Trump promises $5,000 checks to woo voters: Inside Republican moves to save midterms amid Iran war woes | Today’s news
With the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections less than a month away, President Donald Trump is escalating his attitude toward voters by promising $5,000 checks if Republicans win and retain control of Congress, months after saying he doesn’t care about midterm elections.
Trump made the announcement at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in September. “If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” he said. The US president explained the reasons for his proposal, citing “America’s enormous economic success” and adding that Washington “makes so much money”.
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The bid comes as the Iran war and its impact on fuel prices and household spending threatens to weigh on Republican prospects, and affordability is being put at the center of the campaign. But questions remain as to who is eligible for the payments, how they will be funded and whether the $5,000 pledge can secure congressional approval.
Trump goes from “I don’t care about the midterms” to $5,000
The president’s pledge to pay Americans $5,000 comes months after he said the U.S. wanted to make a favorable deal with Iran, adding: “I don’t care about deadlines. Look what happened last night, that was a prelude to deadlines. People understand that,” referring to his endorsed candidate who won the Texas GOP Senate primary.
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Trump offers Americans $5,000 dividends, introduces smaller payments
According to the PBS report, he likened the proposed dividend to companies sharing profits with their shareholders and said his administration split $1,776 in payments to military personnel in December.
According to a Reuters report, the US president is also sending $500 payments to roughly one million Americans in October. The White House described the payments as compensation for what it called excessive fees charged to people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. But strategists say the payments could sway races that could decide whether Republicans retain control of Congress.
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Payments will be limited to eligible residents of the 30 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace. Residents of the 20 states operating their own marketplaces will not receive them. According to the White House, only about 950,000 of the 19 million people covered by the Affordable Care Act will be eligible.
Separately, Trump has sought to withhold billions of dollars in transportation funding and other federal aid from Democratic-led states, including Minnesota and New York, but courts have blocked or halted those efforts.
He also recently signed an executive order expanding access to tax-exempt diesel. Speaking about the waiver, Trump said, “I hope we don’t need it for a long time.”
Trump has a tough time ahead of the midterms
The midterms also come at a difficult time for Trump. His approval rating has fallen to a low of 32%, according to a September Reuters/Ipsos poll, while the war in Iran has pushed up gasoline and diesel prices and heightened concerns about the cost of living. The conflict has now dragged on for months, despite Trump initially saying it would only last a few weeks, increasing political pressure on Republicans trying to maintain control of Congress.
Read also | Trump’s approval rating has remained near an all-time low amid the Iran war
Attention will now shift to America’s midterms and whether Trump will announce more measures to woo voters.
