House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans would “try” to implement President Donald Trump’s $5,000 dividend checks, but he didn’t confirm the move during a tense interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The Louisiana lawmaker was asked by host Kristen Welker if he supports sending $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate in November’s midterms. Trump made the promise during the GOP convention in Dallas last week, but it quickly faced criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
Johnson approved of the idea but stressed congressional oversight. “Like every idea that the president comes up with, he’s a great idea generator,” Johnson told Welker. “We’re going to process that in Congress and figure it all out.” But he also told the NBC host that “we’re going to try to implement everything we can.”
Johnson later said he would work with Trump to deliver the checks. “I commit that Congress will work through it and find consensus on that, like I have to do everything else,” Johnson said, when Welker asked if he planned to commit to Trump’s idea. Johnson said that “it takes some time” to implement due to Republicans’ tight majority in Congress.
Trump’s approval drops among Republicans ahead of midterms, new poll shows
Trump’s proposal came as he faces sinking approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections, where Republicans hope to hold onto their congressional majority. An NBC News Decision Desk poll conducted from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1 found a near 10 percentage point drop among Republican voters who say they “strongly approve” of the president’s job performance.
During comments of his own Sept. 13, Trump addressed the $5,000 checks during a gaggle with reporters during an international trip to Ireland. When asked if he needed congressional approval for the checks, Trump said, “I don’t know but it’s easy enough … It’s $5,000 to all adults in the country, and we can easily handle that because we’re taking in so much money.”
On “Meet the Press,” Welker also asked the House speaker if the proposal was an attempt to buy votes following criticism from Sen. Susan Collins, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Collins, who is up for re-election in November, said spending decisions should “not appear to be tied to election results.”
Speaker Mike Johnson speaks at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 10, 2026.
“No, of course not,” Johnson said, pushing back against the criticism and noting that Democrats supported COVID stimulus checks.
Direct payments during the pandemic were a part of the bipartisan CARES Act signed into law in March 2020 during Trump’s first term, although Johnson’s Democratic predecessor, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, had the House gavel.
Trump’s $5,000 offer for GOP midterm win angers some MAGA faithful
When Welker pointed out that Collins is a Republican, Johnson responded, “That’s right,” but he said Trump is the country’s leading Republican. He later said he didn’t want to add to the national debt during another back-and-forth with Welker, telling her “I guess we’re going to spend the whole segment talking about this one issue.”
The pair later turned to Iran where Johnson said “the Iranians are not trustworthy negotiating partners,” calling the ongoing war a “difficult, complex situation.” Johnson also told Welker he wants the war to end as soon as possible.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Congress pass Trump’s $5,000 dividends? Johnson says GOP will ‘try’
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