President Donald Trump's proposal for a $5,000 dividend payment to Americans, contingent on Republican control of both chambers of Congress, has drawn skepticism and outright opposition from within his own party.
Washington Examiner columnist Guy Benson called the plan a "disastrous idea" on Fox News's Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, expressing doubt it would ever materialize. "I don't think we should, frankly," Benson said.
Trump first announced the $5,000 dividend plan during the Republican National Committee midterm convention in Dallas. The proposal is estimated to cost more than $1 trillion and would significantly increase the national debt.
Benson, a supporter of Trump's tax and deregulation agenda, called the dividend proposal "very desperate." He argued the plan is inflationary, noting that conservatives would object if a Democratic president made a similar offer.
Trump told CBS News he believed congressional approval was not necessary to distribute the dividends. Benson called that position "unconstitutional."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) offered a different view, calling the idea "creative" but saying he would assume Congress would need to pass such a proposal. The statement signals a potential legislative hurdle for Trump's plan.
Trump has floated similar direct payment concepts earlier in his second term, including a $5,000 dividend from cost savings via the Department of Government Efficiency and a $2,000 tariff check.
Legal experts and economists have raised concerns about practical obstacles and the proposal's long odds in Congress. Some have characterized the plan as a form of "bribery," particularly given its timing ahead of the midterms.
