'You're welcome,' Trump visits Vegas to tout no tax on tips

President Donald Trump took a victory lap on his new tax cuts during his first trip to the swing state since his inauguration, urging Nevadans to vote for Republicans in November despite growing concerns about affordability. 

Addressing a crowd of roughly 250 people adorned in Trump-themed swag on Thursday afternoon, Trump asserted Las Vegas is home to the largest tipped worker base "anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world."

"Thanks to our tax cuts, this week, thousands of Nevada waiters, waitresses, casino dealers, bartenders, bellmen, barbers, caddies — oh, I love those caddies, they're very good if you have the right caddy — and valets received the biggest tax refunds of their entire lives," he said at the AC Hotel Las Vegas Symphony Park. "And I just want to say, 'You're welcome.'"

Trump first floated the idea of scrapping taxes on tips at a June 2024 rally in Las Vegas. Politicians in Nevada quickly embraced the concept, given the state's outsized reliance on gig work and the service industry. Despite some doubts Trump would follow through, last year's Republican tax and spending megabill included a provision allowing workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips, including casino chips. 

Nevada has one of the highest shares of tipped workers in the nation, although the policy is designed such that the highest-earning employees get the biggest tax breaks. Nevada Democrats have also criticized Trump's version of the policy for its temporary nature — it is set to expire in 2028 — and proposed more expansive versions. 

The White House and the Department of the Treasury did not respond to questions about how many Nevadans deducted their tips or how big their refunds were. But in Las Vegas, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said more than 6 million Americans claimed a tax deduction under the policy. 

Even more Americans claimed deductions under other new tax cuts, such as the "no tax on overtime" rule implemented last summer, according to the Treasury. An Upgraded Points analysis of IRS data done before filing closed suggested that Nevadans would see some of the biggest refunds in the nation.

Trump linked the future of his tax policies to this year's midterm elections, although he did not mention Gov. Joe Lombardo's (R) re-election bid after endorsing him last fall. 

"We got to win the midterms," Trump said. "If we don't, these policies are going to be taken away."

GOP chairman Michael McDonald told The Indy the president's visit also included a meeting with Lombardo, who McDonald said "has the vision of the people too." Nevada Democrats, meanwhile, planned press calls and rallies to counter-program the president's visit. 

Attendee and conservative activist Rosemary Flores, who called herself a Trump "mega-fan," wore bedazzled clothing decorated with the American flag while recording a video in rapid-fire Spanish. "No tax on tips" hits close to home for Flores, a longtime former cocktail waitress who told The Indy she believed her adult son, who identifies as nonpartisan and works in the casino industry, would become a Trump supporter if the president could pull off "no tax on tips" long-term. 

"People can't afford to live," Flores said.

Can Nevadans make ends meet?

Trump painted a rosy picture on affordability, saying "our economy is booming" and arguing people don't hear about it "because of what's going on in Iran," even though other wars have lasted as long as "18 years."

But plenty of data suggests Nevadans are struggling. Tourism has slumped in Las Vegas, as fewer middle-class visitors can afford a vacation there and many Canadians are boycotting tourism in the U.S. "It's hard to piss off the Canadians, 'cause they're just so nice, but we managed to do it," Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) said during a Thursday afternoon press call. Tariffs have driven up prices. Gas has spiked to nearly $5 a gallon. Health insurance costs have risen. 

"The cost of health care has blown through the roof, thanks to this orange man that is in the White House," said Diana Valles, president of Culinary Union Local 226, during a Thursday morning press conference. "So yeah, there's a villain in here, and that's Donald Trump." 

Elected Democrats seized on Trump's visit to highlight affordability concerns, targeting a new 90 percent cap on the gambling loss tax deduction, the president's tariffs and the war in Iran.

"With the situation in the Middle East … we have to be able to hold tight for a minute because that's taking place," McDonald said when asked about high gas prices. But he expressed confidence that prices would come down and that Trump was a president "for the blue collar."

One Boulder Station Casino worker, Robert Fluit, said he learned about the event while at work. He was "thrilled" to see Trump. 

Asked how his casino coworkers felt about "no tax on tips", Fluit said that they were "so stoked about it." He added, "It should have been done a long time ago." 

Jim Brizeno, a retired plumber and engineer, sported a Trump 2028 T-shirt at the event. He told The Indy he supported the president, whom he described as "for the working man," seeking an unconstitutional third term. 

"I think it would mean a change in the Constitution," Brizeno said. "If that's what has to be done, then that's what has to be done. But then again, you could put Eric or Don Jr. in there," he said of Trump's sons

Logistics for the Trump event came together in just days after news broke that the president would travel to Nevada. The president eschewed his own Trump Tower, located on the Las Vegas Strip, and properties owned by friends and opted to speak instead at a non-gaming property. The AC is located in Downtown Las Vegas, across town from the Strip casinos, where the Culinary Union represents many workers. 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about how the venue was selected.

Some candidates for local office who had been scheduled to participate ultimately did not because they face Republican primary opponents, according to Kelly Chapman, a candidate for Assembly District 14 who was originally slated to appear. The panelists who did speak at the event included Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony (R) and a handful of local Nevadans who praised Trump's tax policies. They included an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, two casino bartenders and Erin Phillips, the founder of a nonprofit for parent advocacy who spoke about her support for barring trans' girls participation in youth sports.

Because of the tax changes to tips, Social Security and federal estate taxes, Trump said people's opinions have changed on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), telling a story about the reported words of a bellman at the Paris hotel who saw his take-home pay increase. 

"'God bless the IRS,'" Trump recounted to the crowd. "Words no one has ever uttered before."