Donald Trump said that if he is elected as the President of the United States, he will remove taxes on gratuities for service workers, and specifically intoned this in Nevada to please its partisans after his conviction was reversed.
“We will do it immediately once I take office because it has been a bone of contention for years and you serve people well,” said the former president at his first public meeting on Sunday since being convicted at his criminal trial in Manhattan.
His new commitment to tax cuts would be seen as an appeal to young working class and minority voters who make up much of Nevada’s booming service industry as he approaches mid-July’s Republican National Convention.
This brought him to a state where Joe Biden won last year but also a place where dwindling support among Black and Hispanic Americans may give an opening to Trump.
“For those hotel workers and people that get tips, you’re going to be very happy,” he told the crowd. “Because when I get to office, we are going to not charge taxes on people making tips.”
In Nevada, 47% supported each candidate according to Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll conducted in May. Voters in seven swing states including Nevada were more likely to decide the election with 48% supporting Trump against 44% for Biden.
The promise made by Mr. Trump was denounced by The Culinary Union which represents hospitality workers. In response, Treasurer Ted Pappageorge noted that there is a difference between actual solutions, relief for tippers and wild campaign promises from a felon who had been tried.
After spending months dealing with his case in New York City courtrooms, the probable Republican nominee has begun campaigning again mostly holding town hall meetings in battleground state of Arizona last Thursday as well as television interviews about his political views. This came after a period of time when he appeared less regularly because he wanted enough money saved up so legal fees did not deplete him before November 3.
Trump’s conviction on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a payment made as hush-money to an adult film actress has pushed American politics into unfamiliar territory. However, there are still three more criminal trials that he is yet to face before the general elections in November.
