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‘Is Trump bribing voters?’: $500 Obamacare rebate after $5000 dividend check offer puts GOP midterm strategy in focus
Trump's low approval ratings and recent GOP losses fuel concerns over the party's 2026 midterm strategy, as he offers $5,000 checks and Obamacare rebates.
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The Republican Party, led by President Donald Trump, is facing an uphill task in the 2026 midterm election as Trump's approval ratings touch an all-time low.
Coupled with recent losses for several Trump-supported candidates in the GOP primaries, many believe that the prospects for the party are far from ideal as they head into the November polls. The desperation is evident, particularly on the part of Trump, who has made the GOP midterm strategy "all about himself" despite the ratings of his performance being at a record low.
The anxiety about the GOP midterm strategy was evident on day one of Trump's Dallas Republican convention. Styled as a grand, two-day Trump rally headlined by the President himself and VP JD Vance, the rally aimed to bring the GOP candidates under one roof and get them to rally behind Trump.
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The early setback came earlier in August as several Republican primary winners decided to skip the Dallas convention. On Wednesday, as the convention kicked off, the desperation was even more evident.
Also read: Trump’s GOP convention faces low turnout: Which Republicans are skipping? What we know so far
In his headline speech, Trump promised a $5000 dividend check to Americans if the GOP retains a majority in both houses in the midterms. Hours later, he announced a $500 Obamacare rebate for eligible policyholders.
The two offerings, one coming back-to-back, were interpreted by many as Trump's last-ditch attempt to win over voters amid plummeting approval ratings. Even as he keeps himself at the center of the GOP's ''bizarre and risky" midterm strategy, according to CNN analyst Stephen Collinson.
'Is Trump Bribing Voters?': Medicare Rebate, $5000 Dividend Check Sparks Buzz
“I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” Trump said Wednesday night from the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, Texas. But as of September 10, Trump's approval rating on Nate Silver's Silver Bulletin sits at -19.5, which the pollster describes as "far from popular." The CNN poll places it at an all-time low of 35%.
Meanwhile, the YouGov survey shows that back in January 2025, the verdict on the president was divided 50-50 among registered voters, with around 49% approving and 51% disapproving. But in September 2026, the figures have tilted significantly. According to YouGov, as of September 10, only 37.8% approve of Trump's performance while 60.3% disapprove.
Almost all polls show the drastic fall in approval of the President's performance - the cornerstone of the GOP midterm strategy. Thus, as the announcement on $5000 cash payment and the $500 Medicare rebate came - it sparked negative reactions.
"Is Trump Bribing Voters?": Allegations Emerge After Announcement
"Trump offers a bribe of $5,000 in exchange for votes, the bribe is promoted as a dividend and would cost $1.2 trillion dollars," Anonymous, the hacking group, said. "Bribing someone to vote a certain way is a federal crime punishable by prison."
"Trump’s $5,000 checks: A familiar idea, but this time more explicitly bribe-y," CNN journalist Aaron Blake wrote in the headline to the broadcaster story on the offering.
"The corrupt Trump regime is trying to bribe a handful of people with ACA health insurance in some states with a 'rebate,' wrote healthcare justice advocate Laura Packard about the $500 Medicare rebate. "How does this help me when I'm paying over a thousand dollars more for my insurance this year because of Republican sabotage?"
Whether or not the announcement pays dividends remain to be seen. But CNN's Stephen Collinson feels that the GOP is walking right into the Democrat trap by making the campaign all about Trump.
Referring to the Democrats as the "not particularly trusted out-of-power party," Collison concedes in his that this "All-Trump" strategy of the "deeply disliked incumbent" is only making the case for the Democrats stronger.
