House Republican Accuses Trump’s Election-Linked Check of Being ‘Pay-to-Play Politics’

(Jacquelyn Martin/AP photo)

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) warned on Friday that President Donald Trump’s plan to give Americans a $5,000 check should the GOP win the midterms sounds a lot like “pay-to-play politics.”

Trump sparked a wave of controversy earlier in the week by telling the crowd at the GOP’s midterm convention, “If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000. It will be called the Trump Dividend.”

Trump couched the dividend as something that could be paid for by his tariffs, despite the tariff income amounting to only a fraction of the over $1 trillion it would take to give every American adult a check that large.

“I have serious concerns with this $5,000-check proposal. We are already more than $40 trillion in debt, and I cannot support another massive spending package without a clear way to pay for it,” Norman wrote on X, adding:

Tying government checks to the outcome of an election starts to sound like pay-to-play politics. Republicans should earn the support of the American people through good policy, not by promising another round of checks from Washington.

Meanwhile, the Senate has hundreds of House-passed bills waiting for action. Congress should be focused on getting that work done and putting our country on stronger financial footing.

Show me how this is paid for without adding to the debt. Until then, I cannot support it.

Trump defended his plan on social media earlier in the day. On Truth Social Friday, Trump posted, “The $5,000 Trump Dividend, given to all Adults in the United States due to the fact that our Country is taking in Trillions of Dollars of Economic Development, Investment, and Pure SUCCESS, is being criticized by ‘Dumocrats’ who are hoping that it never happens — But it will!” He continued:

As an example, the Dumocrats said THE GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, one of the largest ever approved by Congress, or signed into Law by a President happened, despite the Dumocrats saying it would be impossible to get approved — Or the Gift of $1776 that I gave last year to our Military, was an almost guaranteed Non Starter, everyone said it could not be done, but it was, our Military Patriots got the money, and loved it. When I say something, I mean it! The $5,000 Dividend will happen because the People of our Country deserve it. VOTE REPUBLICAN — MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

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