Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday pushed back against President Trump's proposal to send $5,000 checks to all American adults if Republicans win the midterms, warning that such a move would deepen the national debt and fuel inflation.
Speaking at a press conference in Miami, DeSantis argued that any surplus revenue should be returned to taxpayers through tax relief rather than through large-scale government payouts. "What I would say is, if you are getting surplus revenue, you should cut people's tax and return it to the people," he said.
DeSantis, who challenged Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, cautioned against borrowing more money to fund the payments. "What I don't think you want to do is borrow another trillion-and-a-half dollars and then just try to flood that into the economy, because that will lead to more inflation," he said. "That will lead to more debt and more inflation."
The governor also criticized Congress for failing to address the rising national debt, arguing that lawmakers are incentivized to add debt for short-term gain. "The way it works now in Congress, their incentives are to add debt for short-term political benefit," he said. "They never have to make tough decisions."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill. However, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle, in a statement to NewsNation, defended the president's record. "President Trump has consistently proven his doubters wrong, drawing a clear contrast with the Democrats' record of historic inflation, unfettered illegal immigration, skyrocketing crime, and weakness on the world stage," Ingle said. "With the continued support of the American people, President Trump will keep delivering real results."
Trump unveiled the "Trump dividends" during his address at the GOP's midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday. The two-day event aimed to rally Republican voters ahead of the November elections, where the party is fighting to retain control of both the House and Senate.
"Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them ... 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," Trump said.
The White House has not provided details on how the plan would be funded or implemented. The proposal has drawn criticism from fiscal conservatives and some economists, who argue that large-scale borrowing to finance the payments could exacerbate inflation. The debate comes as Trump defends the conditional dividend amid growing GOP concerns about the midterms.
DeSantis's rebuke highlights the ongoing tension between the governor and the president, who have clashed on several issues during Trump's second term, including airport security policy and artificial intelligence regulation. The governor's comments also come as Republicans prepare for a tight election cycle, with some strategists worried that the dividend proposal could distract from core economic messages.
As the midterms approach, the debate over fiscal discipline versus direct payments is likely to intensify. For now, DeSantis's stance underscores a broader intra-party disagreement over how to appeal to voters while managing the nation's finances.
