Donald Trump Promises a 'Dividend' of $5 Thousand Before the Election

US President Donald Trump made a remarkable economic promise before the midterm elections to be held on November 3.

Speaking at the Republican Party congress held in Dallas, Texas, Trump said that if his party wins the majority in both houses of Congress, every adult citizen in the country will be paid 5 thousand dollars.

Trump described the payment in question as a "Trump dividend."

"If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate, I will give a $5,000 dividend to every adult citizen in the United States," Trump said.

The US President also argued that the money should be spent only within the country.

However, he did not share details about the method by which the payments would be made, who they would cover, and how the expenditures would be controlled to be kept within the borders of the United States.

There are approximately 270 million adults in the United States.

It is estimated that if 5 thousand dollars were paid to each adult, the cost of the program to the federal budget could reach approximately 1.3 trillion dollars.

In his speech, Trump did not explain a concrete plan on where this resource would be obtained.

US Vice President JD Vance pointed to the revenues from customs tariffs following Trump's promise.

Vance argued that the Trump administration generated a high amount of income thanks to the tariffs it imposed on foreign companies and countries, and suggested that the payments could be financed with this source.

Vance described the plan as “a dividend for American workers.”

Trump had previously brought up that $2,000 payments could be made to citizens with the revenues from customs duties.

Democrats, on the other hand, described Trump's statement as "empty promises".

While it is discussed whether the plan is economically feasible or not, it is pointed out that federal expenditures in the USA must be approved by Congress.

In his speech, Trump did not provide information about how he planned to get approval from Congress for the payments in question.

Trump's promise of direct cash payments shortly before the elections also brought the legal aspect of the plan to the agenda.

U.S. federal law prohibits direct payments to voters to influence their voting preferences.

On the other hand, some lawyers argue that Trump's promise is a general economic policy promise aimed at all adult citizens, not specific voters, and therefore may not be directly considered within the scope of "vote buying".

Trump's promise came at a time when the cost of living and energy prices in the USA were again at the top of the agenda.

Tehran's major disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz following the US and Israel's war with Iran that started in February led to fluctuations in global oil and liquefied natural gas prices.

In his speech at the congress, Trump said that the war will not end before the midterm elections and that oil prices may remain high during this period.

The US President argued that the economic difficulties experienced were a short-term price to be paid to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Midterm elections in the USA will be held on November 3.

The ballot box will be held for all the seats in the House of Representatives and some of the seats in the Senate.

Whether Trump's $5,000 payment promise will be implemented will depend on the Republicans receiving the necessary budget and legal approval from Congress, as well as the election results.