LAS VEGAS — Former President Donald Trump made resistance the theme of his rally Sunday in 104-degree heat at a Las Vegas park.
About 6,900 people attended, according to a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police crowd estimate. Six people were transported to the hospital for heat-related illnesses, an LVMPD spokesperson said.
Speaking two days before the Nevada primary, Trump did not endorse anyone in the Republican U.S. Senate race, where Army veteran Sam Brown and Trump’s former ambassador to Iceland, Jeff Gunter, were hoping to win approval.
Trump unveiled a new proposal that he said he had never mentioned publicly before and that would be among his priorities — ending tip taxes, a likely winner in Nevada, whose casino and entertainment economy depends on tips.
The tip pledge adds yet another wrinkle to Trump’s tax plan, which included vague promises of tax cuts for middle-income workers and small businesses.
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“So this is the first time I’ve said this, and for hotel employees and people who receive tips, you’ll be very happy because when I get to the office, we won’t be charging taxes on tips. ),” Trump told a crowd of several thousand people.
Trump said he would “do this immediately, right at the start of his term,” and noted in prepared remarks that he would seek legislation in Congress to make the change. “You do a great job, you take care of people and I think it will be something that is really deserved.”
He has previously pledged to make permanent the Republican-approved individual tax cuts he signed into law in 2017 but which expire at the end of 2025. Tax experts estimate that would increase U.S. deficits by about $4 trillion over a period of time. decade compared to current forecasts.
Technical difficulties during the rally
Constant problems with his teleprompter were reported, and he promised not to pay the company responsible for this.
“I don’t pay contractors that do (expletive) work,” Trump said.
The lack of prepared remarks allowed for a looser speech, where he often joined the crowd as a comedian, asking who his vice presidential running mate should be (no consensus) and whether “Sleepy Joe” or “Crooked Joe” was a better nickname. for Biden.
One tangent involved whether he would rather be eaten by a shark or electrocuted.
“I will be electrocuted every time,” Trump said.
Viktor Orbán, Jack Smith and Jesus Christ mentioned at the rally
Throughout his hour-long speech, Trump included a litany of prominent people he considered stupid.
Among them was Jack Smith, the special counsel overseeing criminal investigations into Trump’s actions regarding the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol and his handling of classified documents.
“He’s a stupid son of a bitch,” Trump said.
On the other hand, he praised “the great Victor Orbán”, the authoritarian leader of Hungary, who he quoted as saying that the only way to save the world is to elect Trump.
Trump described the policies of Biden and the Democrats as so ridiculous that “the only way they can beat us is by cheating.”
Because of this, he urged everyone to vote in November with a turnout “too big to handle,” a refrain used by many of the dozen speakers who preceded him on a dirt field in Sunset Park.
US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of them. She compared the former president, who was recently convicted of 34 crimes by a New York jury, to Jesus Christ.
“The person I adore was also a convicted criminal and was crucified on a Roman cross,” she said.
Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
Contributing: Reuters
