Trump promises a $5,000 check to every adult if Republicans win the November elections and sets only one condition
This would be his controversial ‘dividend’ that would cost him one trillion euros
U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to deliver $5,000 (about €4,300) to every adult American citizen if the Republican Party manages to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections . The announcement was made this Wednesday during the Republican National Convention held in Dallas, at a time when Republicans are facing elections in which control of Congress is at stake.
Trump presented the measure as a “ dividend ” for citizens and assured that it would be linked to the economic strength of the United States. “If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both, due to our tremendous strength and economic success, I will issue a $5,000 dividend to every adult citizen of the United States ,” he stated during his speech.
The president added one condition: the money would have to be spent within the United States . He did not explain, however, how the payments would be made, when they would begin to be received, which agency would be responsible for distributing them, or what exactly the source of funding would be. Nor did he specify during his speech whether all adult citizens would be entitled to the money regardless of their income.
A promise of more than one trillion dollars
The economic dimension of the proposal is one of the main questions. The United States has approximately 270 million adults, so giving $5,000 to each one would entail an outlay of around $1.35 trillion , according to estimates reported by Reuters.
The figure is considerably higher than the direct payment programs approved during the coronavirus pandemic , when the U.S. Congress authorized several rounds of aid for households. On this occasion, moreover, Trump did not present a specific legislative program, but rather made the announcement during a political event. CBS notes that he also did not clarify whether he intends to ask Congress to authorize the payments.
Funding is another of the unresolved issues. Trump did not explain where the money would come from in his speech. Some subsequent reports point to the revenue obtained through trade tariffs as a possible source, although current revenue from this route would not be sufficient on its own to cover an amount of this size.
The proposal also raises questions about its implementation. To carry out a payment program of this magnitude, it would be necessary to determine its legal basis and the corresponding budgetary mechanism. Associated Press notes that the measure would likely need approval from Congress and that there is still no approved program guaranteeing those $5,000.
