The Guardian ·
Trump’s $5,000 pledge to voters is a shameless bribe
Not only would the plan do vast economic damage – it assumes that Americans are easily bamboozled
Whenever Donald Trump gives a speech, it’s filled with so many lies and self-serving exaggerations that when he does utter something true, I see that as a sort of marvel. That’s what happened nearly an hour into Trump’s marathon speech last Wednesday at the Republican midterm convention, when he declared: “Only I can make this promise to you.” Trump said that just before he made a promise that was so shameless and irresponsible that what he said was indeed true: only Trump could make such a preposterous promise.
Feeling very generous with other people’s money, the president promised to give $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November. It certainly looked and smelled like a bribe.
I guess that when you’re fearing an electoral debacle because your public approval ratings are in the toilet, because people are furious about your disastrous war of choice against Iran and because so many Americans are hopping mad that inflation has risen even though you promised to cut prices, then you might feel the need to take desperate measures, and that’s what Trump did by offering to stuff $5,000 in every adult’s pocket to help sway them to vote Republican.
