Empty seats, missing Republicans and now a $5,000 promise: the GOP convention gets stranger

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Trump is asking voters to treat the midterms as a direct vote on his presidency, while the Republican convention has had visible empty sections and more than 100 GOP lawmakers were expected to skip the event. Then comes the $1.2 trillion promise. That looks less like a normal midterm policy pitch and more like an attempt to give voters a very concrete reason to care about an election Trump himself isn’t on the ballot for.

Desperate Trump offers brazen cash bribe in bonkers speech

President Donald Trump has offered a hefty cash bonus to all American adults in a desperate attempt to retain his grip on Congress in the midterm elections.

At Wednesday’s Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump, 80, spoke for 106 minutes, finishing just before 11 p.m.

During the rambling speech, the president unveiled his desperate cash splash. He pledged to give $5,000 to every adult in the U.S. if Republicans can retain their House and Senate majorities on Nov. 3

Trump makes a familiar promise: $5,000 checks for everyone

President Trump is promising $5,000 checks for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans retain control of Congress in the upcoming midterm election.

Why it matters: He’s made similar suggestions before, many times, none of which ever came to pass.

It’d also cost more than $1 trillion to fulfill.
The big picture: Voters are angry. Polls consistently show they feel the economy is bad and getting worse, they’re preoccupied with inflation, and the most visible signs of stress — prices at the gas pump and the grocery store — are rising by the day.

With Trump’s approval rating on the economy more than 25 points underwater, the prospect of a fat check may be one of the few levers the administration has left to pull.

Down in the Polls, Republicans Embrace a Familiar Tool: Fear

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