With his poll numbers at record lows, gas prices at record highs, and mounting signs of momentum for the Democrats, President Donald Trump just debuted a novel strategy to secure votes: bribery. Speaking at the Republican National Committee’s historically unheard of midterms convention on Wednesday evening, Trump offered to pay Americans $5,000 each if — and only if — the GOP is victorious in the upcoming elections.
“Because we’ve done so well and because our country is making so much money that only I can make this promise to you and here is my promise, if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate — both of them … because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump declared during his headlining speech.
The president framed this extraordinary offer as a result of unprecedented “tremendous economic success.”
“In history we’ve never had anything like what’s happening,” Trump said.
In reality, under Trump, the national debt has ballooned to record levels and caused alarm on Wall Street. Inflation has also continued to rise and investors are on edge over a pair of reports due out on Thursday and Friday that could show the situation has edged beyond Federal Reserve targets. Cost of living is rising as well, amid sluggish growth and the gas spikes caused by Trump’s ongoing and unpopular war in Iran. Trump’s tariffs have also led to trade wars with allies and higher prices for consumers. Overall, the economic situation is considered a major factor in Trump’s plummeting poll numbers and projections that show wider worries for Republicans, who are likely to lose the House in November.
The RNC’s wildly unusual midterm convention, which was the first of its kind, took place in Dallas, Texas against this dire backdrop. Even before Trump made his cash offer backed by false claims of an economic boom, his speech was filled with fantastical assessments of his presidency. That journey through the looking glass mirrored the several hours of preceding remarks from other speakers, including GOP candidates and members of Congress, who framed the party’s agenda as being focused on economic growth while rooting out corruption and extremism. They contrasted this with the Democratic Party, which they repeatedly characterized as “communist.”
It was as though Trump and the other Republicans who took the stage were addressing the nation from an alternate universe where there is no cost of living crisis and the president hasn’t amassed unprecedented sums and blatant conflicts of interest while in office. Their hallucinatory vision of dangerously radical Democrats also ignores the fact that the party’s centrist wing just scored a series of victories in congressional primaries while Trump and his allies maintain extensive connections to violent extremists.
In keeping with the effort to paint his policies as actually good for the economy, Trump cast his $5,000 payout as the result of the contrast between the two political parties.
“The reason the Democrats can’t do that is because they don’t do tariffs, they don’t take in money,” Trump said of the offer. “All they know is poverty and how to ruin our country.”
Along with the upside down vision of the country, the RNC midterm convention featured several odd spectacles including what … appeared to be an attempted butt slap from a Cabinet secretary, blatant lying about the anemic crowd, and — for some reason — a shirtless picture of leftist podcaster Hasan Piker on the jumbotron. Through it all, there was a grey haired DJ spinning country music and 80’s classics. Amid all of this weirdness, there was one bit of clearly good news for the GOP. With the poor polling, Democrats have an outside shot at securing a Senate majority. However, during the convention, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) broadcast a video clip to the convention audience that seemed like, at least, a partial defection from his caucus. The video added to concerns that Fetterman could switch parties following extensive leaks to the Wall Street Journal from his own staffers who have been worried Fetterman is more focused on clashing with fellow Democrats on Israel and making appearances on Fox News than he is on the basic duties of his position.
Yet even with all of this bizarro pomp and circumstance, Trump’s promise of cash payments stood out as a landmark moment in the MAGA era. The president framed it as being “very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.”
“The only condition on the payment of this dividend that we’re going to be making — so it’s $5,000 to every adult — the only caveat I have is that the dividend that we’re making must be spent in the United States of America,” Trump said. “We don’t want you going to Canada to spend the money. We don’t want you going to China, to Germany. You’ve got to spend the money in the United States of America.”
On the off chance that Trump’s proposal manages to turn the tides and encourage a Republican sweep in the midterms, it is unclear how he plans to track Americans’ spending.
Trump and his allies are no strangers to questionable cash transactions. Behind the scenes, various administration officials and Trump family members have been involved in all manner of wheeling and dealing. Trump has also previously put his name on checks, payments, and other financial vehicles provided to Americans during his tenure. And, during the last presidential election, Elon Musk, who is both the richest person in the world and the GOP’s biggest megadonor, made $1 million payments to voters in the key state of Wisconsin, in a move that raised legal concerns.
Federal law clearly prohibits anyone from offering to pay for votes. It is unclear what manner of loophole Trump might cite to get around the obvious issues raised by his $5,000 promise.
Trump appeared to be unbothered by any technical or legal details as he took the stage on Wednesday night. The president, whose convention remarks stretched for over an hour and is set to speak again during the second night of the event on Thursday, framed the cash offer as “the best part of the speech.”
“We’re making a fortune, so if the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” he said. “It will be called the ‘Trump Dividend.’ We’ll call it the ‘Trump Dividend.’
After branding his payments, Trump preemptively patted the public on the back for being in on his scheme.
“Congratulations,” he said. “Now, all we have to do is win.”
Yeah, like he’s never lied to Americans ever before!
Up to his old tricks again I see. The repetition of his narcissism is getting quite old.