"If we win, you get $5,000": Republicans face a heavy defeat in the November elections. Trump is trying to turn things around by promising $5,000 to every adult American.
This evening, US President Donald Trump gave the first of his two planned speeches at the Republican party convention. In it, he issued a strong warning about the danger of a victory for "radical left Democrats" in the November elections. Despite his rapidly declining approval ratings, Trump wants to prevent the Republicans from losing the election by putting himself at the center of the campaign - even though his name is not on the ballot at all. "However, I ask you: act as if my name is on the ballot", he urged party supporters in Dallas.
"If the Republicans win, you get $5,000"
To mobilize voters, Trump has resorted to unusual methods: he has promised all adult Americans a direct payment of $5,000. "If the Republicans win, you win with us and get $5,000", he said. According to him, the "cash prize" will be paid if the Republicans manage to maintain their majority in both houses of Congress. The only condition is that the $5,000 be spent in the United States.
This would cost the country more than $1 trillion - approximately the entire US defense budget. Therefore, such a decision seems unrealistic both from a political and financial point of view. In addition, US federal laws prohibit spending to influence elections.
Bad timing for Trump
With this speech, Trump wanted to reach as many Americans as possible during prime time. But the timing was extremely unfortunate. At the same time, the opening match of the new football season was being broadcast on American television. Trump's event was broadcast only by Fox News and a few specialized channels, CNN interrupted the broadcast after only 15 minutes.
Even worse for the president: right during the Republican party convention, the price of oil again jumped to over $100 per barrel. Americans are currently paying 40 percent more for gas than they did in the months before Trump launched the war on Iran.
Boasting and rants against Democrats
In his nearly two-hour campaign speech, Trump painted a completely different picture: "These have been the most successful two years in the history of the United States presidency - financially and in every other way". As evidence, Trump pointed to the fact that he had strengthened the borders and stopped illegal immigration. As his success, he also noted the fact that violence had decreased. However, it has been decreasing since 2023, i.e. since the time of Joe Biden.
If the Democrats win the elections in November, people will lose both their security and tax breaks, Trump said, adding: "If we put the future of America in the hands of the radical left Democrats, it will take our country a decade to get back on its feet. That would be a tragedy!".
"Communists", "stupidcrats"
In his speech, Trump called the Democrats "communists", "stupidcrats". This may have caused laughter among his supporters in the hall in Dallas, but overall, Trump's rating among Americans is falling rapidly. Only one in three Americans now approves of his policies. In addition to the war with Iran, Trump's customs policy is particularly unpopular.
Another telling fact is that not all Republican congressmen came to Dallas. Above all, Republicans in contested electoral districts deliberately refrained from participating in the party convention - because they fear that being close to the president could harm them.