LAS VEGAS — Former President Donald Trump made stamina his theme at a rally held Sunday in 104-degree Fahrenheit heat at a Las Vegas park.
The Las Vegas Police Department estimated the crowd at about 6,900 people. Six people were taken to the hospital with heatstroke, according to a Las Vegas Police Department spokesman.
Speaking two days before the Nevada primary, President Trump did not endorse anyone for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, where he hopes to nominate Army veteran Sam Brown and Jeff Gunter, Trump’s former ambassador to Iceland.
President Trump unveiled a new proposal he has never mentioned publicly before and said would be one of his priorities: eliminating the tip tax, a move that would likely be accepted in Nevada, where casinos and the entertainment industry rely on tips.
The tipping promise adds another detail to President Trump’s tax plan, which already included vague promises of tax cuts for middle-income workers and small businesses.
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“I’m the first person to say this, but hotel workers and people who get tips will be very happy because when I’m in office, there’s going to be no tax on people’s tips,” Trump told a crowd of several thousand.
“I’m going to do this as soon as I take office,” Trump said in prepared remarks, noting he would seek legislation from Congress to make the changes. “You guys do a great job of service and taking care of people, and I think this is truly what you deserve.”
Trump has previously promised to make permanent the Republican-passed personal tax cuts that he signed into law in 2017 but are set to expire at the end of 2025. Tax experts estimate that doing so would increase the U.S. budget deficit by about $4 trillion over the decade beyond current projections.
Technical issues during the rally
His teleprompter has been reported to have frequent problems, and he has vowed not to pay the company behind it.
“I don’t pay contractors to do the dirty work,” Trump said.
Without pre-prepared remarks, his speech was more free-flowing, and he encouraged audience participation like a stand-up comedian, asking questions such as who should be the vice presidential running mate (there was no consensus) and whether “Sleepy Joe” or “Crooked Joe” was a better nickname for Biden.
One aside was whether he would prefer to be eaten by a shark or electrocuted.
“I would choose electrocution any day,” Trump said.
Viktor Orbán, Jack Smith and Jesus Christ mentioned at rally
During his hour-long speech, Trump listed a string of famous people he thinks are stupid.
Among them was special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the criminal investigation into Trump’s actions and handling of classified documents following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“He’s a stupid son of a bitch,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, he praised Hungary’s authoritarian leader, “Viktor Orban the Great,” and quoted Orban as saying the only way to save the world was to elect Trump.
Trump said Biden and the Democrats’ policies were so stupid that “the only way they can beat us is by cheating.”
So he urged everyone to vote in November with a “non-riggable turnout” — a refrain echoed by many of the 12 speakers who preceded him on the dirt field in Sunset Park.
One of them is U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who likened the former president, who was recently convicted of 34 felony counts by a New York jury, to Jesus Christ.
“The man I worship was also a convicted felon and was crucified on a Roman cross,” she said.
Mark Robison is a state political reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal who occasionally covers other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.
Article contributed by Reuters
