting president in midterm elections.
While urging voters to treat the election as if he himself were running again, Trump warned that Republicans would suffer significant setbacks if Democrats regained control of Congress.
Meanwhile, concerns remain about the $5,000 pledge. Based on more than 235 million adult Americans, a universal $5,000 payment would require well over $1 trillion. The Associated Press and other analyses have put the potential cost above $1 trillion, while other estimates place it at about $1.35 trillion, depending on eligibility.
However, Vice President JD Vance said wealthy Americans could ultimately be excluded from the payment and pointed toward tariff revenues as a possible funding source.
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