At RNC midterm convention, Trump pitches $5,000 payments to U.S. citizens — but only if GOP wins House and Senate

Updated on: September 10, 2026 / 1:25 PM EDT / CBS News

President Trump vowed Wednesday to send a $5,000 "dividend" to every American citizen after the midterms, but only if Republicans hold onto control of the House and Senate.

The announcement came almost an hour into Mr. Trump's speech to the Republican National Committee's first-of-its-kind midterm convention in Dallas, as he seeks to rally Republican voters and fight significant political headwinds in the November elections.

"If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000," he said.

The president did not offer details on how the payments — which he dubbed "Trump Dividends" — would work, including whether he plans to ask Congress to authorize the checks. He has floated the idea of cutting checks to U.S. citizens in the past, proposing $2,000 dividends funded by tariffs last year.

Mr. Trump argued the payments would be a consequence of the country's "tremendous economic success," and suggested they could be funded partially by his administration's tariffs on foreign goods.

Appearing on Fox News after the speech, Vice President J.D. Vance said that "what the president's talking about is fundamentally a dividend for American workers."

"We're taking in an…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/