President Donald Trump has reiterated his promise to give every adult U.S. citizen a $5,000 dividend check should Republicans maintain control of Congress after the midterm elections.
“If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 Midterm Elections, I’m going to give all Adult Citizens in the United States of America $5,000,” Trump said in a Truth Social video post on Saturday, Oct. 3. "Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to signing those checks!"
Some states have begun early voting for the midterms, with Tennessee's early voting period starting Oct. 14.
Trump first promised to pay every adult American the $5,000 dividend if Republicans keep control of the House and Senate at the Republican National
Committee’s (RNC) first midterm convention in Dallas in September.
Here's what to know about the $5,000 checks.
What did Trump pledge?
During theGOP's midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, Trump promised: "If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000. It will be called the 'Trump dividend.'"
Trump added that the $5,000 dividend, which must be spent in the United States, is feasible because of the "tremendous strength and success" of the American economy. However, he did not say how it would be paid for or how much it would cost.
In a White House news release shared the following day, the Trump administration suggested that the dividend is possible thanks to "unleashed trillions in new private investment" and reductions in government waste.
When reporters asked Trump outside Air Force One on Sunday, Sept. 13, why he wouldn’t send the dividends now, while the GOP controls Congress, he said he would wait until after the upcoming midterm elections.
“I don’t want to do it now, because if the Democrats get it, our country will be in shambles and they won’t be able to do it,” he said. “If we get in, we’re taking in tremendous amounts of money.”
Who would be eligible to receive a $5,000 check?
Trump said all adult U.S. citizens will receive the $5,000 dividend, which must be spent in the U.S., if Republicans predominantly win the midterm elections. The president did not specify if political affiliation will impact who receives the funds.
“The $5,000 is going to happen 100 percent,” Trump said on Sept. 13. “And the reason is because our country is taking in trillions and trillions of dollars. And it’s going to happen.”
How much would Trump's checks cost the United States?
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that the $5,000 dividend proposal would cost $1.2 trillion in one year, over 3.5% of GDP. The new tariff revenue, currently under $200 billion annually, is already included in deficit projections and cannot offset these costs.
"This proposal is fiscally dangerous, economically backwards, and fundamentally unserious," Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said in a statement.
Previous dividend proposals from the Trump administration
Several pieces of legislation have been introduced to bring the stimulus checks before Congress for approval, but because of the ongoing partial government shutdown, approval is unlikely in the coming weeks.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the American Worker Rebate Act of 2025 on July 28, 2025, which would provide at least $600 per adult and dependent child, or $2,400 for a family of four.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, introduced the "American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act of 2026" on March 9. The bill aims to allocate $231.35 billion for rebate payments to Americans, roughly the amount consumers are estimated to have paid in tariffs, according to the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Economic Committee.
Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, introduced the "Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act" to the Senate on March 12. According to CNBC, the rebate would pay $1,200 to joint filers making under $180,000 annually and $600 for each additional child.
Although no formal legislation was enacted, Americans were also promised stimulus checks early in the Trump Administration's second term, funded by savings from budget cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency. The proposal, similar to Trump's current goal, was to give American taxpayers a $5,000 stimulus check from money saved under DOGE.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
Jordan Green covers trending news for The Commercial Appeal and Tennessee. She can be reached at jordan.green@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Trump renews promise of $5,000 checks if Republicans hold Congress
