The proposal, which could cost at least $1 trillion,reflected Trump’s apparent calculation that he needs bold moves to revive Republicans’ chances as Democrats try to take advantage of his low approval ratings in close races across the country.
Many Republicans are skipping the two-day affair in Dallas, while others hoped their appearance would put them in the national spotlight as they work to turn out Trump's supporters in a year without him on the ballot.
“If we hand America's future to the radical-left Democrats, our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet,” Trump said. “Vote Republican and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come.”
The president urged the crowd to pretend he's running in November and said there were about 35 key races in the Senate and House as his party hopes to maintain congressional control. He pledged “to go to every one of those states,” suggesting he might visit some repeatedly.
But Trump also frequently mentioned the war in Iran, even seeming to acknowledge that it had hurt the U.S. economy. “We were doing great,” he said before he approached his economic advisers to say, “I hate to do this to you," explaining that he needed to start the conflict because Iran was perhaps “two, maybe three weeks away from having a nuclear weapon.”
Trump similarly defended imposing sweeping tariffs on U.S. trade partners, insisting that the resulting economic turmoil would be worth it in the long run.
His most dramatic comments, however, were to promise, “If the Republicans win the Senate and House, because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”
The president said the only caveat would be that recipients spend the money in the U.S. He provided no details on how such a plan would be implemented but declared, “It will be called the Trump dividend.”
