Trump Touts Economy in Las Vegas as Tipped Workers Push Back
The president called it "the greatest economy we've ever had" during a Wednesday speech, but Las Vegas servers told NPR that declining tourism and higher prices are outweighing the no-tax-on-tips policy.
President Trump returned to Las Vegas on Wednesday to argue that his economic agenda is working, telling the crowd that "the economy's the greatest economy we've ever had by far" and dismissing polls showing otherwise.
"I saw polls today on television that say Donald's Trump polls on the economy aren't good," he said.
NPR White House correspondent Deepa Shivaram, reporting from Las Vegas, said the president is struggling to sell that message as prices have risen since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that for the first time in nearly a decade, more Americans prefer Democrats to Republicans on handling the economy — a warning sign for the party heading into the midterm elections.
Trump's pitch has changed little in recent months, Shivaram said. He continues to blame high prices on what he inherited from Democrats and credits his policies, including no taxes on tips, with putting money in people's pockets.
Some workers told NPR they did see larger tax refunds this year. Others said the tips themselves have thinned out. Mario Sandoval, a server at Binion's Steakhouse in downtown Las Vegas for 40 years, described himself as a "tipped" worker with air quotes.
"I've experienced 9/11, 2008, the pandemic. And I have to tell you that our income right now is at the level of 9/11. It's bad," Sandoval said.
June through August are traditionally slower months for tourism in Las Vegas, but Sandoval said his restaurant began seeing a decline last year. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported tourism fell more than 7% in 2025, with a noticeable drop in Canadian visitors after Trump's tariff fight with Canada and his talk of making it the 51st state.
Republican candidates in the area are striking a different note. Marty O'Donnell, running for Congress, argues that life should be more affordable and that one job should be enough to get by — an argument close to what local Democrats are making.
Trump also used the speech to attack Michigan Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, saying he was "happy" El-Sayed won.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
