US President Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in the November midterm elections, in a proposal that could cost more than $1 trillion.
Trump made the pledge on Wednesday during the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, as he urged voters to support Republican candidates seeking to maintain the party’s congressional majority.
Under the proposal, adults would receive what Trump described as a “dividend” if Republicans win both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November 3 elections. He said the payment would be based on what he described as the country’s economic strength and would have to be spent within the United States.
“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them … I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump said.
The president did not explain how the proposed payments would be funded or when they would be distributed. The plan would also require congressional approval because the president does not have the authority to independently create and finance a nationwide payment programme of this scale.
Estimates put the potential cost of the proposal at more than $1 trillion. Reuters estimated that payments to all eligible adults could cost about $1.35 trillion, highlighting the enormous financial commitment that would be required if the proposal were implemented.
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Vice President JD Vance later suggested that wealthier Americans could potentially be excluded from the payments and pointed to tariff revenue as a possible source of funding. However, questions remain over whether tariff collections could generate enough money to finance a programme of this size.
The proposal comes as Republicans prepare for a closely watched midterm election campaign. All 435 seats in the House and one-third of the Senate are up for election, with control of Congress at stake.
Trump has placed himself at the centre of the Republican campaign despite not being a candidate in the November elections. During his convention speech, he encouraged Republicans to vote as though he were personally on the ballot and portrayed the midterms as a choice between his administration’s policies and Democratic alternatives.
The proposed payment is also likely to generate debate over government spending and the country’s finances. Critics have questioned whether such a large distribution would increase the federal deficit or add further pressure to the national debt.
For now, the $5,000 payment remains a political pledge rather than an approved benefit. Republicans would first have to retain control of both chambers and then secure congressional backing for legislation establishing the payment.
The proposal is expected to become part of the wider debate over the economy and the cost of living as American voters prepare to decide the balance of power in Washington.
