US President Donald Trump has pledged to give every adult American $5,000 if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
The proposal could cost the US more than $1 trillion and comes as Trump faces declining approval ratings 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 address at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas.
The proposed payments would amount to nearly 3% of the US economy, raising questions over how the plan would be financed and whether linking a cash benefit to an election result could create ethical concerns.
Trump urged Americans to treat the midterms as a referendum on his presidency, telling supporters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot”. His appeal comes at a challenging time for Republicans, with his approval ratings under pressure and several Republican candidates choosing to skip the two-day convention.
Trump nevertheless portrayed his record in highly positive terms, claiming 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 offered no evidence to support the claim.
He also warned voters of what he said would follow if Democrats regained control of the House or Senate.
“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. “Our country is going through hell.”
Trump repeatedly criticised Democrats, calling them “radical” and warning that there was a “crazy little sick cloud” over the US. “We will defeat communism in America,” he said.
The Republican Party is using its first-ever midterm convention to rally supporters as it faces the possibility of losing control of the House. The event had a disjointed buildup, with the Republican National Committee moving Trump’s keynote address from the second night to Wednesday. He is expected to deliver closing remarks on Thursday following an address by Vice-President JD Vance.
Trump also devoted considerable attention to the US war with Iran. He claimed Tehran had been “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon” before the US intervened.
At the same time, Trump appeared to acknowledge the economic consequences of the conflict, particularly rising oil prices. He recalled telling his economic advisers that the US needed to enter the conflict despite the strength of the economy, highlighting the growing tension between his foreign-policy decisions and their economic impact.
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