A Trump-appointed federal judge has halted a new United States Postal Service mail-in ballot regulation.
WASHINGTON, DC — As the upcoming midterm elections approach, a rumor began spreading across social media alleging that President Donald Trump offered Supreme Court justices $5,000 each to overturn a ruling that blocked a new USPS mail-in ballot policy. The bizarre claim quickly generated online mockery and widespread speculation, prompting calls for a fact check.
The Claim: A $5,000 Bribe Allegedly Offered to the Supreme Court
According to a viral post circulating on Facebook, Trump supposedly attempted to bribe the nation’s highest court with $5,000 per justice to alter the decision regarding mail-in voting.
The post rapidly crossed over to other major platforms like X, Instagram, and Threads, accumulating hundreds of thousands of likes and shares.
While many users mocked the idea—interpreting it as an open accusation of bribery—others seemingly believed the narrative was genuine, leading to a demand for verification.
Fact Check: The Story Began as Satire
In reality, the claim is entirely unfounded. There is zero evidence indicating that Trump offered financial incentives to Supreme Court justices.
Had a sitting president actually attempted to bribe the Supreme Court, it would undoubtedly constitute a massive, breaking news event across all major media networks. However, a review of credible news reports yields no documentation of any such occurrence.
The origin of the rumor traces back to ‘The Borowitz Report’, a popular satirical Facebook page managed by comedian Andy Borowitz, which explicitly labels itself as satirical content.
The parody was inspired by a genuine campaign proposal where Trump suggested issuing a $5,000 dividend to every adult American citizen if Republicans successfully captured both chambers of Congress in the midterms.
“Here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our tremendous economic success, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump had stated.
Federal Judge Blocks USPS Mail-In Ballot Rule
The online parody materialized following a real legal development: a federal judge appointed by Trump blocked the U.S. Postal Service’s newly proposed mail-in ballot directive entirely, dealing another blow to federal attempts to impose uniform voting regulations on states ahead of the midterm elections.
District Judge Carl Nichols issued a preliminary injunction on Sunday, September 13, arguing that letting certain provisions take effect while blocking others would only generate “even more confusion and misunderstanding,” ultimately risking administrative delays and errors.
“The Postal Service could issue (and enforce) the Rule only if Congress gave it the authority to do so,” Nichols wrote.