United States President Donald Trump has promised to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans maintain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the November midterm elections.
The proposal, which Trump has described as a “dividend”, has triggered questions over whether such a payment would be legally possible, how much it would cost and how the government would finance it.
Is it legal?
U.S. federal law prohibits candidates from offering money or benefits in exchange for votes and also restricts the use of federally funded benefits as a political incentive.
However, Trump’s proposal appears different because it has been presented as a campaign promise and would apply broadly to adult Americans regardless of their political affiliation or voting decision.
Even if approved politically, any payment programme would still require legal authority and funding approval from Congress. The U.S. Constitution prevents the president from spending money from the Treasury without an appropriation passed into law.
Trump, however, told CBS News that he did not believe congressional approval would be necessary, although he did not explain the legal basis for the claim.
The president has made similar proposals in the past, including promises to issue $2,000 payments from tariff revenue and $5,000 payments from savings generated through federal workforce cuts, but those plans were never implemented.
How much would it cost?
The proposed payment would require a massive government expenditure.
Data from the Congressional Budget Office shows that there are about 276.8 million adults aged 18 and above in the United States. Paying each person $5,000 would cost approximately $1.38 trillion.
If the payment were restricted only to U.S. citizens, the cost would still be about $1.27 trillion.
The figure would be lower if the government adopted eligibility requirements similar to the COVID-19 stimulus payments, which were limited to income-qualified taxpayers and their dependants.
The three rounds of COVID-era stimulus checks approved between 2020 and 2021 cost about $814 billion in total.
Would the payments worsen inflation?
Economists have warned that such a large cash injection could increase inflation by boosting consumer demand.
Direct government payments without conditions are sometimes referred to as “helicopter money”, a term used to describe efforts aimed at stimulating economic activity through direct cash distribution.
However, the U.S. economy is currently dealing with continued price pressures. Consumer inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s long-term target of two per cent.
Economists argue that putting more than $1 trillion into consumers’ hands could push demand higher and place additional pressure on prices.
A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimated that pandemic-era government stimulus contributed about 2.6 percentage points to U.S. inflation.
Trump promises $5,000 payout if Republicans retain Congress
Could tariff revenue fund the payments?
Analysts say tariff revenue alone would not be enough to finance the proposed payments in the short term.
The U.S. government collected about $195 billion in customs duties in fiscal year 2025, meaning it would require several years of tariff revenue to cover a $1.3 trillion-plus payment programme.
The situation is further complicated by legal challenges to some of Trump’s tariffs. The Supreme Court struck down several tariff measures, requiring the government to refund affected importers.
The Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank, estimated that funding a one-time payment programme costing more than $1 trillion would significantly increase the federal deficit, potentially pushing it close to $3 trillion.
‘Political bribe’ and ‘reckless’
Democrats have strongly criticised Trump’s proposal, accusing him of using taxpayer funds to influence voters ahead of the midterm elections.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028, described the plan as an attempt to buy political support.
“After making you sicker and poorer with his war, Donald Trump now wants to buy your vote with $5,000 in taxpayer-funded blood money,” Newsom said.
Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland also criticised the proposal, describing it as another example of what he called a reckless approach to governance.
Raskin said Trump was offering a financial incentive to voters after increasing the national debt to more than $40 trillion.
The proposal remains a campaign promise, with questions still surrounding its legal approval, funding source and possible impact on the U.S. economy.
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