Trump’s $5,000 Voter Payout Promise Could Cost US $1 Trillion if GOP Wins Midterms

US President Donald Trump has promised to give every adult American $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate in the upcoming midterm elections.

The proposal, which could cost the US more than $1 trillion, comes as Trump faces declining approval ratings and growing concerns within the Republican Party ahead of the November polls, The Guardian reported.

“If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump said during a nearly two-hour speech at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas.

The proposed payout would amount to nearly 3% of the US economy, according to the report, raising questions about how such a plan would be funded as well as concerns over the ethics of linking a financial benefit to an election outcome.

Trump sought to make the midterm elections a direct test of his presidency, urging voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot”. His remarks came despite weak approval ratings and the absence of several Republican candidates from the two-day convention.

Defending his record, Trump claimed that the first two years of his second term had been “the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the history of the presidency”. He did not provide evidence to substantiate the claim.

A major part of his address focused on warning voters about the consequences of a Democratic victory in either chamber of Congress.

“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth,” Trump said, adding, “Our country is going through hell.”

Trump also launched a sharp attack on Democrats, describing them as “radical” and warning of what he called a “crazy little sick cloud” over the country. He further declared, “We will defeat communism in America.”

The Republican Party is hoping its first midterm convention will help energise its voter base as it faces the possibility of losing control of the House. The event itself faced a turbulent buildup, with Trump’s scheduled speaking slot moved from the second night to Wednesday by the Republican National Committee. He is expected to deliver closing remarks on Thursday after Vice-President JD Vance speaks.

Trump also devoted significant attention to the US conflict with Iran. He claimed that Tehran had been “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon” before the US became involved in the conflict.

He also appeared to acknowledge the economic pressure created by higher oil prices. Recounting conversations with his economic advisers, Trump said he had argued that the US needed to enter the conflict despite the strength of the American economy, highlighting the difficult balance between military action and rising energy costs.