Trump joked his promised $5,000 would barely cover a burger at Mar-a-Lago

Free daily briefing on global business news.

Global business news for a smarter world

The $5,000 payment is conditional on Republicans retaining both chambers of Congress and has not been authorized

Daniel Torok/The White House via Getty Images

President Donald Trump joked at a Texas rally on Tuesday that the $5,000 checks he has promised American adults would stretch to roughly a burger and a tiny dessert at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida club, according to CNBC.

Trump told the crowd in Corpus Christi that they could visit Mar-a-Lago as his guests, according to Newsweek. "The problem is that for $5,000, the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert," he said. He then suggested that even a hamburger and dessert might be more than the payment could buy. "No, don't go there. That's not a good place if you're price-conscious," Trump said. The remark drew laughter, according to Newsweek.

Trump has promised every adult citizen $5,000, contingent on Republicans holding majorities in the House and the Senate, and he has said recipients must spend the money inside the country. Sending the payments would carry a price tag of about $1.2 trillion, and lawmakers would have to sign off on them, according to CNBC. The pledge has not been authorized, and the administration has yet to publish any blueprint describing the process by which people could sign up for or collect the payments, according to Newsweek.

Some economists have cautioned that a single lump-sum check would offer scant relief from affordability strains and might push inflation higher, according to CNBC.

Trump has named tariff revenue as a funding source, according to Newsweek. The Tax Foundation estimated that the tariffs currently in effect would bring in roughly $125 billion in net revenue during 2027, which would pay for only about a tenth of what the payments would cost that year, according to Newsweek.

Trump first made the offer at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas in September. He had earlier backed a $5,000 "DOGE dividend" during his second term that was never paid.

Trump has also made similar promises in the past that did not materialize. With the 2020 election less than two months away, he promised $200 prescription-drug cards to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries "in coming weeks," but none were ever distributed, according to CNBC.

Affordability is a dominant issue ahead of the Nov. 3 vote. A CNBC All-America Economic Survey conducted this month among 1,000 registered voters found that 55% believe costs for their household are climbing "faster than usual," according to CNBC. In the same survey, 52% of voters said they would rather see Democrats in charge of Congress, giving them a 7-point edge over Republicans.

Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.