MS Now's Chris Hayes said there's something simple behind President Donald Trump's promise to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms: Trump thinks voters aren't very smart.
"The fundamental thing is, he thinks voters are stupid," Hayes said Thursday on "All In." "He thinks you're stupid. He thinks we're all stupid, that we're all stupid. This is the bet he makes on the American people: You guys are just idiots."
Politics: 'This Is Idiotic': Trump Torched For Answer About The Future Of AI Regulation
Hayes argued that Republicans could already mail out such checks if they wanted to.
"Republicans control the House," he said. "They control the Senate. They control the White House. Donald Trump lives there, and he's renovating it."
But, he contended, they don't really want to.
"They will not, because instead they want to use it as leverage," he said. "And to be absolutely clear, there is 0% chance of this happening. Even if Republicans hold Congress. The actual rank and file hate the idea; there aren't the votes for it."
Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.
Some GOP lawmakers have expressed support for the checks, but others felt blindsided by Trump's promise, The Washington Sun reported. A senior Republican Senate aide, speaking anonymously, told the news outlet that "it's not going to happen."
Hayes went on to note, as many others also have, that Trump has previously promised checks to the American people that have yet to materialize.
Politics: 9/11 Widow Delivers Scathing Message About Saudi Arabia During Ground Zero Ceremony
"This is like a schtick of his," he said. "It's a go-to. We've washed a lot of this from our memory. He promises voters checks all the time. We were all supposed to be getting a dividend from the DOGE cuts, remember that?"
Watch Hayes' additional comments below:
Facing Electoral Disaster, Trump Offers $5,000 Voter Bribe If Republicans Win Midterms
Newsmax Host Straight Up Asks MAGA Rep If Trump's $5,000 Check Is 'Basically A Bribe'
Bill Maher Roasts MAGA For Falling For Trump's Latest 'Con': 'You're Just Not That Bright'