President Donald Trump is doubling down on his promise to send Americans $5,000 dividend checks if Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.
Speaking to reporters Sunday, Trump said there was no question in his mind that the payments would happen if Republicans retain majorities in the House and Senate.
“The $5,000 is going to happen 100 percent,” Trump said. “And the reason is because our country is taking in trillions and trillions of dollars. And it’s going to happen.”
Trump first announced the proposed payments Wednesday during the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas, promising a $5,000 dividend to every adult American citizen if Republicans win both chambers of Congress. The White House has since promoted the proposal as the “Trump Dividend.”
Trump also made clear that he does not intend to push for the checks before the midterm elections.
“I don’t want to do it now, because if the Democrats get it, our country will be in shambles and they won’t be able to do it,” Trump said Sunday. “If we get in, we’re taking in tremendous amounts of money.”
While Trump is expressing certainty about the checks, major questions remain about how the federal government would pay for them and how the money would be authorized.
A $5,000 payment to every adult American citizen could cost more than $1.2 trillion. FactCheck.org estimated the price tag at roughly $1.2 trillion, while other estimates have put the cost closer to $1.3 trillion.
The administration has floated several potential ways of financing the proposal.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last week that the payments would not come from taxpayer dollars. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett has suggested the proposal could move through a congressional budget reconciliation package.
That congressional role could prove important. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that the $5,000 payments would require approval from Congress, which controls federal spending. Johnson said lawmakers would need to examine the details of the proposal before moving forward.
Trump has pointed to the $1,776 payments made to U.S. military personnel as an example of his administration delivering direct payments. Those checks, however, were authorized through legislation as a one-time housing supplement rather than through unilateral presidential action.
At least one Republican lawmaker is already preparing legislation for the new proposal. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio said following Trump's announcement that he would work on legislation to authorize the payments.
The proposal has also encountered skepticism over its cost.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to tariff revenue as evidence that the government can afford the payments, but available revenue falls well short of the estimated cost of sending $5,000 to every eligible American. FactCheck.org calculated that it would take more than six years of tariff collections at the recent pace to equal the roughly $1.2 trillion price tag.
There is also disagreement within the Republican Party about whether sending another round of large direct payments would be wise given the federal debt and concerns about inflation. Some Republicans have questioned the cost and potential economic consequences even as Trump continues to promote the plan.
For now, Americans should not count on a $5,000 check arriving anytime soon. Trump's proposal remains a campaign pledge tied to Republicans retaining control of Congress, and no legislation authorizing the payments has been enacted.
