Donald Trump has reaffirmed his controversial pledge to provide US adults with a $5,000 "dividend" should his Republican party retain control of Congress following the November midterm elections. Speaking in Ireland, Mr Trump stated, "$5,000 to all adults in the country and we can easily handle that because we’re taking in so much money."
The proposed plan, which is estimated to cost more than a trillion dollars, has been met with incredulity and accusations of attempting to bribe voters across the US political spectrum. This comes as the US national debt surpassed $40tn for the first time in August.
Marc Goldwein of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget previously suggested the plan would lead to "a huge spike in the deficit, and almost certainly in the inflation rate." California Governor Gavin Newsom criticised the proposal, while Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno stated he would prepare a bill for its passage if Republicans win.