House Speaker Mike Johnson has a warning for American voters:
Be very suspicious when politicians start promising you “free things.”
There’s just one rather awkward problem.
Donald Trump recently promised Americans $5,000 checks if Republicans win the midterms.
Johnson delivered his warning Sunday during an interview with Tony Perkins at the Pray Vote Stand Summit in Leesburg, Virginia, while making the Republican case against what he described as the growing influence of socialism and communism on the Democratic Party.
Johnson argued that voters face a stark ideological choice in November.
“You have to keep the team in charge that has a plan, continue on that track,” Johnson said.
He accused Democrats of representing an “insurgent Marxist left” and argued that Republicans need to convince voters that communist systems ultimately lead to poverty, repression and a loss of individual freedom.
Then came the line that makes the timing of this interview particularly remarkable.
“When people are out on the campaign and they’re promising free things to you, you must ask what the real price is,” Johnson warned.
According to Johnson, those promises will “drive costs up,” “ruin the economy” and make Americans increasingly dependent on government.
Fair enough.
But somebody might want to remind the speaker what the leader of his own party recently promised voters.
At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month, Trump unveiled what he called the “Trump Dividend.”
And unlike some vague promise of future economic prosperity, Trump attached an extremely specific dollar amount to it.
$5,000.
Trump promised that if Republicans retain control of both the House and Senate in November, he would issue a $5,000 payment to every adult American citizen.
“If the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000,” Trump declared.
That is potentially an enormous government expenditure.
With roughly 240 million adult U.S. citizens, Reuters calculated that sending every adult $5,000 would cost approximately $1.2 trillion.
Trump has argued that the government can afford the payments thanks to revenue generated by his economic and tariff policies.
But even some Republicans have been skeptical.
And one of the people who has already raised questions about Trump’s proposal is — you guessed it — Mike Johnson.
Earlier this month, Johnson acknowledged that Trump’s $5,000 plan would require congressional approval.
“The question is, how do you pay for it?” Johnson said at the time.
He later described Trump’s proposal as a “big idea” that would require Republicans to build consensus in Congress.
Other Republicans have been considerably less diplomatic.
Rep. Chip Roy questioned how the government could possibly finance a program costing more than $1 trillion.
Sen. Rand Paul pointed to the enormous federal deficit and questioned how Trump could call the payment a “dividend” when the government isn’t actually generating a profit.
And Republican Rep. David Schweikert told Reuters he would fight the proposal because he believes it would ultimately hurt working Americans.
Which brings us right back to Johnson’s warning Sunday.
The speaker says Americans should be skeptical when politicians campaign by promising them “free things.”
He says voters should ask where the money comes from.
He says such giveaways can drive up costs.
He says they can damage the economy.
Those are perfectly legitimate questions.
In fact, they’re remarkably similar to the questions Republicans themselves have been asking about Trump’s $5,000 proposal.
Johnson wasn’t talking about Trump when he delivered his warning Sunday.
But considering what his own party’s president just promised American voters, the timing could hardly have been more awkward.
About the Author
What happen to the $2,000.00 Check, The lying Trump promise? Now the lying Trump is promising $5,000.00 check, So I guess we will all Get $7,000.00 Check. I rather have your inside source on stocks? That you spend each day when your awake or no playing with Natalie?