Trump reiterates pledge to send $5,000 checks, and hands out smaller payments, as midterm elections loom

President Donald Trump stands on stage during a campaign rally for Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei on Oct. 01, 2026, in Durant, Oklahoma.Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesWith Election Day less than a month away, President Donald Trump is touting two federal cash-payment programs already underway while renewing a much larger $5,000 check promise contingent on Republicans retaining Congress.On Friday, Trump announced one-time $90 payments to 20.8 million Medicare beneficiaries. A day later, he revived an earlier promise to give every adult U.S. citizen $5,000 — but only if Republicans retain control of Congress in November."If Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate in the 2026 Midterm Elections, I'm going to give all Adult Citizens in the United States of America, $5,000," Trump said in a Truth Social video post Saturday. The president made a similar pledge at the Republican National Committee's first midterm convention in Dallas last month. Trump hasn't provided any details on who would authorize the payments and where the money would come from. Those claims came on the heels of $500 Obamacare "refund" checks that began goi...