US President Donald Trump has renewed his promise to send $5,000 payments to every adult American citizen if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the November 3 midterm elections. He repeated the pledge in a Truth Social post on October 5.

Trump first made the promise at a rally in Dallas on September 9. The proposal would cost an estimated $1.2 trillion, and no legislation has been introduced in Congress to fund it. Economists have questioned how the payments would be financed.

The pledge comes as Trump campaigns hard for the midterms, urging supporters to treat the elections as a referendum on his presidency. With his approval rating at a record low of 32 per cent in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, the payment promise is seen as an attempt to energise voters.

Democrats have dismissed the plan as an unfunded campaign gimmick. Whether the cheques ever materialise will depend first on the midterm results — and then on Congress actually passing the money.

Sources: delawareonline.com; elpasotimes.com; usatoday.com.