Is Trump's $5,000 pledge a sign of panic?
Donald Trump's campaign promise to pay $5,000 to every American citizen if Republicans win the midterms has sparked controversy and confusion. Critics and some fellow Republicans have questioned the feasibility and fiscal impact of the pledge.
Why it matters
The proposal highlights internal Republican divisions and raises questions about the economic strategy and campaign tactics of the former president.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Sarah Smith North America editor, reporting from Dallas BBC’s Samira Hussain explains what needs to happen for Trump's $5,000 gift to become reality We all know that Donald Trump does not feel the need to adhere to the normal rules of political campaigning. Even by his own unconventional standards, his extravagant promise to pay every American citizen $5,000 (£3,700) if the Republicans win the midterm elections was bizarre.
This enormous cash pledge was not the headline of his keynote address at the first night of his midterms Republican convention on Wednesday.
He slipped in the mention about an hour into his lengthy speech - just when the audience's attention was starting to waver.
The president offered no details on how this more than one-trillion-dollar pledge will be paid for or how the payments would be distributed.
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