"Empty seats, socialism and Trump dominate the Republican midterm convention

One of the more common pleas was for Trump supporters to support other Republicans.

"I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot," the president implored the first day.

"You know what happens if you don't vote? You go to hell," he said on the second night."

"Both days, there were thousands of empty seats, including almost all of the upper level, even as Trump insisted the arena was "packed" with "thousands" more waiting outside."

"Wednesday, Trump said that America "has beaten communism before and we will beat it again."

"In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals," Trump said.

"They call themselves Democrat socialists, but actually they're communists. They're not socialists. They're long beyond socialists."

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'Asked about President Donald Trump's proposal to dole out $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans win both chambers of Congress during the midterm elections, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that borrowing to spend would cause more inflation.

"What I would say is, if you are getting surplus revenue, you should cut people's tax and return it to the people," DeSantis said on Thursday.

"What I don't think you wanna do is borrow another ... trillion and a half dollars and then just try to flood that into the economy, because that will lead to more inflation. That will lead to more debt," he said, "and more inflation."

"Trump Has Bonkers Excuse for Why He Won't Just Give Out $5,000 Now
And that's why he has to bribe people ahead of the midterms.

Speaking to Fox News's Laura Ingraham Thursday, Trump offered a baffling excuse for why he couldn't distribute the $5,000 dividends he'd promised the night before.

"Why not just give the money now? If you have the money, why not give it now?" Ingraham asked.

"Because they can't. I'll tell you what, because the Democrats can't do it, because with them it's negative growth," Trump said. "With us, it's so positive."

In reality, Republicans are simply not on board. Even Fox News hosts balked at the hypothetical handouts' estimated $1.3 trillion total price tag. If Republicans were the least bit interested in moving forward with these checks, then they already control Congress. They could just make it happen.

It's increasingly clear that Trump is hoping he can pay Republicans' way through the midterm elections by dangling cash in front of voters.

But the president has promised to deliver cash payments multiple times, including $2,000 stimulus checks of tariff revenue and $5,000 stimulus checks for the bygone "DOGE dividend." excerpts