Key Takeaways
- US President Donald Trump offered a $5,000 'Trump dividend' to every American adult if Republicans win the midterm elections.
- The proposal was made at the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention in Dallas.
- The plan would cost around $1.35 trillion and was not immediately clear how it would be implemented.
US President Donald Trump has proposed a $5,000 'Trump dividend' to every American adult if Republicans win the midterm elections, an extraordinary attempt to sway voters.
The offer was made during a primetime address that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, during the Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention in Dallas.
With approximately 270 million US adults, the plan would cost around $1.35 trillion, making it a significant financial commitment.
Trump boasted of completing 'the greatest two years in the history of the presidency,' but it was unclear whether his campaign-style speech would appeal to swing voters who have drifted away from his party.
The two-day convention underscores the extent to which Republicans' fortunes are tethered to Trump, serving as a showcase for their strategy ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The event was so centered on the president that Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters informally dubbed it 'Trumpapalooza,' a nod to the popular Lollapalooza music festival.
The focus on Trump amounts to a risky bet that he can mobilize the voters who carried him to the presidency two years ago, despite public polls showing his approval ratings have hit an all-time low.
Trump vowed to pay multiple visits to battleground states and districts in the eight weeks until Election Day, asking voters to 'pretend that I’m on the ballot.'
