Charles C.W. Cooke, a senior editor at the conservative magazine National Review, has sharply criticized former President Donald Trump's recent promise to give every adult American a $5,000 dividend if Republicans maintain control of Congress following the 2026 midterm elections.
Cooke, in a column published Thursday, described the proposal as "catastrophic in every sense possible." He labeled it a "reckless, shapeless, irritable spasm, divorced from the nature and purpose of our government and from the Constitution that created it."
Moral and Fiscal Concerns
Cooke highlighted what he called the "obvious moral problem" that the funds Trump is promising do not belong to him to give away. He further argued that the plan is "deeply irresponsible" due to the significant increase in federal debt it would impose on the United States.
Political Ramifications
From a political standpoint, Cooke suggested that such a promise would amount to an admission of failure for a potential second Trump administration. He contended that resorting to what critics have dubbed voter bribery would "confirm for all time that the second Trump administration has been a failure."
Trump made the pledge at the GOP midterm convention on Wednesday, stating that "I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000" if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate.
The proposal has drawn scrutiny from various quarters, with journalists, pundits, and critics pointing to Trump's past promises of cash payments that have not materialized. Even E.D. Hill, an anchor for the conservative network Newsmax, questioned a Republican lawmaker about the promise, asking if it was "basically a bribe."