US President Donald Trump on Wednesday promised to pay every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections. He called it a “Trump dividend” during the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas. The proposal raised immediate questions about how the payments would be funded and whether they would be legally possible. With around 270 million US adults, the plan could cost nearly $1.35 trillion.

Trump used his hour-and-45-minute primetime speech to put himself at the centre of the midterm campaign. He claimed he had completed “the greatest two years in the history of the presidency”. He urged voters to back Republicans and warned against a Democratic victory. “We hand America's future to the radical left Democrats, and our nation will spend the next decade just getting back on its feet,” he said. “Vote Republicans, and we will leave the world in our dust for generations to come.”

The Dallas convention highlights how closely Republican election prospects remain tied to Trump. The two-day event will conclude on Thursday with Trump’s remarks after Vice President JD Vance’s keynote address. Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters informally called the gathering “Trumpapalooza”, comparing its focus on the president to the Lollapalooza music festival.

Trump also told supporters he would visit battleground states and districts during the eight weeks before Election Day. “I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot,” Trump said. His strong focus on the election comes as opinion polls show his approval ratings at record lows. Democrats have also gained ground among swing voters amid concerns over living costs and the Iran war.

The convention created a difficult choice for Republicans in competitive races. Some candidates may need to distance from Trump to attract wider support while still retaining his core voters. Several lawmakers skipped the event, including Michigan Representative Tom Barrett, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan and Maine Senator Susan Collins. At least 16 candidates in competitive House and Senate races were scheduled to speak. Among Wednesday’s speakers were Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Ohio Senator Jon Husted.

Trump claimed the 21,000-seat arena was “packed”, though large sections of the upper seating remained empty during his speech. Early speakers largely attacked Democrats on transgender women in sports, border security and other issues to energise the Republican base. The Iran war and cost of living received less attention.

Trump defended the US strikes on Tehran and said he acted to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. He also promised oil prices would fall “as soon as we win the war with Iran,” adding that the conflict would end soon. The war, however, has continued for more than six months, while analysts say Iran’s nuclear programme has not been eliminated. Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon.

Democrats were repeatedly labelled “socialists” and “communists” by Republican speakers. Senator Tim Scott, who leads the party’s Senate campaign arm, called Democrats “dangerous, radical and weird”. A surprise video from Democratic Senator John Fetterman also featured at the event. He introduced Republican Senator Dave McCormick as his “great friend” and said he would work with Trump to protect Pennsylvania’s steel industry.