Trump vows $5,000 cheques to woo voters: Inside Republicans' move to save midterms amid Iran war woes

WITH less than a month to go before the US midterm elections on 3 November, President Donald Trump is escalating his pitch to voters by promising $5,000 cheques if Republicans win and retain control of Congress, months after saying that he did not care about the midterms.

Trump made the announcement in September at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas. "If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000," he said. Explaining the rationale behind his proposal, the US President cited America's "tremendous economic success," adding that Washington "is making so much money".

The offer comes as the Iran war and its impact on fuel prices and household expenses threaten to weigh on Republican prospects, putting affordability at the centre of the campaign. However, questions remain over who qualifies for the payments, how they will be funded and whether the $5,000 pledge can secure congressional approval.
Trump moves from ‘I don’t care about midterms' to $5,000 pitch

The president's promise of $5,000 payments to Americans comes months after he said that the US wanted to strike a favourable deal with Iran, adding, "I don’t care about the midterms. Look what happened last night, that was a prelude to the midterms. People understand it,” as he referred to his endorsed candidate winning a Texas GOP Senate primary runoff.

According to a PBS report, he likened the proposed dividend to companies sharing profits with their shareholders and cited his administration’s distribution of $1,776 payments to military personnel in December.

According to a Reuters report, the US President is also sending payments worth $500 to roughly one million Americans in October. The White House has described the payments as refunds for what it called excessive fees charged to people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. However, strategists say the payments could influence races that may determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress.

The payments will be limited to eligible residents of the 30 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov insurance marketplace. Residents of the 20 states operating their own marketplaces will not receive them. According to the White House, only about 950,000 of the 19 million people covered through the Affordable Care Act will qualify.

Separately, Trump has sought to withhold billions of dollars in transport funding and other federal assistance from Democratic-led states, including Minnesota and New York, but courts have blocked or stalled those efforts.

Recently, he also signed an executive order to expand access to tax-exempt diesel. Speaking about the waiver, Trump said, "We are not going to need it long, I hope."

Trump faces a difficult time ahead of midterms

The midterms are also arriving at a difficult time for Trump. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in September, his approval rating fell to a low 32%, while the Iran war has pushed gasoline and diesel prices sharply higher and intensified concerns over the cost of living. The conflict has now continued for months, despite Trump initially saying that it would last only a few weeks, adding to the political pressure on Republicans as they seek to retain control of Congress.

The focus will now shift to the US midterms and whether Trump will announce further measures in an attempt to woo voters.