(VINnews) – President Donald Trump is promising Americans a potentially massive financial payout if Republicans maintain control of both the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking Wednesday night, Trump pledged a $5,000 “dividend” for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress. But the announcement immediately raised questions about whether the president can deliver on the promise and how the federal government would pay for it.

"Here is my promise, if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the U.S Senate, both of them…because of our tremendous strength and success economically I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000." pic.twitter.com/Iy7OVq5vpk

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 10, 2026

Trump cannot simply order the Treasury Department to send $5,000 to every adult American. Congress controls federal spending, meaning legislation would be needed to authorize and fund such a program.

The price tag would be enormous. With roughly 250 million adults in the United States, $5,000 payments could cost approximately $1.25 trillion.

Trump has previously proposed a similar tariff-funded payment — and that promise has yet to materialize.

In 2025, Trump promoted the idea of a $2,000 tariff dividend for Americans, saying revenue generated by his tariffs could be returned to the public. But the payments were never sent. No program was enacted authorizing Americans to receive the promised $2,000.

That history could make tonight’s new promise particularly significant. Trump is now proposing a payment more than twice as large as the one he promoted last year.

The administration would also face questions about whether tariff revenue could generate enough money to finance the payments. Even if tariffs produce hundreds of billions of dollars in annual revenue, a $1.25 trillion program would represent a massive federal expenditure.

If Republicans retain control of Congress, Trump would have a greater opportunity to pursue the proposal through legislation. But Republican lawmakers would still have to approve the program and determine who qualifies, how the money would be distributed and how it would be financed.

The proposal also raises constitutional and fiscal questions that cannot be resolved by a presidential announcement alone.

For now, Trump’s $5,000 dividend remains a political promise rather than an approved federal benefit.

Trump can ask Congress to make it happen. Whether Congress will — and whether the federal government can sustain the enormous cost — would determine whether Americans ever see the promised checks.