Donald Trump made a final appeal to voters ahead of the US midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, saying Republicans had a good chance if enough of his supporters turned out. Polls indicated that the party was facing difficulties as it sought to retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The president stepped up travel across the country and made several financial promises. These included $5,000 checks for Americans and $1 million rewards for reports of election fraud. In recent weeks, the administration also sent payments of $90 and $500 to help people with health costs.
The $90 payments went to Medicare participants, a federal health program primarily serving people aged 65 and older. White House data provided to Folha showed that on October 8 the government made nearly 19.9 million deposits and mailed another 874,000 checks. The funds came from a federal account intended for improvements to Medicare and, according to the administration, were meant to offset part of beneficiaries’ premiums, which can exceed $200 a month.
“More than 20 million Americans now have $90 in their bank accounts to offset health costs and make life more affordable,” White House spokesperson Allison Schuster told Folha.
On October 1, the administration also began sending $500 checks to more than 950,000 people in 30 states. The recipients had purchased health insurance through federal Obamacare marketplaces and, according to the Trump administration, had paid excessive premiums during Joe Biden’s presidency. The checks came with letters signed by Trump that highlighted his administration’s efforts to lower health costs.
The payments and accompanying messages have prompted questions about the boundary between promoting government benefits and seeking political advantage. Margaret Dylus-Yukins, a senior election-ethics attorney at the Campaign Legal Center, said the letters’ content and purpose could raise issues under the Hatch Act, a 1939 federal law that restricts certain political activity by government employees while working.
“The issuance of the payments and letters is not, in itself, political activity, but the message and intent behind them could be considered political activity under the Hatch Act,” Dylus-Yukins said. The law does not apply to the president, but federal employees who helped distribute messages with the intention of influencing the election could face penalties, she said. Whether a violation occurred would depend on factors including the letters’ wording, distribution and purpose. She added that this does not mean the payments themselves are illegal.
The White House defended the payments, saying they were part of the administration’s effort to reduce health costs. Schuster said Trump was “putting patients first” and challenging interest groups that had increased healthcare spending.
Trump also urged supporters to vote at a Republican convention in Dallas in September, asking them to raise their hands and pledge to go to the polls. He joked about trying to cheat in elections, echoing his accusations against Democrats, and ended with another appeal: “You know what happens if you don’t vote? You go to hell.”
Sources: Folha Mundo.