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President Donald Trump promised on Wednesday 5,000 dollars to every "American adult" if Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections, in which he asked for the vote as if it were for him.
"If Republicans win, you win with us and you get 5,000 dollars. It will be called the Trump dividend," he said at a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas.
He did not specify where the resources would come from to fulfill an offer that would likely exceed one trillion dollars. The United States "is making a lot of money," he limited himself to saying.
The Republican tycoon redoubled his challenge against the polls in which his party is fighting against the Democrats to retain both houses of Congress on November 3.
"I ask you to pretend that I am on the ballot. I am on the ballot, just one more time," he told the audience.
Although Trump's approval ratings are just over 30%, voters are increasingly angry over high prices and the war he launched against Iran.
Election data firm Decision Desk HQ forecasts that Democrats will win the House of Representatives 230-205 and that the Senate will end 51-49 in their favor in November.
Vice President JD Vance later stated that US tariffs "generated a lot of revenue" and that the "Trump dividend" was a way to benefit Americans.
"What the president just said is... If you keep us in power and allow us to keep doing these things, then you will share in some of the benefits of this incredible wealth," Vance said in an interview with Fox News.
"I don't think it's a controversial idea," he added.
- Trump defends war with Iran -
Trump, 80, defended the unpopular war with Iran and predicted victory, which he said will cause oil prices to drop directly.
At the same time, he insisted that the Strait of Hormuz, vital for global fuel transport, should bear his name.
"Food prices and almost all other items are dropping rapidly. And, by the way, oil will go down as soon as we win the war with Iran, which is happening right now," he maintained.
Trump also echoed other Republicans at the convention who are agitating against what he described as a wave of communism threatening the United States.
"It's going to be a communist country if they win," he asserted. "Your vote will decide whether our country stumbles at the exit door of the next 250 years or surges forward and never, ever looks back."
Trump is scheduled to return for the closing of the convention on Thursday, after a keynote address by Vice President JD Vance.
Cabinet members, congressional leaders, and candidates in contested House and Senate races are also on the schedule.
The big Republican gamble is whether Trump can mobilize loyal voters without scaring off independents who have become disenchanted with his presidency even further.
- Democrat support? -
The convention featured a video message from a rogue Democratic senator, John Fetterman, who is increasingly at odds with the left wing of his own party over his stance on Israel.
His appearance fueled speculation about a possible defection, which could undermine Democratic hopes of taking the Senate.
Republicans highlighted tax cuts and immigration law enforcement, boasting of increased manufacturing and lower prices for prescription drugs.
One of the main talking points was the danger of giving power to what fervent speakers described as a dangerously far-left Democratic Party.
For this convention, the venue was decked out in Trump signs as supporters wandered around in sequined jackets emblazoned with his name, his image, and the American flag, some topped with cowboy hats.
Susan Kokinda, 77, a conservative podcaster who traveled from Michigan to attend the meeting, told AFP she expected Republicans to do "pretty well" in November.
"Conventional wisdom is that the party in power loses. But I always say that Donald Trump is not a conventional president and that he is reshaping the Republican Party," she asserted.
[Publicidad]