$5,000 For Every Adult? Trump Pitch Divides Wisconsin Delegation

Donald Trump speaks at Discovery World. Photo Taken Oct. 1, 2024 by Graham Kilmer.

Wisconsin’s congressional delegation is split over President Donald Trump’s proposal to send $5,000 checks to every American adult if Republicans win in the midterms.

Speaking at the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas this week, Trump pledged to give $5,000 to every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate. The plan, dubbed the “Trump Dividend,” could cost more than $1 trillion and would need approval from Congress.

Wisconsin’s congressional Democrats have largely framed the proposal as a political stunt to buy votes, while Republicans either embraced it or appeared noncommittal.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, who is running for Wisconsin governor and has long been a staunch Trump ally, backed the idea.

“We have seen enormous amounts of taxpayer money wasted or lost to fraud, so when there is an opportunity to put money back into the hands of hardworking Americans, I will support it,” he said in a written statement.

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany addresses reporters at the Rustic Manor 1848 wedding barn in Hartford Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, after winning the GOP primary for governor. Rich Kremer/WPR

U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, a longtime Trump ally, told Spectrum News that he thought the Trump Dividend was a “fantastic idea.”

“I think that it can sway people to vote for Republicans,” he told the TV network.

Brian Schimming, chair of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, told Spectrum News that the president’s proposal was a bit of a surprise to Republicans at the convention, but he liked the idea.

“I always say, ‘Get the money out of the Capitol, out of the Legislature, out of Congress and get it back to people,’” Schimming told the television station.

While some were quick to support the proposal, not every Republican outright endorsed the idea.

In a statement, Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, who was named chair of the Senate’s budget committee in July, didn’t explicitly address the Trump Dividend, instead saying he supports a budget reconciliation package that supports “national defense, farmers, and election integrity.”

“I am always happy to consider allowing taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money within the framework of tax simplification, rationalization, and deficit reduction,” Johnson stated. “Estimates of fraud within federal spending range between $250 billion to $1 trillion per year — eliminating this waste would provide more than adequate pay-fors, NOT by reducing benefits.”

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, R-De Pere, who received an endorsement from Trump during his first congressional campaign two years ago, didn’t totally rule out the president’s plan but expressed some skepticism.

“While I agree with the President that we need to continue finding ways to provide relief for hardworking Americans, we must also remain mindful that out-of-control government spending has driven up costs for families for years,” he said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Tony Wied, left, and Rep. Bryan Steil, right, sit together Saturday, May 16, 2026, during the Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Baraboo, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

After a closed-door meeting with Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, told Politico that lawmakers were “looking forward to learning more” about the proposal.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Glenbeulah, who serves on the House’s budget committee, declined to tell Politico whether he supported the president’s proposal.

Spokespeople for Steil, Grothman, Van Orden and U.S. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Clyman, did not respond to WPR’s requests for comment.

Across the aisle, Democrats framed Trump’s proposal as an attempt to bribe Americans ahead of the midterm elections. Devin Remiker, who chairs the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, called the proposal part of a “political game” and an “insulting attempt at bribery dressed up as a promise.”

“Wisconsinites have seen through and rejected billionaires’ attempts to buy their votes before, and they will again in November,” he said in a statement.

Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said in a statement that Trump and his allies in Congress have “caused costs to skyrocket” through the war in Iran and the president’s use of tariffs.

“Instead of actually changing course, he’s just trying to pay off voters. Wisconsinites are so much smarter than that,” Baldwin said. “Wisconsin families don’t want more campaign gimmicks and empty promises; they need real relief.”

Senator Tammy Baldwin speaks at a press conference on November 12, 2025. Steph Conquest-Ware/WPR

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, said in a statement this isn’t the first time Trump has offered Americans checks, saying the administration previously made similar dividend proposals for tariff revenues and government spending cuts.

“We’ve never seen one. And we won’t see this one either,” he stated. “Attempting to bribe people when you have no credibility isn’t a place of strength. It’s a sign of desperation.”

Rep. Mark Pocan introduces Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday, March 7, 2025, at UW-Parkside in Kenosha, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Similarly, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, said the president’s proposed dividend will end up being “another broken promise” by the administration.

“In the Trump economy, Americans are struggling to make ends meet, while he’s made billions,” Moore said in a statement. “Trump has only made life worse for working people, and the American people know that.”

Wisconsin’s congressional delegation split over $5K ‘Trump Dividend’ was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.