Trump pledges US$5,000 payments if Republicans win Congress

Donald Trump has pledged to pay every adult US citizen US$5,000 if Republicans win both chambers of Congress in November, making the proposal at the party’s midterm convention in Dallas.

Trump said the money would have to be spent in the United States, but provided no details on how the payments would be funded, administered or monitored. The supplied material does not establish any formal legislative or administrative backing for the proposal.

The pledge was delivered at a rally designed to boost Republican turnout and help the party retain control of Congress, rather than at a convention conducting formal party business. It received strong applause from the audience, according to the BBC.

Democrats described the proposal as an “empty promise”, while others questioned whether it would be legal. With nearly 270 million US adults, the estimated cost could be about US$1.3 trillion, although that figure is an approximation.

Trump’s intervention came as Republicans face concerns about economic pressures, including high fuel prices and the cost of living. He warned earlier that relief from fuel prices could take longer than the midterm elections and linked short-term economic pain to the war in Iran.

The convention also highlighted Trump’s continuing dominance of the Republican Party. More moderate Republicans, including Senator Susan Collins, were notably absent, raising questions about whether the event would reach the swing voters the party needs in November.