US President Donald Trump has promised to introduce a $5,000 payment for every adult American if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate after November’s midterm elections.
Trump made the pledge while addressing a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, where he told supporters that the proposed payment would be issued as a dividend to American citizens.
The plan could carry a massive price tag. With nearly 270 million adults in the United States, a $5,000 payment per adult could cost the federal government roughly $1.3 trillion.
However, Trump did not provide details on how the programme would be financed, administered or legally implemented.
He also said recipients would be expected to spend the money within the United States rather than using it to purchase goods from countries such as Canada, China or Germany. It remains unclear how compliance with that condition would be monitored.
Vice-President JD Vance suggested that the proposed payments could be financed through revenue generated by the administration’s tariffs on imported goods.
Vance described the proposed payments as a dividend for American workers, arguing that the government was collecting substantial revenue from its tariff policies.
Trump has previously floated a similar proposal involving $2,000 payments funded by tariff revenue, although no nationwide programme of that nature has been implemented.
Democrats have criticised the latest promise, dismissing it as an “empty promise” and raising questions about its feasibility.
The proposal also comes as the Trump administration faces economic pressure linked to the conflict with Iran. The war has disrupted energy markets, while the Strait of Hormuz has remained largely closed.
The strategic waterway normally handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, and disruptions have contributed to higher energy prices.
Trump has defended the economic consequences of the conflict, arguing that the costs are necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Before the Republican convention, Trump warned supporters that the conflict could continue beyond the midterm elections and suggested oil prices would not decline before then.
The proposed $5,000 dividend therefore comes amid heightened debate over household finances, government spending and the economic impact of the administration’s policies.
The White House has yet to explain whether congressional approval would be required, where the funding would come from or how the proposed payments would be distributed.
