Another blank check
Voters throughout the nation can expect a tumultuous midterm election season and that upcoming chaos wouldn’t be complete without a few lies and bribes sprinkled in by the POTUS himself.
According to multiple news outlets, on Sept. 10, President Donald Trump proposed a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” for every adult American citizen. However, Trump said the payments would come only if Republicans kept control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, according to Associated Press.
That condition should alarm voters: public money should not be promised as a prize for delivering partisan power.
The proposal’s legality is, at best, highly questionable. Federal law states that a president cannot simply spend federal money; Congress must authorize such payments. Federal law also prohibits offering money or anything of value to influence voting behavior. Whether prosecutors would treat Trump’s wording as unlawful vote buying is uncertain, but tying checks directly to a certain election outcome creates an obvious legal and ethical red flag that should bother Republicans just as much as it does Democrats, Independents and others.
The false promise of cash in American’s pockets due to Trump’s “achievements” is nothing new. He previously promoted a $5,000 “DOGE dividend” based on supposed government savings and floated tariff rebate checks, but those checks never arrived, Yahoo Finance reported. This latest pledge follows the same formula: a dramatic dollar amount, vague funding, and little explanation of how it would pass Congress, survive legal scrutiny, or avoid worsening inflation.
For any Georgia voters waiting for those checks to arrive in the mail, your time is better spent checking your voter registration status at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ to make sure your information and eligibility is up to date for the upcoming election. It is a free, fast, and easy way to make certain your voice is heard.
