Trump Faces Mounting Midterm Election Pressure: $5,000 'Dividend' Vote-Buying Draws Scrutiny, Republicans Face Uphill Battle to Keep Congress

BlockBeats news, September 10 — Trump threw out a bold promise at the Republican midterm election convention: if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the November midterm elections, every American adult citizen will receive a $5,000 "Trump dividend." The plan is expected to cost more than $1 trillion, but Trump did not specify the funding source, and implementing it would also require congressional approval.

This rare promise highlights the midterm election pressure facing Trump and Republicans. Trump's approval rating continues to come under pressure, voter dissatisfaction with the cost of living and the Iran war is heating up, and several Republican candidates in fiercely contested races even skipped the convention; Republicans currently also need to defend their slim House majority, while Senate seats are also facing competition.

In his speech, Trump unusually asked voters to "pretend I'm on the ballot," and acknowledged that the president's party typically loses congressional seats in midterm elections. He also promised to devote more time to helping Republican candidates campaign, seeking to recast himself as the central mobilizing force for the November elections.

At the same time, U.S. national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, and the fiscal feasibility of the $5,000 dividend plan is being questioned. Republicans are also beginning to seek adjustments to the plan, with Senator Ted Cruz suggesting it could be designed as a tax rebate with work requirements.