Donald Trump has vowed to give every adult American a staggering $5,000 (£3,700) payout if the Republicans emerge victorious in the upcoming midterm elections.
The US president said the pledge – which would cost more than a trillion dollars – would come into effect should the party win both chambers of Congress in November’s vote.
He said: ‘If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.’
The US president made the controversial promise during a speech at a party convention – the first to be held in the middle of a US presidential term – but stopped short of revealing where the money would come from or how the plan would work.
He did, however, stipulate that the cash would have to be spent in the US. ‘We don’t want you going to Canada to spend the money,’ he added.
‘We don’t want you going to China, to Germany. You got to spend the money in the United States of America.’
It is unclear how the government would monitor where the money is spent.
There are more than 270,000,000 adults with American citizenship, meaning the payout would total around $1.3trillion.
Rival party the Democrats branded the pledge an ‘empty promise’ and questions have swirled over whether such a plan would even be possible – particularly as prices in the US soar amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Iran.
The war has centred around the Strait of Hormuz, a body of water through which around a fifth of the world’s oil has historically been transported, which has largely been closed since February.
This has caused dramatic fluctuations in oil prices across the globe.
A 60-day ceasefire formally came to an end last month, and despite pressure to end the conflict, Trump told supporters on Wednesday the war would not end – and oil prices would not go down – until after the midterms.
Last year, Trump promised a payout of $2,000 (£1,475) which he said would be funded from tariff revenues.
Taking to Truth Social in November, he said: ‘People that are against Tariffs are FOOLS!
‘We are taking in Trillions of Dollars and will soon begin paying down our ENORMOUS DEBT, $37 Trillion.
‘Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.’
His administration has yet to pay up.