President Trump on Wednesday floated issuing every American adult a $5,000 "dividend" check if his party kept control of Congress in November — an offer costing over $1 trillion and likely needing congressional approval. "It will be called the Trump dividend," he said at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. He said the money must be spent in the United States but gave few details.

Federal law prohibits spending to influence voting, but Trump framed the checks as a benefit for all adults. Vice President JD Vance defended the idea on Fox News, citing tariff revenue, but the cost would dwarf the $330 billion collected in tariffs since Trump's second term began. The Treasury has started refunding some of that money after the Supreme Court struck down some duties in February.

Experts say Trump would likely need Congress's approval, which has sole spending authority. John Day, a former New Mexico prosecutor, said an executive order probably wouldn't work. Trump likened the payouts to $1,776 checks he gave military members last year. Congress resisted his $2,000 rebate checks last year.

Legal challenges would be complicated. Experts compared the idea to a tax break promise. A 1982 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Hartlage, distinguished broad policy promises from illegal vote-buying. Trump has raised similar payouts before, including one tied to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, but they did not materialize.