$1.2 trillion Trump dividend proposal could cover Pentagon's full budget
President Trump promised $5,000 to every adult citizen if Republicans win the midterms, a cost exceeding the military's total request for 2026. Vice President Vance immediately suggested limiting payments to exclude wealthy individuals.
President Donald Trump offered a plan to pay $5,000 to every adult US citizen if Republicans retain control of both chambers in Congress. The proposal could cost nearly $1.2 trillion. This figure exceeds the Pentagon's complete budget request for 2026 by approximately $220 billion. According to Congressional Budget Office data, distributing the money to all adult citizens would surpass the military's entire spending plan for next year. Limiting distribution to registered voters instead would cost around $870 billion. At least 240 million adult US citizens were counted during the 2024 presidential election cycle. Only about 70 percent of the voting-age population was registered as voters at that time. Vice President JD Vance appeared to scale back the plan within an hour of its announcement. He suggested wealthy Americans would not receive the payments. Trump presented the initiative as a reflection of American economic strength. The proposal emerged during the party's midterm convention in Dallas.
