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Jesse Watters explains Trump’s $5,000 check with a woman analogy — Dana Perino has questions

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BS BULLETIN:

  • Jesse Watters defended President Trump’s proposed $5,000 “Trump Dividend” as an “enticement,” rather than a bribe.
  • Watters then compared the promised check to a woman enticing a man without any guarantee he’ll be going home with her.
  • Dana Perino’s response: “That was your takeaway?”

Jesse Watters has figured out President Donald Trump’s proposed $5,000 checks.

Apparently, they’re like women.

The Fox News host offered that rather unusual economic analysis Thursday on The Five as the panel discussed Trump’s promise to send every adult American citizen a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” if Republicans retain both houses of Congress in November.

Trump announced the proposal Wednesday night at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

“If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate,” Trump told the crowd, “I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000.”

The president compared the idea to a successful company distributing money to its shareholders. Watters had another comparison in mind.

“That $5,000 check, Dana, that’s not a bribe,” Watters told co-host Dana Perino. “We’re calling it an enticement.”

Watters acknowledged there’s no guarantee the checks would actually materialize.

“We don’t know if the check will ever get there,” he said, arguing that if Republicans win and Congress subsequently refuses to authorize the payments, Trump could blame lawmakers.

Then things took a turn.

“It’s like a woman,” Watters said. “Sometimes a woman can entice you.”

Greg Gutfeld could already see where this train was headed and interjected: “Stop it!”

Watters did not stop it. He proceeded with an analogy involving a woman lowering her brassiere and said that doesn’t necessarily mean a man is “going home with her.”

“But it keeps you interested,” Watters explained. “It keeps you intrigued and wanting more.”

“That was your takeaway?” Perino responded.

“That was mine,” Watters said.

Perhaps Harold Ford Jr. was grateful when Perino finally turned to him.

Behind Watters’ rather colorful explanation is a real debate over Trump’s proposal. Trump has said the $5,000 payments would be funded by the country’s economic gains and tariff revenue and would have to be spent inside the United States. The administration has not yet released detailed eligibility rules or a legislative funding mechanism.

The math is also formidable.

With roughly 240 million adult citizens, the proposal could cost approximately $1.2 trillion, while tariff collections thus far are far below that figure. Fox News reported that Treasury data showed approximately $208.5 billion in customs duties collected since January, before accounting for tariff refunds.

The Associated Press similarly estimates the proposal would cost more than $1 trillion and reports that congressional approval would be required. Vice President JD Vance has suggested wealthier Americans might ultimately be excluded, which could reduce the price tag. Trump, however, told CBS News Thursday that he believes congressional approval might not be necessary.

“We think not,” Trump said when asked whether Congress would have to approve the payments, while adding that he believed lawmakers would approve them if necessary.

MY QUICK TAKE

Somewhere in the middle of an economic discussion involving $1.2 trillion, tariffs, Congress, and the national debt, Jesse Watters apparently thought: You know what would clear this up? A brassiere.

But the winner here is Dana Perino.

“That was your takeaway?”

Four words. Perfect.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

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