President Trump stands by promise of $5,000 payment to American adults if GOP Republicans keep Congress (AUDIO)

WASHINGTON – (AP) President Donald Trump is not backing down on his promise to deliver a five-thousand-dollar payment to American adults if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November.

House Speaker Mike Johnson says the proposal will require congressional approval—but he is pledging to work with the president to build support for what Trump calls a dividend for American taxpayers.

President Trump says the payment to every American adult is still on the table if Republicans maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.

Trump announced the proposal, which he calls a “Trump Dividend,” at the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Dallas last week. He says the payment would be possible because of the strength of the American economy and the amount of money flowing into the federal government.

“We can easily handle that because we’re taking in so much money,” Trump told reporters Sunday. “We’ve never done better.”

Trump also said he intends to keep his word.

“I made the pledge. I always keep my pledge,” the president said.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson says Congress would have to authorize the payments. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, described the idea as creative and said he would work to move it forward despite the GOP’s narrow margins in both chambers.

“He’s the big-ideas president,” Johnson said. “We’re going to try to implement everything we can.”

Johnson added that Congress would work toward consensus, as lawmakers must do on major spending decisions.

Trump later reaffirmed his commitment, telling reporters before boarding Air Force One in Ireland that the five-thousand-dollar payments are going to happen “100 percent.”

The proposal could cost more than one trillion dollars if every eligible adult received a payment. That raises questions about how the plan would be financed and whether it could add to the federal deficit, which is already approaching two trillion dollars annually.

Critics also warn that sending large payments into the economy could increase inflationary pressure at a time when consumers are already facing elevated prices and higher interest rates. Supporters of the proposal argue that it could provide direct relief to families while rewarding taxpayers for what the administration says is improved economic performance.

The plan comes as Republicans prepare for a difficult midterm campaign. Gasoline prices have risen amid the war with Iran, and wages have struggled to keep pace with inflation. Trump says gas prices will “drop like a rock,” although he indicated Sunday that an agreement with Iran—and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—may not happen soon.

Public approval of the president has also softened.

Still, the president and Speaker Johnson are presenting the dividend as part of a broader Republican effort to deliver tangible economic benefits if voters keep the party in power.

For now, the proposal remains dependent on congressional action—and ultimately, the November election.