US President Donald Trump has pledged to pay every US adult $5,000 if Republicans maintain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Trump, during the Republican Party’s first midterm convention in Dallas, called the proposed payment a “Trump dividend”.
He hasn’t, however, outlined how the scheme would be funded or how it would be executed, and it is not clear the president has the legal power to make the payments.
The proposal would apply to about 270 million adults in the United States, and would cost about $1.35 trillion.
During his nearly two-hour prime-time address, Trump sought to refute claims by his critics that his administration has failed to manage the economy appropriately and encouraged voters to vote for Republicans ahead of the November 3 elections.
He said he believed the first two years of his term have been “the greatest two years in the history of the presidency,” and that he was “cautious about ceding power to the Democrats.”
It was a convention of two days, and the Republicans have been showing just how much they still count on Trump when they are getting ready for a tough midterm campaign.
The president is also expected to make a lot of campaign stops in battleground states and districts in the weeks prior to Election Day.
Republicans are getting worried as more and more voters are worried about the ever-increasing cost of living and the ongoing war with Iran.
Polling also shows that some of the undecided voters are starting to grow disenchanted with the administration, and that Trump’s approval ratings are dropping.
The $5,000 payout could be a key talking point for Republicans in an effort to keep their numbers in Congress.
The convention also revealed splits in the party. Some Republican legislators who were facing competitive races opted out of the event and others went to Dallas to deliver speeches with Trump.
The rally saw several Republican speakers repeatedly warning of “socialists” and “communists” among Democrats and hammering a theme of border security and transgender athletes “in sports.”
Trump also said that he had to take action against Iran, or it would have turned into a nuclear power. He assured that oil prices would come down after the war.
Republicans are at risk of losing control of at least one of the chambers in Congress at midterm, and could well be tested by the elections in less than two months to see how much political sway Trump has.