Payment

US President Donald Trump has pledged to introduce a $5,000 federal “dividend” for every adult American if Republicans maintain control of both chambers of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Trump made the pledge on Wednesday at the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, turning an election rally into a pitch that could put billions of dollars directly into Americans’ pockets. “If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them,” Trump said, he would issue the payment “to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.” Reuters reported that Trump called the proposed payment a dividend and gave no further details about how the scheme would be funded or implemented. ABC News similarly reported that Trump told the convention he would issue a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult American if Republicans held on to the House and Senate. The network quoted him as saying the proposal was possible “because of our tremendous strength and success economically.” Trump said the money would have to be spent within the United States. “The only caveat I have is that the dividend that we’re making must be spent in the United States of America,” Reuters quoted him as saying. The proposal would represent a huge federal outlay. Reuters estimated that paying $5,000 to roughly 270 million American adults could cost about $1.35tn. The news agency also reported that the legality and practical operation of the proposal were not immediately clear. The Associated Press reported that the proposed payments would likely cost more than $1tn, while questions remained over how they could be financed and administered. It also noted that Vice President JD Vance appeared to qualify Trump’s promise by suggesting that wealthier Americans could potentially be excluded. The pledge comes as Republicans fight to retain their congressional majorities in the November 3 midterm elections, with all seats in the House and about one-third of Senate seats at stake. Trump sought to make himself central to the campaign despite not being on the ballot, telling supporters to vote as though he were running. ABC News quoted him telling the crowd: “So I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot. I’m on the ballot.” The president’s latest proposal also echoes an earlier idea for direct payments to Americans. Forbes reported in February 2025 that Trump was considering a “DOGE dividend” funded from savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency, after Elon Musk proposed $5,000 refund cheques for taxpayers. That earlier proposal did not become a nationwide $5,000 payment. Trump’s latest announcement is therefore a political promise, not an existing federal payment programme. Any such scheme would require a mechanism for funding and implementation, with Reuters reporting that no further details were immediately available. The Republican Party’s convention comes against a difficult political backdrop for the party, with Reuters reporting that Trump’s approval ratings and voter dissatisfaction over the economy and the war in Iran have created risks for Republican candidates seeking re-election.