Author, Sarah Smith
Job Location, BBC North America Columnist, Dallas
Published a minute ago
Reading time: 4 min
We are well aware that Donald Trump has never been constrained by the usual rules of campaigning. But even by his extraordinary standards, the loud promise to pay every American $5,000 if the Republicans won the midterm elections looked very strange.
This is a translation of material published on the BBC News website. The original in English can be read here.
Paying out such huge sums was not the main topic of his speech at the Republican National Convention this Wednesday. Trump mentioned this near the end of the first hour of his lengthy speech, just as the audience's attention was beginning to wane.
The president has provided no details about who will fund the more than $1 trillion in payments, how they will be distributed, or how they will be distributed.
In response to a request for more information, the White House called the statements "further evidence that President Trump is doing things that so-called 'experts' thought couldn't be done: his work on behalf of the American people is delivering results." The US presidential administration did not provide more detailed information about how this scheme will work.
"Socialist vote buying scheme"
At the convention in Dallas, Texas, Trump's promises were greeted with joyful applause.
But most of the Republican candidates who face intense competition in the November elections and are competing for the votes of undecided voters who are inclined to change their political preferences did not attend this convention.
Many Republicans were clearly surprised. Trump's promise was welcomed by some, but the president's critics were quick to condemn it.
Conservative members of the Republican Party, who have clashed with the president before, especially over the ever-increasing national debt, responded particularly harshly.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (who lost this year's primary after being criticized by Trump) wrote on Network X: “I don't know about you, but I'm honestly offended by the idea that my vote in the November election can be bought for five thousand. Not to mention the inflation this will lead to. All things considered, I, in my right mind, will not take a penny less than 10 thousand!”
Senator Susan Collins, who did not travel to Dallas and is campaigning hard for re-election in Maine, said: “Tax and spending decisions must be made based on the needs of the American people and the state of the economy. They cannot be linked to the election results.”
Democrats, in turn, called Trump's words "empty promises."
Lawyers believe that the US President is unlikely to be able to approve such large-scale payments by decree. But Trump himself made clear on Thursday that he would not seek permission from Congress.
In an interview with the BBC's CBS News, he said Congress doesn't have to approve the spending, adding, "I think they will do it if we need to."
However, many Republicans are conservative with regard to government spending and, most likely, will not authorize such spending.
Former Republican congressman Bob Good called the Trump dividend a "socialist vote-buying scheme."
However, the current Republican convention was a reminder that Trump is still the main figure in the party. In the past, the president has been able to change the position of at least the House of Representatives when approving decisions that do not align with traditional conservative beliefs.
Fulfilled and unfulfilled promises
This is not the first time Donald Trump has talked about paying voters. Americans are still waiting for the $2,000 checks promised by the president, which were supposed to be financed by revenues from import duties.
Additionally, the $5,000 payout from Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) savings that Elon Musk talked about never materialized.
However, Trump fulfilled his promise to create savings accounts for each child born during his tenure in the White House and allocate $1,000 to them. In addition, all US military personnel received $1,776 in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Can we assume that Trump is afraid of suffering a major defeat in the November elections and therefore considers it necessary to make such noticeable promises?
Although the president himself is not on the ballot, voters often view midterm elections as a referendum on the incumbent White House, with the party in power often performing poorly.
Less than two months before the vote, Trump's approval rating has dropped to a historically low level.
His war with Iran is drawing less and less support, and Americans are feeling the effects when they fill up their cars with gas. The top issue for voters remains the high cost of living, and while inflation has fallen from its post-Covid peak under President Joe Biden, it remains high.
