Trump offers $1 million for tips on election fraud before the US midterms

A reward for fraud tips

President Donald Trump announced on Monday, 26 October, that anyone who reports election fraud will receive $1 million. He posted the offer on Truth Social. The payment covers fraud in past elections and in the 2026 midterms, but only after the people responsible are arrested and convicted. Der Tagesspiegel puts the sum at about 895,000 euros. The offer comes on top of a pledge Trump made weeks earlier: if the Republican Party wins the midterms, he promised a $5,000 payment to every adult US citizen, according to Adnkronos. The announcement came about a week before the vote, when estimates suggest the Republicans may find it hard to defend their majority in Congress.

Earlier fraud claims

Der Tagesspiegel reports that Trump repeatedly claims Democrats and foreign powers are influencing US elections to his disadvantage. He has not produced evidence of far-reaching fraud so far. He also maintains his claim, repeatedly disproven, that he won the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden. In the run-up to this vote, Trump launched several initiatives aimed at alleged fraud. A law requiring more precise proof of US citizenship failed in Congress. The Supreme Court blocked a plan that would have given the US Postal Service broad powers over the control of mail-in ballots.

The midterms

Voters in the United States go to the polls on Tuesday, 3 November, to elect the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate. Losing a majority in either chamber would stop Trump from passing larger laws for the rest of his second term. The reward announcement was published ahead of his next rally, and the offer applies to both the midterms and the previous election.

Brazil's runoff and Trump's reaction

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was confirmed as Brazil's president in the runoff on Sunday, 25 October, according to Adnkronos. His challenger, Flavio Bolsonaro, has not accepted the defeat. He is contesting a Supreme Court decision that extended the opening of polling stations by two hours. Trump answered questions on the vote and said he had not backed either candidate. He still called the extension strange and said the vote looked like another rigged election. He added that he does not govern Brazil, that he governs the United States, and that he likes Lula and gets along well with him.