Donald Trump promised to give $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans hold the House and Senate in November. The promise was made at the Republican midterm convention last Wednesday, and it cost a colossal $1.2tn. That is more than the Pentagon’s budget and nearly what the US will spend on Medicare this year.
The promise was shameless, irresponsible and, according to the source, true: only Donald Trump could make such a preposterous offer. And it was made at a moment of electoral fear, when Trump’s approval ratings are in the toilet, the war against Iran is disastrous, and inflation has risen despite his promise to cut prices. Many Americans are furious about all of it.
Trump said that nearly an hour into his marathon speech, just before he announced the plan. The timing was a marvel of irony. Whenever Trump speaks, his speech is so full of lies and self-serving exaggerations that when he does utter something true, it stands out.
The Cost of the Promise
The math is simple. There are an estimated 240 million adults in the US. Paying each of them $5,000 totals $1.2tn. That figure dwarfs the Pentagon’s budget and approaches Medicare spending.
The promise comes at a moment of electoral fear. Trump’s approval ratings are in the toilet, the war against Iran is disastrous, and inflation has risen despite his promise to cut prices. Many Americans are furious about all of it.
Trump’s desperation is on full display. He is offering cash to sway votes, and he is doing it openly.
Who Criticized the Plan
Criticism came fast. Joe Lonsdale, a tech billionaire and Republican donor, said he was “strongly against bread and circus bribes”. Bob Good, a Republican representative from Virginia and former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, called it a “socialist vote-buying scheme”.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, the former House member from Georgia, mocked the plan on X. She recalled that Trump promised last fall that every American would receive “a dividend of at least $2,000” thanks to his tariffs. That didn’t happen. She also remembered that when Elon Musk said Doge would chop the federal budget by $2tn, Trump suggested some of those savings could go to Americans. That didn’t happen either.
Greene taunted Trump with a post: “$5,000 for the peasants will be in the mail after the election only if you vote Republican, along with those DOGE and tariff money checks.”
The Debt Problem
The source’s anger runs deepest on the question of debt. Trump’s plan would increase the enormous $40tn federal debt, which he once promised to eliminate entirely. Instead, he is borrowing from future generations to finance his bribery.
The plan passes the cost on to children and grandchildren. That is what makes it unconscionable.
What Makes the Promise Preposterous
Trump believes millions of Americans are rubes. He thinks they can be bamboozled into voting Republican because they want $5,000. The source likes to think Americans are smarter than that.
The promise also clashes with one of Trump’s main goals. Increasing consumer demand through $5,000 payments will push up inflation, which Trump repeatedly promised to cut. The two goals are incompatible.
The Economic Case Against It
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, warned about the plan. “Debt is now as large as our entire economy, deficits are running $2tn per year, inflation is about 3.5%, and the 10-year Treasury yield is approaching 5%,” she said. “This half-baked political scheme would make this all worse – exploding the deficit, ginning up inflation, and further driving up the cost of borrowing throughout the economy.”
Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard economics professor and former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, offered stronger alarm. He told PBS that the US is already running an unsustainable deficit. “This would only blow [it] up even more and increase the already high odds of a debt crisis over next five years,” he said.
How the Money Would Be Paid
JD Vance claimed that much of the $1.2tn would come from tariff revenues. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick offered something more far-fetched: that lots of the money would come from charging wealthy foreigners for visas and from the administration’s investments in Intel and other companies.
“If you believe that, I own a club in Mar-a-Lago that I’d be happy to sell you,” the source writes.
“This half-baked political scheme would make this all worse – exploding the deficit, ginning up inflation, and further driving up the cost of borrowing throughout the economy.”
The Political Risk
The promise is a gamble. Trump’s approval ratings are low. His war against Iran is unpopular. Inflation is rising, and his tariffs have not delivered the promised dividend.
The $5,000 payment will increase consumer demand, which will push inflation higher. That contradicts Trump’s repeated promise to cut prices.
Trump is being his impulsive, myopic and reckless self. He is borrowing from future generations to buy votes today.
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