Joe Lonsdale Slams Trump’s $5,000 Dividend as GOP Chases Midterm Control
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Sep 10
Joe Lonsdale Slams Trump’s $5,000 Dividend as GOP Chases Midterm Control
3 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Sep 10
Summary
Joe Lonsdale, a major GOP donor who backed Trump in 2024, called the president’s proposed $5,000 payment to adult Americans a “bribe” and “bread and circuses” on X.
Trump unveiled the checks at the Republican Party’s first midterm convention, tying them to Republicans keeping Congress as he tries to blunt expectations that Democrats could retake the House.
More than $1 trillion would be needed to fund the plan, far above recent tariff intake of $194.9 billion in FY25 and $154.5 billion so far this fiscal year.
Congress would likely have to approve any payments, and House Speaker Mike Johnson has already said Trump could not send similar tariff checks on his own.
Democrats dismissed the proposal as unrealistic, while the funding gap and legal limits underscore how difficult it would be to turn the campaign pledge into policy.
With massive corporate refunds draining customs revenue, how can a $1.2 trillion national cash payout avoid triggering an unprecedented economic crisis?
Could a modern 'bread and circuses' cash payout actually worsen the daily cost-of-living crisis for everyday citizens instead of fixing it?