LAS VEGAS—President Donald Trump spoke to supporters on Aug. 5 at the Red Rock Casino, continuing a tour of swing states in recent months with the November midterm elections looming.
“Together, we will defeat communism, socialism, and Marxism in America once and for all,” Trump said, drawing distinctions between Republicans and Democrats based on recent primary results he suggests indicate dangerous ideologies are creeping into American politics.
“It always goes down, but sometimes it takes a lot of people with it. Takes too long; you got to nip it in the bud.”
He championed tax cuts for families and seniors along with other tax relief, including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security.
More than 440,000 workers who receive tips in Nevada saved approximately $10,000, on average, according to a White House statement released on Wednesday.
Tax refunds for Nevadans grew 15 percent, with approximately 150,000 employees saving an average of $3,000 on their overtime pay. About 500,000 seniors paid no federal taxes on their Social Security benefits, the statement said.
He cautioned that political opponents could undo the changes if Democrats take control of power.
“They will terminate that,” Trump said.
“We can’t let that happen.”
The White House statement listed crime reduction, border security, expanded access to federal lands, and billions of dollars in investment for the region, and said that “Nevada is winning again under President Donald J. Trump and Republican leadership.”
Apple, Amazon, Vantage Data Centers, and Crocs are among the companies committing to expanding operations in Nevada.
The state was awarded about $180 million to invest in healthcare as part of the administration’s Rural Health Transformation Program.
Tax cuts also protected approximately $10 billion in gross domestic product statewide, helping safeguard $5 billion in wages, according to a National Association of Manufacturers report released in July.
The president’s schedule has recently included weekly stops to rally voters ahead of primaries and the midterm elections, with visits to Michigan and Georgia preceding the Nevada event.
Thousands of locals waited for more than four hours to see Trump speak on Wednesday, and many were left to watch streams from inside the casino after the ballroom filled to capacity.
Those who made it in for the event were in high spirits, some getting to see Trump speak for the first time in person.
“I am absolutely honored to be here,” Girard Page, a retired Clark County fire marshal, told The Epoch Times.
Kathleen Buchanan said she helped knock on doors in triple-digit temperatures starting back in 2016 to get Trump elected.
“A lot of the young people have switched parties,” she said, listing the impact the tax cuts are having on casinos, restaurants, and other establishments. “So many different perspectives have changed because of that.”
The president has often highlighted the importance of public safety, with statistics showing reductions in violent crime in Las Vegas and across the state since he took office, according to the White House.
Efforts to block illegal immigrants from entering the country resulted in zero releases into the nation for 14 straight months, the Trump administration said. More than 3 million illegal immigrants left the country, either voluntarily or through forced deportation, and net migration declined for the first time in more than 50 years.
Fewer illegal immigrants competing for a limited housing supply is benefiting locals, the White House said. Residents can now rent and buy homes for lower prices in the area, with sales prices falling almost 4 percent since Trump returned to the presidency.
More housing development is in the works with the opening of tracts in federal lands.
Other initiatives include expediting energy projects in the state to explore opportunities related to Trump’s American Energy Dominance agenda.
Also of note to Nevadans is a request in the Air Force’s 2027 fiscal year budget for $730 million to build new hangars and facilities to support operations at Nellis Air Force Base as they prepare to host the nation’s newest fighter jet.
Critics of Trump’s administration held a counter-programming press conference earlier in the day, hosted by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226.
“The tariffs, the rhetoric, the war have all hurt our tourism,” Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) said during the gathering, referring to the impact as a “Trump slump.”
Her colleague Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) echoed the sentiment and listed economic concerns she hears from constituents.
“Southern Nevadans ... feel the truth every time they go to the grocery store and every time [they] go to the gas pump,” she said.
