Susan Collins offers no take on Trump’s $5,000 ‘dividend’ offer to American adults
Senator Susan Collins says she has not yet reviewed President Trump’s $5,000‑per‑adult pledge
MAY 10, 2026 – While campaigning for her sixth term in a sand‑and‑gravel supplier’s yard in Naples, Maine, Senate Republican Susan Collins avoided the headline‑making promise made by President Donald Trump at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, and said she had not had a chance to watch the speech.
“I was campaigning until late last night…so I have not had a chance to look at that, and I’m not familiar with that proposal,” Collins told reporters. The president’s offer, announced Wednesday night, would give every American adult $5,000 if the Republican Party were to keep control of both houses of Congress in the November elections. The proposal is estimated to cost more than $1 trillion and would require congressional approval; Trump said the money must be spent domestically but offered no further details.
Collins, 73, chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and is facing a competitive race against former Senate President Troy Jackson. She has long portrayed herself as an independent‑minded and influential voice in Washington, but voters in Maine and elsewhere have pointed out that she votes with Trump on many key issues. Trump himself has both criticized and praised the senator, calling her “a sane woman, and she’s a respected person” in June.
The president’s speech, which lasted nearly two hours, also urged voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot” in November. Collins did not attend the two‑day GOP midterm convention, a decision consistent with her campaign’s policy of not going to national conventions when she is a candidate.
Mixed reactions from lawmakers
Republican leaders on both sides of the aisle have quickly expressed concerns about the proposal. V. J. D. Vance, a Republican U.S. Representative, suggested that revenue generated from Trump’s tariffs could help finance the dividend. “I don’t think it’s a controversial idea,” Vance told reporters. Others, however, have called the plan illegal and impractical.
Independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, pointed to federal law that bars spending money to influence voter behavior. “He’s promising people money that he’s borrowing from their kids.” King said, adding that the national debt has recently topped $40 trillion. “Republicans could win elections by focusing on having better ideas or better candidates rather than trying to bribe the voters.”
U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine’s 1st District, blasted the idea as “flagrantly illegal and pathetically desperate.” In a social‑media post she wrote: “Notice how he’s not even trying to hide his illegal scheme? He is flaunting it, because he knows Republicans will let him get away with it.”
U.S. Representative Jared Golden, a Democrat from the 2nd District, did not respond to a request for comment.
A history of Trump‑Maine ties
Collins has mixed record on other Trump‑proposed initiatives. In 2025 she voted to advance the “Trump Accounts” program, which would give families $1,000 for each child born between 2025 and 2028 as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a package that also included controversial healthcare cuts and tax breaks. She later opposed the final passage of the bill.
The senator’s campaign event in Naples was also marked by the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business, a key ally for Republicans seeking to shore up small‑business support in the upcoming election.
Context for the midterm
The promise came at a time when President Trump’s approval ratings are low and his party is facing scrutiny over its fiscal priorities. The $5,000 per adult plan, if adopted, would raise significant questions about legality and the practicality of funding such an initiative. Congress would need to approve a spending measure that would add to an already ballooning national debt.
As the 2026 midterm campaign season heats up, both parties are navigating the delicate balance between energizing their base and addressing voters’ concerns about affordability and governance. Collins’ silence on the proposal may reflect a strategic decision to focus on local issues rather than national theatrics.
Maine News Now will continue to track developments around this proposal and its potential impact on the upcoming elections.
