President Donald Trump is once again promising Americans free money—this time a $5,000 “Trump dividend” for every adult American if Republicans retain control of Congress in the November midterm elections. Trump unveiled the proposal Wednesday at the Republican Party’s convention in Dallas, tying the massive payout directly to a GOP victory.
The proposal could cost more than $1 trillion, and Trump offered few details about how it would be funded or distributed. Vice President JD Vance suggested that wealthy Americans might ultimately be excluded and pointed to tariff revenue as a possible funding source. Economists and budget analysts have questioned whether tariff collections could come anywhere close to covering the cost.
This isn’t the first time Trump has dangled the promise of government checks. His administration and allies have previously promoted ideas including a $2,000 “tariff dividend” and other cash-payment proposals that never materialized. The earlier tariff-dividend proposal failed to gain congressional support, leaving Americans still waiting for the promised money.
And that’s not all…
At the convention, Trump half-joked:
“Pretend I’m on the ballot,” he urged. “I’m on the ballot. Just one more time.”