President Donald Trump appeared before hundreds of supporters at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas on Wednesday, promoting his tax cuts on tips while the city's tourism-dependent economy reels from a sharp decline in Canadian visitors — a downturn directly linked to his trade war and public insults directed at America's northern neighbor.
Tom Port, a 36-year-old professional driver, told reporters he's saving money with Trump's move to eliminate taxes on tips. "That's about the best thing he could have possibly done for me, considering a large portion of my income comes directly from tips," Port said. But the relief for service workers comes against a backdrop of mounting economic pressures. Erilyn Taylor, 60, a teacher in Las Vegas, said she likes Trump but worries about home prices, interest rates and gas prices. "I don't think it's all Trump's fault," she said, adding that she'd like to see the Iran war end. "I thought the gas prices would be temporary, so I'm really ready for the Iran thing to be resolved."
Tourism Crisis and Trade War Fallout
Las Vegas' mayor has said visits from Canada — Nevada's largest international market — have dried up following Trump's contentious trade policies. During his speech, Trump defended the tariffs he's imposed, saying "Canada's nasty. They are. They're nasty." He added, "I love the people, but they're nasty." The remarks underscore a growing tension: workers in tip-dependent industries may benefit from tax relief, but they're losing income as international tourism collapses.
Trump also promoted the Thacker Pass project, one of the world's largest lithium mines in northern Nevada. The U.S. government last year announced it was taking a minority stake in Vancouver-based Lithium Americas, which is jointly developing the mine with General Motors. The U.S. also took a 5% stake in the mine itself. Trump told the crowd, more than 500 miles away on the other end of the state, that "Many people in this audience are going to be working there, and you are working there." He didn't mention the U.S. government's stake in the project, but shortly after, he began warning about the dangers of communism.
Honoring Fallen Officer Amid Political Tension
At the start of his Nevada address, Trump honored Officer Austin Abdelnabi, 30, a U.S. Marine veteran killed in the line of duty Tuesday while responding to a report of a person with a gun acting erratically and waving a firearm in the air at a business, according to police. "Austin died a hero, and he will never be forgotten, never going to be forgotten," Trump said. "So to every law enforcement officer here today, we thank you for your service. And we say, God bless the men and women of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. And frankly, all of law enforcement." Trump's comments came after a man in the crowd loudly booed Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo when he referenced Abdelnabi before the president took the stage. Lombardo replied, "No. We're not booing him. He's the officer that passed away here recently."
Export Claims and Economic Reality
Trump claimed U.S. exports are "totally on fire in a positive way" and that they've "skyrocketed exports to the highest level in American history." But the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Tuesday that American exports in June fell 0.9% to $314.7 billion. On a three-month moving average, exports are also down. However, exports have increased 11.7% so far this year, largely because of increased exports of gold, oil and other energy products. Energy prices have increased this year because of the Iran war.
Trump later discussed what he called "this big military complex" that includes "a lot of different things, and some of the things I can't even talk about." He said the project will still be a ballroom. Trump originally said the ballroom that he demolished the White House's East Wing to build would be paid for by himself and some friendly donors. But costs have ballooned and Senate Republicans eventually tried to advance $1 billion in funding for White House security and military improvements as part of the new complex. That proposal has since stalled.
Inflammatory Attacks on Michigan Senate Candidate
Trump lashed out at Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a communist and predicting he would lose to Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman, in November's general election. Trump made particularly charged comments about El-Sayed's views on Israel. El-Sayed has called for ending U.S. military aid to Israel. Trump said, "He doesn't love Jewish people. He hates them. He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart and there's not a fricking thing he can do about it." El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim senator, rejected accusations of antisemitism and said, "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same commitment to the safety of my own daughters."
Trump also invited a Las Vegas couple who work as a police officer and casino waitress, along with their two very young children, to talk about the tax breaks on overtime and tips in Trump's sweeping legislation signed last year. As Trump stepped aside to let them speak, their young toddler began wandering off toward the edge of the stage. Trump moved to intercept the youngster and then cracked a joke about his predecessor Joe Biden that wasn't quite audible.
Near the end of his remarks, Trump said oil prices will fall once the war in Iran is over, something he's been saying for weeks. He added a new wrinkle, saying the price of oil has stabilized somewhat recently and, "And we may have to send it up again." He said, "We may have to — you know what happens when we send it up. But we hope we don't have to." He didn't clarify what he meant. Trump also revived a little-mentioned health care plan, saying that with the help of a Republican-controlled Congress, "We will pass the Great Healthcare Plan. It's called the Great Healthcare Plan." He announced the outlines of the plan in January, but has spent little time speaking about it since then. The centerpiece of the proposal is to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts to pay for insurance and health costs.
Why This Matters:
The disconnect between Trump's economic messaging and the lived reality of workers in Las Vegas reveals the uneven impact of his policies. While tax cuts on tips provide direct relief to service workers like drivers and waitresses, the trade war with Canada has devastated the city's tourism sector, threatening the very jobs those workers depend on. The collapse in Canadian visits — Nevada's largest international tourism market — shows how tariff policies can undermine working families even as targeted tax relief helps them. Meanwhile, Trump's claim that exports have reached record highs contradicts federal data showing recent declines, though war-driven energy prices have boosted overall yearly figures. His inflammatory attacks on Michigan's first potential Muslim senator, coupled with vague references to oil price manipulation and a stalled White House construction project initially promised as privately funded, raise questions about transparency and accountability in economic policymaking. For working families navigating high housing costs, interest rates, and gas prices, the gap between rhetoric and results matters deeply.