President Donald Trump bizarrely offered Americans thousands of dollars in direct payments Wednesday night at the Republican midterm convention. It wasn’t the first time.
Ten months ago, Trump was peddling tariff dividend checks of $2,000. He declared that Americans “will be paid” the money and that anyone against his tariffs were “FOOLS.”
Turns out, anyone actually counting on that money were the real fools. Because it never arrived.
Indeed, Trump’s promise Wednesday of $5,000 to every adult US citizen if Republicans keep their congressional majorities is just one example in a long line of dubious promises on cash payouts.
And while this one is no more likely to actually materialize, it stands out in another way: Even in a political environment where politicians have increasingly made more direct overtures to their voters’ wallets, Trump’s phrasing makes it sound a lot like a political bribe — as even he would formerly admit.
