OTTAWA — US President Donald Trump is directly linking his tariffs to a promise to give American adults $5,000 if Republicans retain control of Congress in November.“Because of tariffs, we are taking in hundreds of billions of dollars of profits,” Trump said in video remarks. “It's one of the reasons I can offer, if Republicans win the House and Senate, $5,000 to every adult.”“We can do it and the Democrats can't, because the Democrats don't have any income,” he added.Trump first promised the $5,000 “Trump dividend” at the Republican midterm convention earlier this month, but has increasingly pointed to his tariff policy as a way to pay for it.At the convention, Trump said every adult American citizen would receive the payment if Republicans kept both chambers of Congress. He argued Democrats could not make the same offer because “they don't do tariffs, they don't take in money.”.Trump later told reporters the plan was “going forward” and again pointed to money coming into the federal government “including the tariff.”The promise comes as Trump continues to impose tariffs on Canada and other major US trading partners.His administration has repeatedly argued tariffs are generating substantial revenue for the US government, while critics argue much of their cost is ultimately borne by American importers and consumers.The $5,000 proposal would require congressional approval and is estimated to cost roughly $1.2 trillion if extended to about 240 million adult American citizens.Trump has nevertheless maintained that the revenue generated under his economic policies can cover the payments.The president's latest comments make tariffs part of his pitch to voters ahead of the November midterms, presenting revenue from his protectionist trade policy as a means of financing direct payments to Americans..Trump also took aim at Canada in separate remarks Monday, saying the country has been “really, very difficult to deal with” and accusing it of treating the United States unfairly. “They feel entitled,” Trump said. “And they have to treat our country with respect.”Trump also downplayed the importance of Canadian trade to the US, saying there is “nothing they have that we need.” He pointed specifically to energy and lumber, arguing the United States has enough of both domestically. “We have more energy than they have. We have all the lumber you can possibly use,” Trump said.
