Trump promises $5,000 per adult if Republicans keep Congress majority at Dallas convention

In the US, Republicans are holding a party convention ahead of midterm elections for the first time. Trump promises cash gifts – likely due to poor polling numbers.

September 10, 2026 | 1:54 PM

At the convention in Dallas, Republicans pay homage to their greatest "hero": Donald Trump Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / ap / dpa

From Dallas Hansjürgen Mai

Thousands of Republicans flocked to the major Texas city of Dallas in recent days to pay homage to their greatest hero: Donald Trump. For the first time, the Republicans held a party convention ahead of congressional elections, which always take place at the midpoint of a presidency. The reason for the event is the party's poor polling numbers less than two months before the November 3rd elections.

With the two-day campaign event, the party leadership aims to energize the voter base in order to still avert the feared loss of the majority in the US Congress.

Trump's Monetary Promise

How does the party intend to achieve this? With Trump and a monetary promise. During his speech on Wednesday evening, the president promised that if the Republicans defended their majority in both chambers of the US Congress, he would reward his fellow citizens with a one-time payment of $5,000 per person.

"I will distribute a dividend of $5,000 to every adult citizen of the United States of America – very similar to how a successful company makes a cash distribution to its shareholders."

Trump delivered the closing speech on the first day of the event. He repeated many of his already known statements and attempted to explain that his second term was the most successful in US history.

"Tariffs make us far richer than we ever thought possible – we are bringing in trillions of dollars," Trump said about his economic policy.

Iran War Causes Polling Slump

Besides Trump, other leading Republican politicians, candidates, and government members were present at the convention. However, most people came for only one reason – President Trump.

"I have supported him from the beginning. He has his mistakes, like all humans, but he is one of the best presidents I can remember," Phillip Hatfield from Dallas told taz in an interview.

Republicans see the event as an opportunity to mobilize their electorate and present their track record. But the economic impact of the Iran war is clearly weighing heavily on the party. And since the governing party usually loses seats in congressional elections, the signs are not particularly good.

"Of course, the Iran war is a problem. [...] But if you look at how the mullah regime has operated over the last 47 years, it was necessary to wage this war to ensure that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons," Hatfield stated.

Nevertheless, a close relationship with Trump is not a guarantee of success for all Republicans. This is evident simply from the fact that fewer than half of the Republican candidates from the most fiercely contested districts will speak at the event.

Numerous Republicans Stayed Away from the Convention

An analysis by CNBC showed that only 19 out of 45 candidates are scheduled to give a speech at the two-day convention in Dallas.

"The reason why midterm elections often go badly for the governing party is that the opposition is usually angry. In this case, the left-wing camp is highly motivated. On election day, all those who hate Donald Trump will show up. The question is: Will the Republicans also go to vote? Are we divided? We must stand together," Texas Senator Ted Cruz told CNN.

According to reports from MS Now, numerous vulnerable Republicans have also decided to stay away from the convention entirely. For Trump supporter Paul – who does not want to reveal his surname – the three-hour drive from the Texas capital Austin was worth the trip.