A Trumpian classic is his promise Wednesday night of a $5,000 “dividend” for every U.S. adult citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress in November. President Trump has a special talent for exposing the cynicism of modern politics, and he knows it.
There are roughly 240 million American adult citizens. Multiply that by $5,000 and you get about $1.2 trillion. They incorporated some of his 2024 campaign pitches (e.g., no tax on tips) in last year’s tax bill.
We doubt this is what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had in mind when he recently promised a “fiscal consolidation” plan. The amount is so preposterous that you’d almost think Mr. Trump is trying to show voters the absurdity of such income redistribution. It’s the reductio ad absurdum of welfare state politics. And we doubt it could pass Congress. At least we hope not. In the unlikely event Republicans retain control of Congress, they might feel pressure to make good on a slimmer version of Mr. Trump’s pledge.
Vote buying has a long political history, and Democrats are professionals at the game. They do it by passing programs in the name of some high-toned principle, like income equality or “fairness. Mr. Trump’s cynical genius is that his political bribery is running naked in the street. Elect my party, get a check.
