House Speaker Mike Johnson, one of President Donald Trump's most loyal allies, said Congress would need to review and approve the president's pledge to pay every American adult $5,000 if Republicans win the November midterm elections. The controversy over the promise is growing, with Republicans raising concerns about the fiscal burden and inflation and administration officials offering conflicting plans for funding it.
Johnson made the comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" on the 13th, according to the Associated Press and other outlets. He said Congress would examine the $5,000 dividend proposal and work toward common ground, as it does with all other matters. Asked about carrying out the pledge, he said he does not make grand promises because problems have to be solved one at a time, and that this is what lawmakers do every day. When the host asked whether he was withholding active support for the payments, Johnson sidestepped the question, saying he would work closely with the president and serve the American people as he always has.
In a separate appearance on CNN the same day, Johnson said he believes congressional action would be required for Trump to move forward with the plan. He added that lawmakers have had no time yet to take up, review or discuss the matter.
Trump made the pledge on the 9th at a Republican convention in Dallas, Texas, promising a $5,000 dividend to every adult U.S. citizen if the party wins. He later said in a CBS interview that congressional approval would not be needed. On the 13th, however, he said he was not sure about congressional consent but that it could be done very easily if Republicans win.
Resistance is spreading in Washington over the pledge's legality, its cost and whether it can be carried out at all. Democrats sharply criticized the offer of cash payments conditioned on a midterm victory as an attempt to buy votes.
Caution is also mounting within the Republican Party. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen as a potential presidential contender, warned that large-scale cash payments could fuel inflation. Republican Reps. Ralph Norman and Chip Roy have also voiced opposition.
Explanations from within the administration diverge on how to pay for the plan. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a recent interview that the funds the president wants could be raised without relying on the deficit or taxpayer money, pointing to options such as the "Trump Platinum Card," which would grant foreigners long-term residency rights in exchange for a hefty fee. Vice President JD Vance, by contrast, has said tariff revenue could be used.
Analysts say neither approach would come close to covering the cost. Paying $5,000 each to roughly 240 million American adults would require about $1.2 trillion by simple arithmetic. U.S. tariff revenue from October last year through August this year totaled about $167.3 billion. The prevailing view is that the platinum card would not provide a stable source of funding either.
