Washington, Oct 29 (PTI) How far can USD 5,000 go in America? If you believe President Donald Trump, it is just about enough to buy a hamburger at his super luxury Mar-a-Lago resort.
In a politically risky joke, made at a time when high cost of living has become central to national elections next week, Trump more or less told his supporters at a campaign rally that they shouldn’t visit Mar-a-Lago in Florida if they can’t afford it.
But much of the crowd chuckled at his joke, not taking offense as his jibe about the rising cost of living, which analysts say could lead to Trump’s Republicans Party losing control of the US Congress or parliament.
Elections for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the 100-seat Senate—which together form the Congress—will be held on November 3.
At present the Republicans control both chambers. The Congress elections are held every two years, coinciding once with the four-yearly presidential elections and in other years taking place in the middle of the presidential term.
Trump has promised to send cheques of USD 5000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the election.
At the rally in Corpus Christi, Texas on Tuesday, Trump urged his supporters to spend the USD 5000 in Florida, or anywhere in the United States as long as it is not spent overseas.
“Go to Florida, go to any one of our great places,” Trump said. “You could even come to Mar-a-Lago. I said it the other night. You’ll be my guest at Mar-a-Lago. The problem is that for USD 5,000, the most you’ll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert. I’m not even sure you could buy that. No, don’t go there. That’s not a good place if you’re price conscious.”
Instead of shocking the crowd, his comment elicited laughter and applause, underlining how committed most of his MAGA base is to his presidency.
The USD 5000 offer has been ridiculed by Democrats and even some MAGA supporters, who say it is a bribe for votes, and evidently impossible to implement as it would cost an estimated USD 1.3 trillion not to mention requiring congressional action.
A recent Pew Research Centre study found that 60 per cent of Americans say they don’t have enough income to lead the life they want and 70 per cent say they have cut back on extra spending such as eating out.
Still, Trump has continued to claim on the campaign trail that the economy is doing great, and has dismissed the problem of “affordability” as an invention of the Democrats.
He also defended the decision to go to war on Iran, calling the resulting sky-rocketing price of petrol as a “small price to pay” for ostensibly thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Your country is making an absolute fortune because of the situation in the Middle East,” Trump said. “We’re steering them all (energy companies) to Texas. We’re steering them to Louisiana. Alaska is a big beneficiary.”
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Of the 35 Senate seats up for re-election, Republicans hold 22 and Democrats hold 13. So, Democrats need to retain the 13 and win another four to control the Senate.
In the House of Representatives, Republicans currently hold 218 seats, Democrats have 214, and one seat belongs to an independent. There are two vacancies in the House.
Besides the Congressional elections, Americans will also vote to elect governors in 36 of the country’s 50 states, including in Republican stronghold Ohio where Vivek Ramaswamy is locked in a tough battle against the Democrat Amy Acton.
