(LOOTPRESS) – President Donald Trump promised Wednesday to send adult U.S. citizens $5,000 checks if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November. The proposed payments would require congressional approval, and the administration has not detailed how it would cover the cost.
Speaking at a Republican convention in Dallas, Trump called the payment a “Trump dividend.” Providing $5,000 to roughly 245 million adult citizens would cost about $1.2 trillion, according to PBS News.
Vice President JD Vance said tariff revenue would help fund the payments. But Tax Foundation economist Erica York said the cost would consume nearly a decade of projected revenue from the new tariffs. Eligibility also remains unclear: Trump described broad payments, while Vance emphasized workers and the middle class.
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said he would introduce legislation after the election. Economists cited by PBS warned that the spending could increase federal debt and inflation pressures.
Previous proposals for payments funded by government spending cuts and tariffs have not produced checks. The latest pledge remains a campaign proposal, with funding and eligibility unresolved,
