President Donald Trump has promised a $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans keep control of both houses of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump made the promise on September 9 at a Republican midterm convention rally in Dallas, Texas.
Trump Proposes $5,000 Dividend Amid Other Payment Plans
Former President Donald Trump announced that if Republicans secure victory in the upcoming elections on November 3, Americans could receive a $5,000 payment, referred to as the ‘Trump dividend.’ While aimed at American adults, specifics regarding eligibility have not been disclosed. Trump emphasized that the funds would need to be spent within the United States, as reported by USA Today.
Garrett Watson, vice president of federal tax policy at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of this proposal. He noted that Trump’s promise is unlikely to be realized from both policy and political perspectives, suggesting that Americans should not take the $5,000 payment as a certainty.
In addition to the dividend, Trump introduced another payment initiative shortly after his initial announcement. The White House revealed that approximately 1 million Americans may receive $500 checks through an Obamacare refund program. This initiative is separate from the proposed $5,000 dividend.
The $500 payments are intended for individuals who purchased health insurance via the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace. According to the White House, these refunds stem from excess fees that were collected through the federal health insurance marketplace.
The Trump administration has claimed that the Biden administration collected fees from health insurers that were subsequently passed on to consumers in the form of increased insurance premiums. The White House stated that these fees exceeded the necessary amount required to manage the federal marketplace.
Will Americans get $5,000 before the election?
However, Trump did not explain exactly where the money for the $5,000 payments would come from. Experts estimate that sending $5,000 to American adults could cost about $1.2 trillion. This means Trump cannot simply order the $5,000 payments to be sent to Americans without congressional action. Democrats have strongly criticized Trump’s $5,000 proposal. The 2026 midterm elections are scheduled for November 3. Trump has tied the $5,000 payment directly to the election outcome, saying Americans would receive it if Republicans win control of both chambers of Congress. But there is currently no approved federal program sending the $5,000 payments. Collins said that, based on the limited details available, the proposed $5,000 payment appeared to have no income limit and could be extremely expensive. Trump also discussed $2,000 tariff dividend checks in 2025. Trump at one point said the tariff checks could be sent out in mid-2026. Trump had also floated $5,000 DOGE dividend checks in early 2025, but those payments never arrived. DOGE officially shut down in 2026. The most important point is that the $5,000 Trump dividend is still only a proposal. There is currently no confirmed payment date for the $5,000 checks. The DOGE $5,000 checks never arrived, while the proposed $2,000 tariff checks have also not been paid. For now, the biggest unanswered questions are whether Congress will approve the money, where the $1.2 trillion cost will come from, who will qualify and whether any payments can actually be made before the election. Congress would need to approve the plan, making it uncertain whether Americans could receive the money before the November 3 midterm elections.
Because of the huge cost, Congress would need to approve the payments before the government could send the money, according to experts cited by USA Today. Therefore, Americans should not count on receiving the $5,000 Trump dividend before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections unless Congress approves the plan and the administration sets up the payment program in time. The White House , in a statement released the following day, said the plan could be supported by trillions of dollars in new private investment and cuts to government waste.
Trump said the payment would be possible because of what he described as the “tremendous strength and success” of the US economy. Bernie Moreno said he would prepare legislation for the proposed Trump dividend. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said getting enough votes would be a “good question” when asked about the proposal by Fox News on Thursday. Thune said lawmakers would deal with the issue if and when they reach that stage. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican, described the plan as a “socialist vote-buying scheme,” The Hill reported. Collins said decisions about taxes and government spending should be based on what Americans need and the condition of the economy, rather than appearing to be connected to election results. In December 2025, US military personnel received $1,776 “Warrior Dividend” bonuses. Trump had previously said those payments would come from tariff revenue. However, the money actually came from military housing funds that Congress had already approved as part of Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” law. Trump has promised a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if Republicans win both chambers of Congress, but the payment is not guaranteed and has no confirmed payment date.
He also did not say exactly how much the full program would cost the US government. Ohio Republican Sen. The biggest question now is whether Congress would have enough votes to approve the plan. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, called the proposal a “political bribe. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, called Trump’s pledge “corrupt and blatantly illegal. The proposal has also faced criticism from some Republicans. The proposal would need legislation and congressional approval before payments could be made. In fact, the proposal faces major questions about its cost, funding, congressional support and possible economic impact. Economists have warned that sending such a large amount of money into the economy could increase inflation and interest rates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that the payments could lead to more government debt and higher inflation. Former Rep. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine also raised concerns about the proposal. Trump has discussed other payments to Americans before. The idea was to use money collected from tariffs to give payments to some Americans. But those tariff dividend payments have not happened. The proposal could also face opposition from both Democrats and some Republicans.
That makes it uncertain whether Americans would receive the money before the November election. Congress would have to act on the proposal before the federal government could move ahead with the payments. Trump’s earlier history with proposed dividends also shows why Americans may be cautious.
The White House said about 1 million people in 30 states would qualify for the refunds. The $500 checks are expected to go out in October.
