Bob Cusack raises concerns over Trump’s $5,000 check proposal: ‘Deficits matter, debt matters’

Washington Examiner executive editor Bob Cusack voiced concerns over President Donald Trump’s proposal to send out checks if Republicans maintain control of Congress, highlighting the United States’s growing debt.“It is a problem,” Cusack said Thursday on C-Span’s Campaign 2026. “At some point, we’re going to have to save Medicare and Social Security, which are headed for bankruptcy, and neither party is doing it.”Trump made the announcement at the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday. The first-of-its-kind convention is taking place through Thursday and could provide Republicans a chance to change their campaign narrative. The event is focusing on Trump and the GOP’s agenda. Trump and Vice President JD Vance are speaking at the convention. Cusack said the purpose of the event is to drive “political momentum” and that Trump is “trying to really capture what they did, promises kept, and they won’t mention promises they haven’t kept.” “They want to make some news, they want to attract headlines, and they want to have good headlines,” Cusack said.Trump touted “tremendous economic success,” and floated the $5,000 checks during his Wednesday speech.“The reason the Democrats can’t do that is because they don’t do tariffs, they don’t take in money,” Trump said. “All they know is poverty and how to ruin our country. But we’re making a fortune. So if the Republicans win, you win with us, and you get $5,000. It will be called the Trump dividend. We’ll call it the Trump dividend. Congratulations. Now all we have to do is win.”Trump also said the money has to be spent in the U.S.Cusack highlighted the $40 trillion national debt and the race to save federal programs, including Medicare and Social Security. “We’ve hit the $40 trillion debt mark, and you know, deficits matter, debt matters,” Cusack said. “Trump has not shown an interest in significantly reducing the deficit or the debt. He’s made promises that he has not kept on that.”TRUMP’S PROMISED $5,000 ‘DIVIDEND’ CHECKS: WHAT TO KNOWTrump said the checks would be paid for through revenue from tariffs.“Getting this type of proposal through a narrowly divided Congress, even if they defy the conventional wisdom and history, and somehow hold on to both the House and Senate, that’s going to be tough to pass,” Cusack said.