Trump Dangles $5,000 Checks Before Midterms as Americans Get $90 Medicare Payments

US President Donald Trump is dangling a $5,000 (roughly £3,800) payday for every adult US citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress in November, even as his administration begins sending a far smaller $90 payment to millions of Medicare beneficiaries just weeks before the midterm elections.

The president renewed his eye-catching 'Trump Dividend' pledge as Republicans enter the final stretch of the 2026 midterm campaign, with control of the House and Senate at stake. But unlike the Medicare payments already being distributed, the $5,000 proposal has no approved funding package and would require action from Congress.

Trump Ties $5,000 Checks to Midterm Victory

Trump reiterated the offer in a Truth Social video on Saturday, weeks after first unveiling the proposal at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

'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.

The proposal could carry an extraordinary price tag. With roughly 240 million adult US citizens, distributing $5,000 each would cost around $1.2 trillion (around £909 billion).

Trump has suggested tariff revenues could help finance the payments, but has not produced a detailed funding plan. FactCheck.org calculated that current tariff revenues would take more than six years to cover a $1.2 trillion payout.

Congress would also need to authorise the spending.

$90 Medicare Payments Are Already Going Out

While the $5,000 Trump Dividend remains a campaign pledge, a much smaller payment is becoming reality for millions of Americans.

The administration announced one-time $90 (£68) payments for more than 20 million eligible Medicare Part B beneficiaries to help offset premium costs. The payments are being funded through the $2 billion (£1.5 million) Medicare Improvement Fund, which was established by Congress in 2008.

Most eligible beneficiaries will receive the money through direct deposit in early October, while others will receive a physical cheque.

The administration has also begun distributing $500 (£378) Obamacare 'refund' payments to nearly one million people who purchased unsubsidised coverage through the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.

Election Timing Puts Federal Payments Under Scrutiny

The flurry of payments and promises comes less than a month before the 3 November midterm elections, with economic pressures and household costs among issues confronting voters.

A Reuters analysis found that $339 million (£257 million), or 71%, of the Obamacare refund money is going to residents of 13 states hosting some of the most competitive Senate and gubernatorial contests.

Eligibility for the refunds, however, is based on insurance status rather than voting status.

Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin has characterised Trump's $5,000 proposal as a 'political bribe,' while Republican Representative David Schweikert has opposed the plan over concerns about its potential impact on federal finances and interest rates.

Previous Cash Promises Never Reached Americans

Trump has floated other large direct payments that ultimately did not materialise.

In February 2025, he backed the idea of a $5,000 'DOGE dividend,' which would have returned some projected government savings to taxpayers. No such payments were issued.

Later that year, Trump proposed a tariff-funded dividend of at least $2,000 (£1,500) per person. Those cheques also never arrived.

Trump similarly promised 33 million Medicare beneficiaries $200 prescription-drug cards six weeks before the 2020 presidential election, but the cards were not distributed.

Other direct payments have materialised. Around 1.5 million service members received a $1,776 (£1,344) 'Warrior Dividend' in 2025, while Congress authorised pandemic-era stimulus payments during Trump's first presidency.