MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump promises payments to voters ahead of midterms dominated by the cost of living

The promise of US$5,000 per adult, made in September, is not an approved measure and would require authorisation by Congress

US President Donald Trump has announced a series of direct payments to various groups of citizens in recent weeks and has promised US$5,000 to every adult if Republicans keep control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, in which the cost of living is shaping up as the central issue.

The latest is a cheque of around US$90 for more than 20 million retirees, intended to help them pay their Medicare Part B premium, the public health insurance for people over 65. “My Administration will immediately begin sending checks of almost $100,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. According to an analysis by health policy foundation KFF, the payment will not reach the 35 million beneficiaries enrolled in private plans, and the standard annual premium of US$2,435 will rise by US$79 next year, absorbing much of the cheque. The administration also announced in early October a US$500 payment to around one million people insured under the programme known as Obamacare.

The promise of US$5,000 per adult, made in September, is not an approved measure and would require authorisation by Congress. The announcements have drawn criticism for coinciding with the election campaign.

The payments come amid economic discontent. According to an AP-NORC poll published last week, almost three in four Americans describe the economy as poor and 69% disapprove of the president's handling of it, including 57% of those identifying as Republicans. Obamacare premiums rose this year after a pandemic-era tax credit expired, and the war with Iran has driven up energy costs.

“We keep telling the American people not to believe what's in their own checkbook. That's not going to work,” Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana warned in an interview with NBC.

Republicans hold narrow majorities in both chambers. Five election forecasting models give Democrats between a 56% and 73% chance of controlling the Senate and between 76% and 99% of winning the House of Representatives.