Senate Republicans haven't supported additional stimulus payments. Trump says it's Democrats' fault.

President Trump doesn't seem to be connecting with his own party on this one.

As a form of economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, Trump on Wednesday called for another round of direct stimulus payments for individual Americans, blaming "heartless" Democrats for the fact that there haven't been any since the CARES Act was passed in March. The criticism isn't unusual — Trump, his allies, and the GOP at large have suggested Democrats are holding up coronavirus relief negotiations to push a larger party agenda through. But the president's comments also make it seem like Republicans are championing direct payments — "Go for the much higher numbers, Republicans," he tweeted — when, recently, that hasn't been the direction GOP lawmakers have been moving.

In fact, the last coronavirus relief bill introduced by Senate Republicans excluded direct payments, while House Democrats passed a stalled relief package in May that did include a second round of $1,200 direct payments. Tim O'Donnell

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up