Trump touted the ‘great state’ of Nevada during his RNC nomination speech
During his remarks at the Republican National Convention, former President Trump highlighted Nevada as a key battleground state in his campaign strategy, unveiling a plan to win over workers by eliminating taxes on tips.
“At the center of our plan for economic relief are our massive tax cuts for workers, including something that’s turned out to be very popular here,” Trump said in his speech Thursday night, formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination. “It’s called ‘no tax on tips.’”
Trump shared that the idea came from a recent dinner conversation with a server in Nevada. “And I got that by having dinner recently in Nevada, where we’re leading by about 14 points,” he said. “The government’s after me all the time on tips,” the server told him. Trump recalled asking her if she would be happy not to have taxes taken from her tips, to which she responded, “What a great idea.”
Trump emphasized the broad impact of this proposal, noting, “Waitresses and caddies and drivers and everybody — it’s a large, large group of people that are being hurt badly. They make money. Let them keep their money.”
The proposal has garnered attention since Trump introduced it last month, and he has been actively promoting it among Senate Republicans. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin remarked, “What I think President Trump did sell us all on is don’t tax tips,” while Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri highlighted how the idea resonates with working people struggling to get ahead in the current economy.
For Nevada, a state heavily reliant on its tourism industry, particularly in Las Vegas, winning over workers could be crucial in the upcoming election. Although Trump lost Nevada in both 2016 and 2020, recent polls suggest a more favorable outlook for 2024. A June Fox News Poll showed Trump leading President Biden by five percentage points in the state, 50% to 45%.
In his speech, Trump also acknowledged the Republican Senate candidate in Nevada, former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown, who was severely injured while deployed in Afghanistan. “And, by the way, we have a man in this room who is running for the U.S. Senate from a great state, Nevada, named Sam Brown, who paid the ultimate price,” Trump said.
With growing uncertainty surrounding Biden’s candidacy, there is speculation that he could negatively impact down-ballot Democrats in Nevada. This could potentially provide an advantage not only for Trump but also for Brown and other Republicans aiming to turn Nevada red.