President Donald Trump has promised $5,000 payments to every adult American, but only if Republicans keep Congress after the November 3 midterms. He renewed the pledge in a Truth Social video on Saturday. Here is what it involves.

Who qualifies? Trump says every adult American, about 240 million people. He first made the pledge at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on September 9.

The catch: the payment is conditional on the election result, and it is not a law yet. No agency has been assigned to run it, no funding source named, and Congress has not authorized any spending for it.

What would it cost? Analysts estimate about $1.2 trillion. For comparison, Trump is promoting two small programs this week: one-time $90 checks to 20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries, and $500 refunds to about 950,000 marketplace insurance holders.

What are the blockers? Any payment needs legislation. David Schweikert warned large unfunded payments could push interest rates higher, and Jamie Raskin called the promise a political bribe. This is Trump’s fourth large cash pledge; the prior three produced no payments.

Bottom line: the $5,000 check is a campaign promise tied to the midterm outcome, not a benefit anyone can apply for.