Fox News anchor Bret Baier confronted Vice President Vance on Wednesday night over President Trump's pledge to issue $5,000 payments to every American adult if Republicans retain control of Congress in November, suggesting critics would view the massive payout as an attempt to buy votes.
"I can hear the critics' heads exploding," Baier told Vance, just hours after Trump unveiled the proposal during his keynote address at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas. "They're saying out loud, I guarantee you: 'The president is bribing voters to vote for Republicans to take over the House, and then he's bankrupting the country because the deficit and debt is huge and inflation would come back if this comes into play.'"
Vance pushed back, framing the payments as a "dividend for American workers" funded by revenue from Trump's tariffs. "We're taking an extraordinary amount of revenue," he said, arguing that Americans deserve a share of the wealth generated by the administration's trade policies. The administration had previously floated $2,000 tariff dividends.
"If you keep us in power and allow us to continue to do these things, then you're going to share in some of the benefit of this incredible wealth that we're creating in the United States of America," the vice president added. "I don't think it's a controversial idea."
Trump made the promise during his nearly two-hour speech on the opening night of the convention, saying he would issue a $5,000 "dividend" to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans maintain their majorities in the House and Senate in November. "Because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000," he told the crowd.
The president also stipulated that the money would have to be spent domestically, without providing further details. "We don't want you going to Canada to spend the money," Trump said. "We don't want you going to China, to Germany."
The proposal would require congressional approval, and with roughly 270 million adults in the U.S., the total cost would exceed $1 trillion. According to The Associated Press, tariff revenue would fall short of covering the full expense as described.
The plan has already drawn criticism from some Republicans. Rep. Chip Roy has slammed the proposal as "soul-sucking," and the cash stockpile behind Trump's political operation has cast a shadow over the Dallas gathering.
The convention, which also features Trump and Vance headlining the final night, comes as Democrats hold their own rally in Dallas, underscoring the high stakes of the midterm elections.
