Thousands of Tongan Americans could potentially benefit from an extraordinary election pledge by President Donald Trump to pay US$5,000 to every American adult if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November.
Trump announced the proposed payment, which he called the “Trump Dividend”, during the opening night of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
The proposal would potentially apply to adult U.S. citizens of Tongan heritage alongside millions of other Americans if it were approved and implemented.
The United States has a substantial Tongan population, particularly in California, Utah and Hawaiʻi. Pew Research Center estimates that about 84,600 people identifying as Tongan lived in the United States in 2024.
Salt Lake County, Utah, has one of the country’s largest concentrations of Tongans, with U.S. Census data previously identifying more than 12,800 people of Tongan identity there.
Trump told supporters that if Republicans won, Americans would receive US$5,000 under the proposed dividend.
However, there are major questions over whether the pledge can actually be implemented.
AP reported that paying US$5,000 to every American adult would likely cost more than US$1 trillion and require approval from Congress.
Trump did not provide detailed information during his announcement about exactly how the programme would be funded.
Vice President JD Vance later suggested wealthy Americans might not receive the payment, potentially narrowing the number of people eligible.
The announcement came as Republicans face a difficult battle to retain their congressional majorities in November’s midterm elections.
Trump used his lengthy convention speech to urge Republican supporters to vote as though he himself were on the ballot, while attacking Democrats and defending his administration’s continuing war against Iran.
The proposed payment would be considerably larger than the direct stimulus payments many Americans received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Tongan-American families, however, the announcement remains only a campaign pledge at this stage. No US$5,000 payment has been approved by Congress, and eligibility requirements have not been established.
It also remains unclear whether lawful permanent residents and other non-citizen residents would qualify, meaning Tongans living in the United States should not assume they would be eligible simply because they are U.S. residents.
Source: Associated Press
