By Abiola Olawale
Political shockwaves continue to reverberate across the United States following US President Donald Trump’s headline-grabbing proposal during the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Texas.
Trump announced that his administration would issue a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” to every adult citizen, provided that voters hand Republicans control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the upcoming November midterm elections.
The bold promise has triggered a fierce national debate, drawing sharp criticism from political opponents, warnings from fiscal watchdogs, and strong defense from the White House.
Reacting swiftly to the promise, Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget wrote on X that “this would cost about $1.2 TRILLION in just one year. That’s more than ALL THREE ROUNDS of COVID relief checks, despite no recessions. The result would be a huge spike in the deficit, and almost certainly in the inflation rate.”
The New Diplomat reports that the US has roughly 240 million adult citizens, suggesting the cost of $1.2tn. The federal government spent about $7tn in fiscal year 2025, with about $2tn taken on as debt.
Also, in his reaction, California Governor Gavin Newsom said: “After making you sicker and poorer with his war, Donald Trump now wants to buy your vote with $5,000 in taxpayer-funded blood money. The most corrupt man ever to occupy the Oval Office.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) pointed to Trump’s record on similar pledges, from $5,000 stimulus checks as a result of the work of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to $2,000 stimulus checks from revenue from tariffs.
“Donald Trump and Republicans are once again offering empty promises to Americans,” said Kendall Witmer, the committee’s rapid response director. “The only people reaping the benefits of Trump’s economy are himself, his family, and his ultra-rich elite donors. Meanwhile, working families get nothing except sky-high receipts at the grocery store and the pump, unaffordable healthcare premiums, and wages that aren’t keeping up with inflation.”
Peter Schiff, chief economist for Euro Pacific Asset Management, said that Trump’s pledge had already begun rippling through financial markets.
“Even though bond investors know that, even in the unlikely event Republicans retain control of the House, Trump’s promise to borrow over $1 trillion more to buy votes won’t be kept,” Schiff wrote in a post on X. “The promise itself is so reckless that they’re dumping Treasuries, sending yields to new highs …
“Making his promise even worse, Trump referred to his $5,000 bribes as ‘dividends’, as if his policies had been so successful that the US now has surpluses to share. Instead, his reckless policies have produced massive deficits. Trump needs to send Americans bills, not checks.”