Trump promises $5,000 dividend at Republican midterm convention

President Donald Trump used the Republican Party’s first midterm convention to urge supporters to treat November’s elections as if he were on the ballot — and to offer a $5,000 payout to every American adult if Republicans keep control of Congress.

Speaking Wednesday night in Dallas at the opening of the two-day event, Trump delivered a rally-style keynote that lasted one hour and 44 minutes, far longer than scheduled. The convention had the look of a presidential-year gathering, with supporters in MAGA gear, candidate speeches and campaign merchandise, but no official party business was conducted. Its aim was to energize Republican voters ahead of the midterms.

“The midterms are not supposed to be won by [the party of] the sitting president, and we’re going to change that,” Trump said, according to NPR. He promised to visit the states and districts of Republicans in close races.

Trump also acknowledged the challenge facing his party. “We might not win,” he said. At another point, he told the crowd: “Please pretend that I’m running. If we don’t have the majorities, so much can be lost.” The BBC quoted him similarly as saying, “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”

The gathering underscored Trump’s continued dominance of the Republican Party. The BBC reported that the arena was filled with diehard Trump supporters and that old-style Republican establishment figures were largely absent. Senator Susan Collins of Maine and other Republicans running in competitive races stayed away, the BBC reported, raising questions about whether the convention was reaching the moderate and swing voters Republicans need in November.

Trump’s most striking proposal was a pledge to send every adult U.S. citizen a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if Republicans win both chambers of Congress. “If the Republicans win, you win with us,” Trump said to applause, according to NPR. “And it will be called the ‘Trump dividend’. Congratulations. Now all we have to do is win.”

Trump said the money would have to be spent in the United States, but he did not explain how the program would be funded, how it would work or how the government would monitor the spending. The BBC reported that Democrats quickly called it an “empty promise,” while NPR noted that paying or being paid to influence voting is illegal. With nearly 270 million American adults, the proposal would cost more than $1 trillion; the BBC put the estimate at about $1.3 trillion.

Trump also defended the war in Iran and said Americans may have to wait for relief from high fuel prices. Before leaving for Dallas, he said, “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterms.” In his speech, he argued that short-term economic pain from the war was worth it to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, the BBC reported.

The BBC said polls have consistently shown the cost of living is a top issue for Americans. It also reported that a Financial Times/Focaldata poll released Sunday found Trump’s approval rating at a new low, with 33% of registered voters approving of his performance.

The convention continues Thursday, when Trump is scheduled to deliver closing remarks and share the final hour with Vice President JD Vance. “But I’m not doing a big deal like this,” Trump joked Wednesday. “I gave you a lot of material. I don’t have to do it twice.”

The Thursday program is expected to include a tribute to late Republican activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated one year ago, and an observance of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, NPR reported. Speakers are also set to include former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump Jr. and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Across the convention, 19 Republicans in competitive House and Senate races are scheduled to give short stump speeches. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, asked for support from the stage. “I need your prayers, your vote and your support,” Paxton said. “If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America.”