Donald Trump Is 'Bluffing' Over $5,000 Promise, Body Language Expert Claims

There are few who sincerely believe President Donald Trump will follow through on his promise to pay every American $5,000 if Republicans retain the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms.

One body language expert has suggested that the president doesn't think he will either.

Trump infamously proposed the $5,000 dividends during the "Trump-a-palooza" midterm convention for the GOP in early September. The promise instantly raised legal and ethical questions — Trump also begged his supporters to "cheat" to secure victory — as well as practical concerns. A $5,000 check to every American adult would cost $1.35 trillion.

Body language expert Inbaal Honigman said in a report commissioned by casinos.ca that the 80-year-old president displayed several body-language cues she interpreted as signs that he may not have believed what he was saying.

"When Trump makes his five-thousand-dollar promise, his whole body displays signs of tension," Honigman said. "His hands grip the sides of the podium, his fingers tense. His shoulders are raised with tension, so much so that his ear nearly touches his shoulder."

Honigman regularly analyzes the body language of celebrities and politicians. She said Trump’s behavior during the speech was consistent with cues she associates with dishonesty.

"Tension in the body is more synonymous with lying than truth-telling because the stakes are higher if one is caught in deceit," Honigman said. "There are two tension lines between his eyes, revealing his deep concern. These vertical lines, nicknamed 'the 11 lines,' tend to indicate worry and profound concentration."

"The Leader of the Free World is bluffing. Even when he makes the promise, he doesn't know how he'd deliver," she added.

Trump's $5,000 promise is likely illegal under 18 U.S. Code § 597 - Expenditures to influence voting. The law states that "whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate... Shall be fined or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

Elon Musk faced similar accusations for his pledge to give two Wisconsin citizens a million dollar check in exchange for their promise to vote in the state's supreme court election, though ultimately he did not face charges.

Furthermore, Trump's $5,000 plan wasn't met with enthusiasm by his own party members.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, himself in a surprisingly tight re-election campaign, said of the idea, “I’m going to bring in all the information, and then make a decision. But look, this is not the first time I’ve disagreed with President Trump, and it probably won’t be the last.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to invent a new meaning for what Trump promised, saying on State of the Union, "He’s saying that, if you want more money in your pocket, you have to keep Republicans in charge."