Trump Promises $5,000 Checks as Republicans Push Gas Tax Holiday Ahead of Elections

With less than four weeks to go before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump is continuing to promote his proposed $5,000 checks for every adult U.S. citizen if Republicans win Congress, while lawmakers from his party are urging him to support a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax. Neither measure is law, and both would cost billions of dollars.

• The checks would cost more than $1.2 trillion in a single year, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB).
• A 30-day suspension of the federal gas tax would cost about $2.5 billion, according to the CRFB, as cited by The Center Square.

Why it matters: both proposals are gaining attention just before the elections on Tuesday, November 3, as Americans face high gas prices and concerns about the cost of living. Democratic critics accuse Trump of trying to "buy votes," while the White House says the president delivers on his promises.

The $5,000 Checks: What Trump Promised

Trump introduced the idea on September 9 at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas and repeated it in a video on Saturday, October 3: if Republicans win the House of Representatives and the Senate, he will give $5,000 to every adult U.S. citizen. On Monday, October 5, at a rally in Nebraska, he added a condition: the money would have to be spent within the United States, according to Roll Call. He did not explain how that requirement would be enforced.

On Tuesday, October 6, he told reporters that issuing the checks "is going to work very easily," but he did not explain how, according to The Center Square.

• Who decides: Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on CNN that Trump "would need Congress to act."
• Bills: none have advanced out of committee. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno says he plans to have one ready after the elections. Congress does not return until November 9.

Do Tariffs Cover the Cost?

Trump says the money for the checks would come from tariffs. Treasury Department figures show that the revenue would not be enough:

• During the first 11 months of fiscal year 2026, from October 2025 through August 2026, tariffs generated $167.3 billion net. The government collected $292.5 billion but refunded $125.2 billion to importers after the Supreme Court struck down part of those tariffs in February.
• In other words, the checks would cost more than seven times the amount collected in net tariff revenue during that period.
• The Tax Foundation estimates that the new tariffs will generate about $125 billion in 2027. "It would take almost a decade of tariff collections to cover the cost," wrote economist Erica York.

The national debt had already reached $40.27 trillion by October 6, according to the Treasury. Maya MacGuineas, president of the CRFB, called the proposal "fundamentally unserious."

The Gas Tax Holiday

The federal tax is 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel, according to the Federal Highway Administration, and has not increased since 1993. Regular gasoline averaged $4.35 per gallon on October 5, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

• Senator Mike Rounds asked Trump on October 2 to suspend federal gasoline and diesel taxes for 90 days. Moreno made a similar request.
• Representative Russell Fry introduced the EASE Act on October 1, which would allow the president to declare an emergency and suspend the tax for up to 120 days. It is in the House Ways and Means Committee.
• Democrats Mark Kelly and Chris Pappas introduced their own bill to suspend taxes on gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel, according to The Hill.
• Trump said on Tuesday, October 6: "We're thinking about it." Any suspension would require action by Congress.

The cost: about $2.5 billion for 30 days in lost gasoline tax revenue, or $3.5 billion when diesel is included, and approximately $7 billion for three months, according to the CRFB. That revenue would otherwise go to the Highway Trust Fund, which, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), is projected to run out of money in 2028. In addition, the Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that under the EASE Act, gasoline prices would fall by only about 10 to 16 cents per gallon on average.

On Monday, October 5, Trump did sign an order related to fuel: allowing red diesel on highways.

Criticism: "He's Trying to Buy Votes"

"This is just a payment, and he's trying to buy votes," Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said about the $5,000 checks proposed by Trump on Sunday, October 4, on CBS, according to Newsweek. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called them a "political bribe."

Criticism has also focused on other government payments announced before the elections: $90 for around 20 million Medicare Part B beneficiaries and $500 refunds for nearly one million Obamacare enrollees, according to PolitiFact. Unlike the proposed $5,000 checks, those payments come from existing funds.

"The catastrophists have always doubted President Trump," responded White House spokesman Davis Ingle, who said Trump "will continue to deliver real results."

What You Can Do

• Don't count on the $5,000 in your budget: there is no law or payment date.
• Beware of scams: there is no registration process to receive the check. Do not provide personal information or pay anyone to "sign up."
• If you have Medicare Part B, check whether you qualify for the $90 payment by calling 1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE).
• To save on gas today, compare prices in your area. Ohio, Georgia, and Indiana have temporarily suspended their own state gas taxes.

Sources: The Center Square (checks); The Center Square (gas); Treasury Department, Monthly Treasury Statement; Treasury, Debt to the Penny; CRFB; Federal Highway Administration; EIA; Sen. Mike Rounds; Rep. Russell Fry; The Guardian; Newsweek; Roll Call; PolitiFact; The Hill. Data consulted on October 8, 2026.