Election 2026

I Tried To Find Out What Republicans Think of Trump's $5,000 Checks. Then I Got Trapped.

At the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, looking for answers meant an unexpected escort, a Palestine-Mexico protest flag, and a front-row seat to the spectacle.

Billy Binion | 9.11.2026 3:48 PM

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(Billy Binion)

DALLAS—How did Republicans at the GOP midterm convention feel about President Donald Trump's offer to send every American adult a $5,000 check? I tried to find out.

I got very far and also basically nowhere.

That's because, upon descending to the floor of the convention—where journalists were typically given access in 15-minute increments to interview attendees—a couple of us were lumped in with the photographer escort. We did not know what that entailed. In practice, it meant we were herded to the front and placed as close as possible to the stage: on the (literal) floor, up against the plexiglass, for Vice President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump's speeches. It was some of the very best access the convention could provide. It also meant we........

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