Trump begs voters and dangles $5,000 carrot again as mid-term concerns mount
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President Donald Trump again pushed his $5,000 “dividend” checks for Americans if the midterms go Republicans’ way, despite polling showing Americans souring on his party and policies.
Trump spent his Saturday morning releasing a series of videos on Truth Social. He used the videos to talk about several issues, including his Medicare deposits and the midterm elections.
He again stated that if Republicans keep both the Senate and House of Representatives in November, it will result in Americans getting paid - a statement which some have called a “bribe.”
"I am going to give all adult citizens in the United States of America $5,000," Trump said. "And only Republicans can do it, and Democrats can't, because we're taking in massive amounts of money through tariffs and tremendous economic success."
The president didn’t stop there, warning that if Democrats take the majority in Congress, they will raise taxes and lead to another Great Depression.
"If the Democrats win, you will have an economic depression like 1929," Trump said.
In the video, Trump conflated several economic policies while talking about his dividends that he first announced last month. He stated that they will cost roughly $1 trillion, but the country has seen $21 trillion in investments since he took office. However, those investments are not cash infusions.
The president also highlighted his tariffs - which were deemed illegal by the Supreme Court and refunded - but those are costs often passed on to U.S. consumers.
Trump said the checks are “very easy” for him because of his successes, and it’s something the Democrats couldn’t promise.
“I look forward to signing the checks,” Trump said.
The president first announced the checks in early September and was met with backlash.
In a post on X the day after the announcement, reporter Sam Steindescribed it as “openly bribing people to vote for Republicans.”
Congress would need to approve the checks, and even current Speaker Mike Johnson didn’t commit to Trump’s plan.
"I commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that, like I have to do everything else," Johnson said on a recent Meet the Press.
The announcement comes as polling continues to show the Republicans far behind just weeks before the midterms. Both the Senate and the House have thin Republican majorities, so Democratic wins could switch the majority in one or both houses. If Democrats take hold, it could serve as a roadblock to Trump’s agenda.
A recent YouGov poll found that Democrats lead Republicans on a generic ballot for the upcoming election. Roughly 52 percent of likely voters say they would vote for a Democrat, but just 38 percent would back the GOP.
Republicans are also seeing trouble with how the nation views them on economic issues. A recent Associated Press poll found 65 percent blamed Trump for higher prices. Overall, 73 percent disapprove of Trump handling of the economy, the poll found.
That figure is a new low since he returned to the White House.
