President Donald Trump capped the first day of his Republican Party's midterm convention by proposing to pay every US adult a $5,000 “Trump dividend” if his party wins November's congressional elections.
Mr Trump took to the stage at the Republican convention on Wednesday night and urged wary Americans to pretend he, rather than his party, was on the ballot in the November 3 midterm elections.
“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said. “I’m on the ballot. I’m on. Just one more time.”
In a fiery two-hour address in Dallas, Texas, Mr Trump warned that the country would “go to hell” if Republicans lost control of Congress. “If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose your safety and security, you’re going to lose your wealth,” Mr Trump warned.
Unlike presidential election-year conventions, the unusual two-day gathering does not include voting or the selection of candidates. Instead, it is more akin to a Trump rally, with the President at the centre of the event.
Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters has called it “Trumpapalooza”, a reference to the Lollapalooza music festival.
The convention comes as Republicans confront the historical tendency of a president’s party to lose seats in midterm elections, as well as low approval ratings for Mr Trump and voter concerns over the cost of living and the war with Iran.
'Dividend' for US citizens
If the Republicans win, Mr Trump said, every adult American would receive a hefty cheque.
“I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” he said. “Very much like a successful company will do a cash distribution to its shareholders.”
He said the money would need to be spent in the US. While it is unclear how that could be ensured, it would cost more than $1.3 trillion to issue $5,000 to each of the roughly 270 million American adults. That would run counter to his party's long-time policy to control the nation's swelling national debt.
The line-up of speakers are expected to contrast Republican policies with what they portray as the Democratic Party’s increasingly left-wing stances on issues including immigration, trade and foreign policy. The published programme, however, makes little mention of the unpopular war in Iran.
"Oil will be going down as soon as we win the war with Iran, which is taking place right now," he said. "We'll win it. We're winning it." Recent polls have put Mr Trump’s approval rating at about 33 per cent.
Attendance has once again become a major topic. Mr Trump said the event held at the American Airlines centre was "sold out". An AP survey of more than four dozen Republican candidates found that most planned not to attend, had not decided whether to attend or did not respond to requests for comment. Many said they had prior engagements, family events or travel.
The absences have elicited ridicule on social media. “Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the midterm Republican convention in Texas,” read the satirical account of Jack Kimble, a fictional Republican congressman from California, on X. “I have a previous commitment, whatever that may be."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr, former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Mr Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr are also expected to speak at the Dallas event. Four Democratic politicians are set to attend as part of the party's counter-programming effort.
Several Republican candidates facing competitive re-election races have said they will not attend, as some legislators and candidates said they prefer to campaign in their home states.
“Republican candidates are on defence, running away from Trump because they know Trump is historically unpopular and that voter enthusiasm is surging in favour of Democrats,” Democratic National Committee chairman Ken Martin said in a memo on Tuesday. “This convention will be a stark reminder of how out of touch Republicans remain with the everyday realities of the American people.”
Mr Trump is set to speak again on Thursday after a speech by Vice President JD Vance.
