In his speech at the Republican National Convention, former President Trump focused on the battleground state of Nevada, outlining his plans for how to gain an advantage in the state, which he had lost twice before.
“The centerpiece of our economic rescue plan is a massive tax cut for workers, but it also contains something else that has proven to be very popular.
“This building and all the hotels that I’ve seen are very nice and tipping is very popular. I stay in good hotels. They say, ‘There’s no tax on tips,'” Trump said in a speech Thursday night, formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination.
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President Trump has touted his plan to end taxes on tipped wages. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He said he got the idea from a server in Nevada.
“And that was brought home to me recently at dinner in Nevada, where we’re leading by about 14 points,” Trump said.
“The government keeps coming after me about tips,” Trump recalled her saying. He asked her if she’d be happy if there was no tax on tips. She said, “That’s a great idea,” he said.
“There’s a huge group of people who are really suffering – waitresses, caddies, drivers,” the former president explained. “They’re making money. Their money should stay.”
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Las Vegas cityscape stock photo. (iStock)
President Trump floated the idea last month as part of his campaign and spent a great deal of time promoting it during meetings with Senate Republicans hoping to win the Senate majority in November.
“I think what President Trump convinced all of us was the advice to not impose a tax,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital at the time.
“I think he’s a perfect example of how there’s no way workers can get ahead in this economy,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri).
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Las Vegas has a significant tourism industry. (iStock)
In a state like Nevada, which is particularly dependent on the Las Vegas tourist industry, winning over working people could be the deciding factor in the next election.
Trump lost Nevada in both 2016 and 2020, but his prospects look much brighter in 2024. A June Fox News poll showed Trump beating President Biden in the state by five percentage points, 50% to 45%, and was conducted before the presidential debates and the assassination attempt on Trump.
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Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Seeger)
During his speech on Thursday, Trump also praised Nevada’s Republican Senate candidate, former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown.
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He noted that Brown was seriously injured during a deployment to Afghanistan.
“By the way, we have a man in this room running for United States Senate from Nevada, Sam Brown, and he made the ultimate sacrifice,” Trump said.
With growing uncertainty about Biden’s candidacy, some expect he could be a drag on lower-ranking Democrats, including in Nevada, giving Trump an advantage in key battleground states but also giving Brown and other Republicans a chance to flip Nevada to the Republicans.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
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