Trump visits Las Vegas to discuss tax tips Via Reuters

Written by Nandita Bose

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – President Donald Trump capped a tumultuous first week back in office with a stop in Las Vegas on Saturday to talk about tax cuts, a 2024 campaign promise he made at the center of the game. of money and hospitality.

Trump took the stage before cheering on supporters at Circa Resort and Casino (EPA:) in front of a large banner that reads “No Tax on Tips” and says that economic confidence is increasing in the United States.

“The decline of America is over,” he said at the start of his remarks, echoing themes from his inaugural address earlier in the week.

Since taking office on Monday, the new Republican president has reversed many of the policies set by former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden and decided to fulfill his pledge to roll back and reduce government authority.

Visiting disaster areas in North Carolina and California on Friday, Trump pledged federal aid to help those states recover from hurricanes and wildfires after floating the idea of ​​shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency. .

In Las Vegas, Trump’s event was designed to highlight a limited pledge to eliminate income taxes from tips and overtime, a proposal he first made in June when he sued service workers. in the presidential district of Nevada. The heavy hospitality industry accounts for more than a fifth of all jobs.

“Do you remember that little saying about tips?” Trump said in one of several inauguration day speeches on Monday. “Anyone remember that little quote? I think we won Nevada because of that quote.”

Michael McDonald, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, said the idea appeals to residents of the state who face high prices for essential goods such as food and gas.

“He cares about the tip tax, there’s no tax on Social Security. That was something we brought to the community, and everybody liked it because we’re all hurting,” McDonald told local television. that after hosting Trump on Friday night.

Trump has promised to pursue an aggressive plan to cut taxes if he is re-elected, which could face obstacles even in the US Congress controlled by his own Republicans.

Trump’s campaign proposals — from expanding his 2017 tax deductions to eliminating the tip tax, overtime and Social Security benefits — could add $7.5 trillion in the national debt over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Budget. .

Trump has been pushing a plan to clearly use revenue from higher tariffs on imports to help pay for adding billions of dollars in tax cuts, an unexpected move that could face opposition from Republican hawks concerned about the reliability and sustainability of tariff revenue.

Days before he returned to office, some of his Republican colleagues in Congress warned that Trump’s aggressive plan to cut taxes could fall on the bond market.

At a meeting on Capitol Hill, House Republicans expressed concern that the estimated cost of $4 trillion over the next 10 years to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts could damage the US government’s ability to service the debt. its $36 trillion. which is growing at a rate of $2 trillion a year.