Trump Pledges $5,000 Payouts Ahead of Midterms Amid Iran War Slump

[Anchor]

As the U.S. midterm elections approach, U.S. President Donald Trump, caught in the major political crisis of the Iran war, has made a high-stakes gamble. He has pledged to give $5,000—about 6.7 million won—to every adult if the party wins the election.

Correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam reports from the Republican convention site.

[Reporter]

Texas, the heart of American conservatism.

The Republican Party's first-ever midterm convention was held at a stadium with a capacity of 20,000.

[Joe / Texas Resident: If you're from Texas, you'll understand this. It's 'God, family, football, and Donald Trump.' Trump is restoring all our values that had been fading away for years.]

With the prolonged war in Iran and rising prices including oil, President Trump's approval rating has hit a second-term low of 33%, and even in Texas, the Republican Senate seat is facing a threat from the Democratic candidate.

This atmosphere was palpable inside the convention venue as well.

There are less than 10 minutes left until President Trump's speech.

Trump had claimed that a massive crowd would turn out and tickets were sold out, but as you can see, there are many empty seats.

Heading to Texas, Trump claimed that "the Iran war will end right after the midterms because Iran cannot hold out much longer," but during his convention speech, he brought up the necessity of bombing the Pickaxe Mountain, known to be an Iranian nuclear facility.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: We know that some (nuclear-related) movement has been detected at 'Pickaxe Mountain.' I advise Iran not to try any nonsense. Otherwise, we will strike very hard.]

Appearing desperate about the election landscape, he also announced that if Republicans win both the Senate and the House, he will give $5,000—about 6.7 million won—to every American adult.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: This is made possible thanks to our massive economic strength and success. It will be called the 'Trump Dividend.']

The New York Times pointed out that it is a "$1 trillion impromptu promise" that "could raise legal issues."

This is about a five-minute drive from the Republican convention venue.

Here, Democratic candidate Talarico, who is running neck-and-neck with Republican candidate Paxton for the Senate seat, is holding a charity event.

[Rory / Dallas Resident: It's kind of a counter-rally, I suppose. But it means that instead of holding a protest, we are going to use our energy to do something good and positive.]

Trump is scheduled to deliver the closing speech of the convention tomorrow (September 11), and Democrats have announced plans for a counter-rally nearby.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video reporting: Oh Jung-shik, Video editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.