Money has replaced democracy in the U.S.A.

Why is U.S. President Donald Trump’s promise to send money to Americans if the Republican Party gets a majority in this fall’s midterm elections not subject to litigation and public outcry? Under Trump's leadership, the American government has become a democracy in name only.

U.S. President Donald Trump at an event in Michigan on July 27. Trump's $5,000-payout promise sounds like something you would expect in a country that operates as a presidential dictatorship, like Russia, writes Sheila Copps. Photograph courtesy of the White House Photo/Daniel Torok

Opinion

BY SHEILA COPPS

September 21, 2026

OTTAWA—Bribery. Banana Republic. The United States president promises $5,000 to every adult in the country if his party wins a majority in this fall's midterm elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate.

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