President Donald Trump is doubling down on his promise to send $5,000 dividend checks to American adults if Republicans hold the House and Senate after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, declaring Sunday that the payments will happen "100 percent" if the GOP keeps control of Congress.
Speaking to reporters outside Air Force One on Sunday, Trump dismissed skepticism surrounding the proposal claiming "The $5,000 is going to happen 100 percent, and the reason is because our country is taking in trillions and trillions of dollars. And it's going to happen."
Trump also said he doesn't want to issue the payments before the election. "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," Trump said. "If we get in, we're taking in tremendous amounts of money."
The comments came just days after Trump told supporters at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas that every adult American would receive a $5,000 "Trump Dividend" if Republicans win both chambers of Congress, "So if the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000," Trump said.
The proposal gained another boost Sunday when Mike Johnson signaled congressional Republicans would work with Trump on the plan if the GOP retains its majorities.
During an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Johnson said "I commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that, like I have to do everything else." He later added, "I'll work with the president hand in hand, as I do all the time, and we'll deliver for the American people. That's the promise."
Trump has proposed sending a one-time $5,000 payment to all adult U.S. citizens if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate after the 2026 midterm election. The president has argued the payments could be funded by money generated through his economic policies and tariff revenues.
The proposal was unveiled during the Republican Party's midterm convention in Dallas and immediately became a major talking point heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
Trump initially said the payments would go to all adult U.S. citizens. However, the administration has not released a formal plan outlining eligibility requirements, income limits or payment details.
J.D. Vance later suggested some higher-income Americans may not qualify, though no official thresholds have been announced.
Trump has tied the checks directly to the outcome of the Nov. 3 election and says Republicans must first retain control of Congress.
On Sunday, Trump said he does not want to send the money before voters go to the polls, arguing that Republican victories are necessary to make the proposal a reality. No schedule for distributing payments has been announced.
Trump recently suggested congressional approval may not be necessary, claiming "We think not," when asked whether Congress would need to authorize the payments. "I think they will do it if we needed it."
However, Congress traditionally controls federal spending, and constitutional questions remain about whether payments of this size could be distributed without legislative approval.
Johnson supported working on the proposal but stopped short of guaranteeing Congress would pass it.
The proposal has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
Rep. Chip Roy (R) questioned how lawmakers would pay for the program, while Republican donor Joe Lonsdale criticized it as a "bribe." Former House Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good called it a "socialist vote-buying scheme."
Democrats and other critics have argued the proposal would be enormously expensive and questioned whether it is financially feasible. Some have also compared it to previous proposals for DOGE dividends and tariff rebates that were discussed but never materialized.
Multiple analyses estimate that sending $5,000 to roughly 245 million adult citizens would cost about $1.2 trillion.
Based on Trump's own proposal, the dividend checks are contingent on Republicans retaining both the House and Senate. He has repeatedly framed the payments as a reward tied to a Republican victory, telling supporters, "If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000."
If Republicans fail to keep control of Congress, there is currently no indication that Trump's proposed dividend plan would move forward in its current form.
The 2026 midterm election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Voters will decide control of the House and Senate while also casting ballots in gubernatorial and other state and local races across the country.
Maria Francis is a Pennsylvania-based journalist covering trending and breaking topics across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions for USA Today Network. Reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Trump says $5,000 checks will happen '100 percent.' Who gets the dividend?