President Donald Trump has promised to pay every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Trump made the proposal on Wednesday during the Republican Party’s first midterm convention, though details on how the payments would be funded or whether they would be legally permissible remained unclear.
With roughly 270 million American adults, the proposed payments could cost about $1.35 trillion.
In a prime-time address lasting about one hour and 45 minutes, Trump declared that he had delivered “the greatest two years in the history of the presidency”, placing himself at the centre of the Republican campaign.
Trump urged voters to support Republican candidates, warning that handing Congress to Democrats would damage the country.
“We hand America’s future to the radical left Democrats, and our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet,” he said.
“Vote Republicans and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come.”
The two-day convention in Dallas is showcasing the Republican strategy ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with Trump expected to deliver the closing address on Thursday following Vice President JD Vance’s keynote speech.
The event has been heavily focused on Trump, with Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters informally dubbing it “Trumpapalooza”.
Trump acknowledged the election’s focus on his leadership, telling supporters: “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot.”
The strategy presents a challenge for Republicans in competitive races, some of whom could benefit electorally from distancing themselves from Trump while remaining wary of alienating his core supporters.
Several Republicans facing difficult elections skipped the convention, including Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan, Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
At least 16 candidates in competitive House and Senate contests were scheduled to speak at the convention, according to the RNC programme.
While Republicans had promoted the gathering as an opportunity to highlight Trump’s policies, early speakers concentrated heavily on attacking Democrats over issues including transgender women in sports and border security.
The cost of living and the war in Iran, which voters have consistently ranked among their leading concerns, received comparatively less attention.
Trump defended his decision to attack Tehran, arguing that the strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
He also promised that oil prices would fall “as soon as we win the war with Iran”, while insisting that the conflict would end soon.
The war, however, has shown little sign of ending more than six months after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Analysts have also said Iran’s nuclear programme has not been eliminated, while Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.
The convention comes as Republicans face the possibility of losing control of at least one chamber of Congress, with polling showing Democrats more motivated to vote and Trump’s approval ratings remaining deeply negative.
The election is scheduled for November 3, with Republicans seeking to maintain their congressional majority amid concerns over inflation, voter enthusiasm and Trump’s political standing.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
Follow us on:
