Page F2From§Eachthe late evening edition — 10 September 2026
UNFUNDED PLEDGE
“They're promising you five grand like it's already sitting in an envelope with your name on it, but Scalise — the guy who'd actually have to write the check — is on the record saying Congress still hasn't worked out how. That's not a plan, that's a placeholder with a dollar sign on it, and they want your vote before anybody fills in the blank.”
“Look, this isn't a bribe, it's a dividend — the President used the word dividend, that's a business term, businesses pay dividends all the time. Sure, Congress hasn't signed off on how to fund it, but that's just the normal order of operations, you announce the number and then the funding follows... wait, did I just say the number came before the funding? That's not — that's not how I meant that to sound.”
The receipts
"We've got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt" - Trump promised it done in eight years, March 2016 The Washington Post, 31 March 2016 interview
Top Republicans didn’t expect Trump’s dividends. Now they’re scrambling.As they gathered in Dallas, GOP lawmakers wavered from full-on embrace to full-on avoidance of the president’s promise of $5,000 checks to Americans.
Trump promised taxpayers would not pay 'one dime' for the ballroom, then Republicans asked for $1 billion in taxpayer funds - Congress rejected it NBC News, May 2026
Trump’s Plan To Cut $5,000 Checks For Americans Not Landing With Many Midterm Convention Attendees‘He’s using the Democrats’ tactics’
After Trump promised taxpayers would not pay "one dime" for the ballroom, Republicans proposed $1 billion in taxpayer funds for it. Congress rejected the ask. NBC News, May 2026
Trump's $5,000 payments would reignite inflation, economists sayMr. Trump's pledge to give $5,000 to Americans would stoke inflation and worsen the nation's fiscal outlook, according to economists.
"We've got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt" - Trump promised it done in eight years, 31 March 2016 The Washington Post, 31 March 2016 interview
Trump’s $5,000 dividend pledge divides Republicans over spendingPresident Donald Trump’s promise to send Americans a $5,000 “dividend” if Republicans retain control of Congress after the 2026 elections is forcing the GOP to confront a divide that has been building for years: how far the party is willing to depart from traditional fiscal conservatism in pursuit of Trump’s populist economic agenda. The…
Many Democrats in Congress are on the growing list of critics calling out President Donald Trump for his Wednesday night vow to give US voters $5,000 each if they help Republicans win control of the Senate and House of Representatives—where they already have majorities—in the November midterm elections. "Nothing says confidence like…
"We've got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt" - Trump promised it done "over a period of eight years", 31 March 2016 The Washington Post, 31 March 2016 interview
Steve Scalise says details of $5,000 dividends would "obviously have to be worked out by Congress"At the GOP midterm convention on Wednesday night, President Trump said the federal government would give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans stay in power after the midterms. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports from the convention floor.
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
Republican skepticism arises after Trump’s pledge of $5,000 payouts tied to GOP winsSome GOP lawmakers and leaders said they had no notice about Trump's plan to propose $5,000 dividend checks if the GOP wins in November. Other Republicans say they are concerned about the plan's cost.
"We've got to get rid of the $19 trillion in debt" - Trump promised it done "over a period of eight years" The Washington Post, 31 March 2016 interview
Trump sees backlash over $5K dividend pledgeWelcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Trump sees backlash over $5K dividend pledge President Trump’s promise to distribute $5,000 to every U.S. adult if the GOP wins the midterms is drawing backlash from Republicans and Democrats as the president’s allies are…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.