WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (TodayViralUSA) — President Donald Trump has revived a promise to send $5,000 to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans keep control of both chambers of Congress in next month’s midterm elections, even as his administration distributes two smaller federal payments to millions of Americans.
“If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 Midterm Elections, I’m going to give all Adult Citizens in the United States of America, $5,000,” Trump said in a video posted Saturday on Truth Social, according to CNBC. He made a similar pledge last month at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas.
The White House has not explained where the money would come from or who would authorize it. Sending $5,000 to every adult citizen would cost roughly $1.2 trillion and would need congressional approval, CNBC reported.
Payments already underway
On Friday, Trump announced one-time $90 payments to 20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries. The payments to eligible Part B enrollees are due to arrive this month and are funded through the Medicare Improvement Fund. Separately, $500 “refund” checks began going out last week to about 950,000 people who bought unsubsidized coverage on the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.
A Reuters analysis found that 71% of the marketplace money, or $339 million, is flowing to residents of 13 states with some of the most competitive Senate and governor’s races, CNBC noted, although eligibility is based on insurance status rather than voting.
Skepticism across party lines
Some Republicans have raised concerns about the effect on the deficit and inflation. Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona told Reuters last month he would work hard to stop the proposal, warning it could drive interest rates higher. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, called the plan a “political bribe” in a September interview with CNN and noted that Congress controls federal spending.
Polls point to a divided and doubtful public. A Rasmussen Reports survey found likely voters split 47% to 48% on the idea, with 15% saying it would influence their vote. A Marquette Law School poll in Wisconsin found 70% opposed, and an Economist/YouGov survey found 57% of registered voters doubted the checks would be delivered even if Republicans held Congress.
Earlier direct-payment proposals did not materialize. A $5,000 “DOGE dividend” floated in February 2025 was never paid, and a tariff-funded dividend of at least $2,000 per person proposed last November fell away after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs in February. In 2020, promised $200 prescription-drug cards for Medicare recipients never went out. The administration did pay a $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” to roughly 1.5 million service members last year.
The offers come as Republicans face headwinds ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, with voters focused on prices and the economy. At a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday, Trump urged supporters to turn out and predicted Republicans would outperform expectations, while warning he would be less inclined to help the state if Democrats won key races, Reuters reported.
Sources & Credits
- CNBC: Trump reiterates pledge to send $5,000 checks as elections loom
- Reuters (via Cyprus Mail): In crude Ohio rally speech, Trump says he may not help if Democrats win
Image: Revised by Reworked, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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