Trump’s election rhetoric raises fresh questions for Republicans - opinion

President Trump told supporters to 'cheat like hell' in the midterms, offering $5,000 'Trump dividend' checks. The column argues this contradicts his election integrity claims, noting legal issues, unfulfilled promises, and GOP concerns about turnout suppression.

President Donald Trump told supporters at a Dallas convention to 'cheat like hell' in the upcoming midterm elections, instructing them to pledge allegiance to him and promising $5,000 'Trump dividend' checks to all adult Americans if Republicans keep control of Congress. The column argues this directly contradicts Trump's repeated claims of protecting election integrity and fighting voter fraud. It notes that federal law prohibits offering payment for votes, and points to unfulfilled prior promises such as the $5,000 DOGE rebate and $2,000 tariff bonus. Republican lawmakers are already distancing themselves from the proposal, citing a $1.2 trillion cost amid a $40 trillion federal deficit. The piece also discusses an FCC pressure campaign against ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live that backfired, boosting viewership of an interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. The column characterizes Trump's approach as a cult of personality and warns that his election fraud rhetoric may depress Republican turnout, as happened in Georgia in 2020.