Can Trump really pay $5,000 to every American adult?

US President Donald Trump has offered every adult American $5,000 if Republicans win November's midterm elections, but the feasibility and legality of the plan are in question. Trump's remarks at a party convention on Wednesday night received raucous applause from supporters, while Democrats labelled it an 'empty promise'. The US president has given no details on how the money would be funded, though Vice-President JD Vance suggested it might be paid for by tariff revenue. Under US federal law, it is illegal to give payments intended to influence voting. Some experts believe the offer could be seen as a pledge to cut taxes, which is legal. Dr Joan Mahoney, lecturer in law at the University of Southampton, thinks the offer would be legal as it would be similar to a campaign promise. Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America programme at Chatham House, disagrees, saying Trump's offer seems 'a very different, very transactional agreement' from typical campaign promises. The offer would need to be funded, with nearly 270 million adults in the US, resulting in a potential cost of $1.3 trillion. Trump's promise has raised questions about the affordability of the plan, especially considering the US's increasing debt, partly due to the war in Iran. The US government's budget is expected to increase significantly if the Republican party wins the midterm elections.