Trump begs voters and dangles $5,000 carrot again as mid-term concerns mount

President Donald Trump renewed his promise of $5,000 payments to adult citizens, tying them to a Republican sweep of the Senate and House in November, even as polls show voters turning away from his party. In a string of Saturday videos on Truth Social, he said only Republicans could deliver the money, crediting tariff revenue and a strong economy, and cautioned that Democratic control of Congress would bring higher taxes and a depression like 1929. Reporter Sam Stein called the pledge "openly bribing people to vote for Republicans.", according to The Independent.

Trump put the price at roughly $1 trillion and pointed to $21 trillion in investment since he took office, though those investments are not cash payments. Congress would have to approve the checks, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has not firmly backed the idea, saying only that lawmakers would seek consensus.

The politics look difficult for Republicans, who hold slim majorities. YouGov found 52 percent of likely voters favoring Democrats on a generic ballot versus 38 percent for the GOP. An Associated Press poll found 65 percent blame Trump for higher prices and 73 percent disapprove of his economic handling, the lowest mark of his current term.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →