Whenever Donald Trump gives a speech, it’s filled with so many lies and self-serving exaggerations that when he does utter something true, I see that as a sort of marvel. That’s what happened nearly an hour into Trump’s marathon speech last Wednesday at the Republican midterm convention, when he declared: “Only I can make this promise to you.” Trump said that just before he made a promise that was so shameless and irresponsible that what he said was indeed true: only Donald Trump could make such a preposterous promise.

Feeling very generous with other people’s money, Trump promised to give $5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in November. It certainly looked and smelled like a bribe.

I guess that when you’re fearing an electoral debacle because your public approval ratings are in the toilet, because people are furious about your disastrous war of choice against Iran and because so many Americans are hopping mad that inflation has risen even though you promised to cut prices, then you might feel the need to take desperate measures, and that’s what Trump did by offering to stuff $5,000 in every adult’s pocket to help sway them to vote Republican.

Since there are an estimated 240 million adults in the US, Trump’s plan would cost a colossal $1.2tn – that’s more than the Pentagon’s budget and nearly what the US will spend on Medicare this year.

Many Republicans and Trump donors rushed to criticize Trump’s $5,000 plan. Joe Lonsdale, a tech billionaire and Republican donor, said he was “strongly against bread and circus bribes”, while Representative Bob Good of Virginia, former chair of the House Freedom Caucus, called Trump’s promise........

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