Producer price inflation is up 5.4% from a year ago, but that is nothing compared with the inflation in vote-buying. Last fall, President Donald Trump was promising Americans $2,000 dividend checks to compensate them for the costs of his tariff regime. On Wednesday night at the Republican midterm convention, Trump upped the ante to $5,000 — a 150% increase that dwarfs every other inflation indicator.

At this rate, a 2028 vote will cost the next Republican candidate $31,250. This simply isn’t sustainable.