Laura Ingraham Actually Challenged Trump On Air About His "Promise" To Give Americans $5K Checks
by David Moye · BuzzFeedPosted 4 minutes ago
Laura Ingraham did something unusual for a Fox News personality: She asked President Donald Trump a tough question.
In an interview that aired on her show earlier this week, Ingraham asked the president about the promise he made Wednesday night to send $5,000 checks to every adult American citizen if Republicans maintained control of the Senate and the House in the midterms.
Considering many Americans are struggling financially as a direct result of Trump’s policies, Ingraham wondered: Why wait? “Why not just give the money now? If you have the money, why not give it now?” she asked the president.
Trump’s reason for waiting to dole out the cash probably won’t ease the concerns of skeptics who remember his other promised payouts that never happened.
“Because the Democrats can’t do it. Because for them, it’s negative growth,” he said. “With us, it’s so positive,” Trump said. “So, we’re taking in $21 trillion. No country has ever taken in anywhere near that. It’s four or five times higher than the next one. All because of the beautiful word you and I love more than most others: tariffs.”
A lot of things have to happen for Trump’s proposed election dividend to come to pass. That includes figuring out whether it’s actually legal, since, as BBC correspondent Sarah Smith noted, “It is against the law to try and offer a payment to influence people on how they are going to vote.”
LAURA INGRAHAM: Why not just give the money? If you have it, why not just give it now?
TRUMP: Because the Democrats can't do it. Because with them it's negative growth. pic.twitter.com/Z7uhIvhItv
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 10, 2026
@atrupar / Fox News / Via x.com
Sending the money to citizens could cost as much as $1.3 trillion and would likely raise inflation levels even higher ― if Congress even approved the plan.
And, yes, some people found the excuse hard to swallow:
1) He can't give any money because there is none to give unless he takes it from our grandchildren's hands.
2) He never intended to give the 5000.
3) If tariffs brought in 21 trillion, we wouldn't have a deficit of 40 trillion, a quarter of which he caused. https://t.co/SvdDrbGdiM
— Bonhoeffer's Child (@bonhoefferchild) September 10, 2026
@bonhoefferchild / Fox News / Via x.com
Republicans control literally every branch of government right now. Wtf is he talking about???? 😭 https://t.co/mWqCmZ5SHe
— Olivia Julianna 🇺🇸🦅🗳️ (@0liviajulianna) September 10, 2026
@0liviajulianna / Fox News / Via x.com
REPUBLICANS CONTROL EVERYTHING.
If you believe Trump is going to send you $5,000, I have a DOGE check for you in the mail. https://t.co/XpEDTbdlUf
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) September 10, 2026
@SawyerHackett / Fox News / Via x.com
Why not pay down the national debt, boost social security and keep folks enrolled in the affordable care act? https://t.co/0BCvpHnnHV
— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) September 10, 2026
@donnabrazile / Fox News / Via x.com
Say what you want about Mike Bloomberg, he sent out the $400 checks BEFORE the election https://t.co/AocCp54izM
— Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) September 10, 2026
@GlennThrush / Fox News / Via x.com
In other words, the Dems can't bribe people like I can. https://t.co/WceqnzgFdb
— The Editorial Board (@johnastoehr) September 10, 2026
@johnastoehr / Fox News / Via x.com
Bullshitting voters…… and too many dummies will fall for it. https://t.co/RtBvOYPlS6
— union moderate that support Dems, not socialists. (@reesetheone1) September 10, 2026
@reesetheone1 / Fox News / Via x.com
I don't think democrats will give it after the midterms either. And at this point it will be a hard sell if republicans retain control of both chambers.
Trump is pitching the $5,000 just to blame it on democrats. That's all. Is it effective propaganda? Yeah, it could be. But for… https://t.co/IYLjKuFQMr
— Jesús Enrique Rosas - The Body Language Guy (@Knesix) September 10, 2026
@Knesix / Fox News / Via x.com
That’s not an answer. I hope her MAGA audience is paying g attention. Seems she tried to call his bluff, but he just spewed evasive nonsense. 🤥 https://t.co/xELkghqSEt
— Luna Jade (@lunajade) September 10, 2026
@lunajade / Fox News / Via x.com
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.