US2 min(s) read
Trump shifts goalposts on who will receive $5,000 checks as key distinction could change the cost by $400 billion
In a desperate attempt to secure support in the upcoming midterm elections, Trump has long been promising voters a substantial amount of cash in exchange for their support.
It is not uncommon for any government to try out different initiatives to encourage voter turnout, for example, setting designated voting holidays or organizing transport to polling stations.
Trump has promised a huge check for millions of people
Instead, Trump has taken a much more controversial route, promising a $5,000 payout if Republicans win a majority in both houses of Congress in November.
However, it is far from the first time that Trump has promised lump sum payouts, and now he is becoming even more selective with who actually qualifies for the payout.
A survey by The Economist and YouGov found that only 21 percent of registered voters believed Trump would “definitely or probably” issue the $5,000 dividend if Republicans retain control of Congress.
More than half - 57 percent - believed that he probably or definitely would not deliver on the promise.
In typical Trump style, he has changed his mind on who will receive the payout many times since he first announced the “Trump Dividend” at a Republican midterm convention in Dallas on September 9.
Less than a month later, on October 2, Trump posted on Truth Social: “The highly popular $5,000 Trump Dividend will be distributed to every U.S. Citizen if, and when, the Republicans win the Midterm Elections! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Later that day, speaking in Alabama during a campaign event, Trump stated the cash would go to “all adult citizens.”
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Who actually qualifies for the payout?
Unsurprisingly, the President changed his promise again just a day later in a Truth Social post, writing: “If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 Midterm Elections, I’m going to give all Adult Citizens in the United States of America $5,000.”
The difference between “every U.S. citizen” and “every adult citizen” represents a gap of roughly 73 million people.
It has been calculated that sending $5,000 to every adult would cost the government around $1.3 trillion.
However, extending those checks to all 343 million U.S. citizens would push the total cost past $1.7 trillion, meaning a staggering $400 billion difference.
The discrepancy between the figures is one more significant reason US voters shouldn’t hold out for a payout.