US President Donald Trump has promised to give every adult American citizen $5,000 if the Republican Party retains control of both chambers of Congress in the November 2026 midterm elections.
Trump made the pledge on Wednesday, September 9, during a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, where he urged voters to support Republican candidates in the upcoming elections.
According to Trump, the proposed payment would be issued as a “Trump dividend”, which he linked to what he described as the country’s economic strength and success under his administration.
“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.
He added that the money would have to be spent within the United States.
However, Trump did not provide details on how the proposed payments would be funded or implemented. It is also unclear whether the president could authorise such payments without approval from Congress.
Reports indicate that distributing $5,000 to more than 200 million adult citizens could cost the US government more than $1 trillion, raising questions about the proposal’s financial and legal feasibility.
The Republican Party currently faces a major battle to retain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Trump’s announcement comes as he intensifies his campaign to mobilise Republican voters, urging them to treat the midterm elections as a referendum on his presidency.
The proposed payment has not been approved by Congress and should therefore not be presented as an existing government programme or guaranteed payment.