Donald Trump $5000 midterm election promise has sparked attention after the president told supporters that every adult American could receive $5000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections.
The extraordinary proposal came during Trump’s lengthy address at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where he urged voters to support the party while warning about what he said could happen if Democrats regain control of Congress.
“If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump told a roaring crowd during a speech that lasted nearly two hours.
The proposed payment would cost the United States more than $1 trillion if extended to every adult citizen, immediately raising questions about how such a plan would be financed and implemented.
The promise also highlighted the political importance Trump attaches to the November elections. Although his name will not appear on the ballot, the president repeatedly presented the midterms as a referendum on his administration and urged Republican voters to treat his political influence as central to the contest.
Trump asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’
Trump acknowledged the unusual position he occupies in the midterm campaign, repeatedly asking voters to behave as though he himself were running.
“Pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump urged supporters, making the appeal again toward the end of his address.
He later returned to the message, telling the crowd to “please pretend that I’m running” as he concluded his remarks.
The president’s strategy reflects the traditional difficulty faced by the party controlling the White House during midterm elections. Republicans are defending their congressional majorities, while Democrats are seeking to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the administration.
Trump argued that Republicans must break the historical pattern of presidential parties losing ground during midterm contests.
“We’ve got to change that, because we have something going that’s so good,” he said.
Trump warns of consequences if Democrats win
Much of Trump’s speech focused on what he described as the consequences of a Democratic victory.
“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth,” Trump said.
“Our country is going through hell – we will be going through hell, just like we did, just two years ago,” he added.
Trump also made an unsubstantiated assessment of his presidency, claiming that his second term had been “the most successful two years, financially and every other way, in the history of the presidency.”
He accused Democrats of being “radical” and declared: “There is a crazy little sick cloud over our country. We will defeat communism in America.”
Republican midterm convention draws mixed enthusiasm
The Republican midterm convention was the first such event organised by the GOP and featured 12 hours of programming across two nights.
Yet the atmosphere appeared less enthusiastic than at the party’s traditional four-day convention in Milwaukee two years earlier.
The convention venue contained visible areas of empty seating during Trump’s speech. There were also no lengthy queues for entry, food or bathrooms, in contrast with the much larger traditional gathering.
Trump nevertheless insisted that the arena was full.
“Not only is this packed but you have an equal number of people standing outside,” he declared.
That assessment was not observed by Guardian reporters at the venue.
The Republican National Committee had previously said Americans could apply for tickets through a lottery-style process. However, during Wednesday’s event, applications were reportedly being approved immediately through an RNC registration page.
Trump highlights war in Iran and rising oil prices
The Trump Iran war comments were another major feature of the president’s address.
Trump warned Tehran “not to get cute” and threatened that the United States “will have to hit them very hard” if Iran took certain actions.
He also appeared to acknowledge the economic consequences of the conflict, particularly the rising price of oil.
Trump recounted conversations with his economic advisers and explained his justification for beginning the conflict, saying Iran was “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon”.
“I hate to do this to you,” Trump said he told his advisers while discussing the decision, adding that the US economy had been performing well.
The remarks placed foreign policy alongside domestic political issues as Trump attempted to defend his administration and rally Republican voters.
Trump attacks Democrats and praises Ken Paxton
Trump also used the convention speech to attack Democratic candidates and promote Republican candidates in competitive races.
Among those singled out was Ken Paxton, Trump’s preferred candidate for the US Senate in Texas, who defeated incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican primary earlier in the year.
Trump joked about Paxton’s appearance and speaking style before delivering an emphatic endorsement.
“He may not dress right. He may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said.
“But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America.”
Trump also mocked Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, describing him as a “weird looking dude”.
Other Democrats attacked by Trump included former North Carolina Republican governor Roy Cooper, who is running for the Senate, and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Democrats accuse Trump of dragging Republicans toward defeat
The Democratic National Committee strongly criticised the convention and Trump’s performance.
DNC chair Ken Martin described the Republican gathering as a “bizarre dog-and-pony show” designed to satisfy the president.
Martin accused Trump of having a “fragile ego” and argued that the convention demonstrated the difficulties facing Republicans ahead of the elections.
“Tonight only confirmed that the president is a lame duck failure who is dragging his party toward defeat,” Martin said.
The criticism underscored the increasingly confrontational nature of the campaign as both parties prepare for the November vote.
Culture wars dominate Republican messaging
Although Republicans had initially said the convention would focus on “lowering costs, securing our border, making our communities safer, and putting American workers and families first”, much of the programming focused instead on attacks against Democrats.
Speakers repeatedly discussed transgender rights and other cultural issues, suggesting that cultural conflict could become a central feature of the Republican campaign.
The convention also featured prominent Trump allies and candidates, including Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds and Trump cabinet secretaries Mehmet Oz and Scott Bessent.
Trump, an avid UFC fan, was introduced by fighters Bo Nickal and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje.
Gaethje used his own career to draw a comparison with the political contest, warning Republicans against complacency.
“One mistake I’ve made in my career was becoming complacent while I was on a winning streak and forgetting how unforgiving my sport would be,” Gaethje said.
“If we are not just as passionate about voting and winning in these midterms as we were in the last presidential election, then we risk being knocked out and losing all the momentum we have been fighting for.”
Trump is expected to speak again on Thursday, although he indicated that his next address would be considerably shorter.
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“I gave you a lot of material,” Trump said as he ended his lengthy Wednesday speech.
He then made one final appeal to Republican voters: “please pretend that I’m running”.
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