US3 min(s) read
Donald Trump has revealed the only condition that would caveat his proposed $5,000 payment to American adults should the Republicans win the midterm elections.
Speaking during a convention focused on procuring support for the upcoming midterms in Dallas, Texas, Trump told supporters that Republicans could deliver a huge cash payment to American adults if the party wins control of both chambers of Congress.
Trump claimed that the proposed payment would be linked to what he described as the United States’ "tremendous economic success", with tariffs forming part of his argument for how the relatively large sums of money could be distributed to approximately 270 million adults across the country
"If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them because of our tremendous economic success... because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000."
The announcement was met with loud applause and cheering from those in attendance.
Trump compared the proposed payment to money distributed by a successful business to its shareholders, suggesting that American citizens would effectively receive a share of the country's economic gains.
He also referenced a previous payment he said had been given to members of the US military.
"Very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders. Or like last year when I gave our great members of the military 1776."
Trump then recalled how the figure had been chosen, saying: "Remember I gave it to our military. 1776."
However, he appeared to get tangled up while explaining the number, saying: "Can you believe the number was 1775? And I said, you know, if we add $1, we're at 1776. Did anybody think of that? No."
He subsequently stated: "But we gave our great military $176 and they are thrilled."
Trump then revealed that his proposed "dividend" would come with one key restriction.
"But the only condition on the payment of this dividend that we're going to be making, so it's $5,000 to every adult, the only caveat I have is that the dividend that we're making must be spent in the United States of America."
The current US leader stressed that he did not want recipients taking the money overseas.
"We don't want you going to Canada to spend the money. We don't want you going to China, to Germany. You got to spend the money in the United States of America."
"In other words, if the Republicans win, if you win, we might not win."
Trump also took the opportunity to criticize the Democrats, arguing that they would not be able to deliver a similar payment because, in his view, they would not generate enough revenue through tariffs.
"The reason the Democrats can't do that is because they don't do tariffs, they don't take in money, all they know is poverty and how to ruin our country."
He continued: "But we're making a fortune."
Trump then made his promise to supporters explicit.
"So if the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000."
And he gave the proposed payment a name of its own: "It will be called the Trump dividend. We'll call it the Trump dividend."
These promises come after Trump’s opinion ratings across the United States have been in serious decline since he was re-elected two years ago.
It also remains to be seen where this $5,000 promised to the American people, should he win, will come from, with it amounting to $1.35 trillion.
