Commentary

Trump Offers $5,000 Bribe to All Adults if Republicans Hold Congress

In a pledge that is not his to make, Trump makes outlandish promises at the GOP Midterm Convention.

$5,000 Dividend Checks

The New York Times reports Trump Floats $5,000 Checks to Americans if Republicans Win Midterms

President Trump cast the midterms as a referendum on his presidency in an address Wednesday night at the Republican convention in Dallas, where he defended his decision to go to war with Iran and said that he would give a $5,000 “dividend” to every adult citizen if Republicans win the House and Senate in November.

It was not clear how he would go about that. His promise to offer a dividend only if one party wins could raise legal questions and would be enormously costly, likely exceeding $1 trillion.

His speech, during which he described the crowd as “packed” despite large sections of empty seats, closed the first night of an unusual two-day convention that he has engineered to try to help Republicans and burnish his image.

“I am asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” said Mr. Trump, who faces low approval ratings as the unpopular war in Iran has driven up gas prices.

Republican Senate Candidates Avoid Tariffs and the Iran War

At the convention, Republican Senate Candidates Avoid Tariffs and the Iran War

When Republican Senate candidates took the stage at President Trump’s convention on Wednesday, they steered clear of two big subjects: The war with Iran and tariffs.

Those topics, which have been at the center of Mr. Trump’s presidency, have been politically difficult for Republican candidates in battleground races, with polls reflecting voter frustration, particularly with rising prices that have resulted from Mr. Trump’s decisions.

Trump has calibrated this speech for this crowd, in this arena — his MAGA base. A typical convention is a rare opportunity to potentially reach independent voters. But it is not at all clear how big the audience will be for this unusual midterm convention, or this speech, beyond the most engaged Republican voters.

Projected Cost

Spending the Money Before You Even Collect It

Even Fox News Calls Out The BS

Complaint Department

Empty Seats

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Thought of the Day

A Referendum on Trump

Trump wants to make the midterm elections a referendum on him.

That would cost Republicans six Senate seats easily.

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Article posted with permission from Mish Shedlock

Mish Shedlock

Mike Shedlock / Mish is a registered investment advisor for SitkaPacific Capital Management. On “MishTalk,” global economics blog, he writes several articles a day on the global economy. Topics include interest rates, central bank policy, gold and precious metals, jobs, and economic reports, all from an Austrian Economic perspective.

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