'Bleeding' Trump walking into buzzsaw as he heads to city harmed by his policies: Politico
President Donald Trump will travel to Nevada on Thursday to highlight his "no tax on tips" policy, one of his signature economic initiatives aimed at supporting the state's working-class voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The event in downtown Las Vegas represents an attempt to reset the affordability narrative following the Iran conflict and previous unsuccessful pivots that have contributed to declining poll numbers, but the city's service industry workers say economic relief so far hasn't been enough to make a difference, reported Politico.
“The gas prices are high – that’s just part of it,” said Wayne, a 66-year-old shoe shiner from North Las Vegas. “When you go to buy steaks, it used to be $4.99 a pound, and now it’s $9.99. What can you do? You just have to live with it.”
The disconnect between White House messaging and worker experience is particularly pronounced in Las Vegas, where the economy heavily depends on tourism and discretionary consumer spending vulnerable to price spikes.
One cocktail server at a Strip restaurant received a $2,500 tax refund this year, compared to her typical $300 refund, but acknowledged slower business and reduced tipping.
“I could be doing better," said Hunter Blankenship, a 26-year-old cocktail server at the Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge. "I make enough to where I have money where I can pay all my bills. But I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily able to save as much as I’d like. I’m right there where I’m doing all right but I’m not necessarily able to set myself up for the future.”
A YouGov and Economist poll released April 14 found 70 percent of respondents rated the economy as "fair or poor," while the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index recently reached its lowest recorded level, demonstrating a significant gap between headline economic statistics and public perception.
Trump secured Nevada in 2024 with support from working-class and Latino voters — the first Republican presidential victory in the state in two decades. That coalition is now crucial to Republican prospects in 2026, particularly for Gov. Joe Lombardo's re-election.
Democratic officials are capitalizing on voter frustration. Nevada State Democratic Party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno stated that the administration's policies speak for themselves, noting that Democrats need not extensively campaign against them.
“It’s sad to say I don’t have to do a lot of the talking and do a lot of the messaging, because citizens are feeling it,” Monroe-Moreno said. “The story is pretty much telling itself.”
Republican operatives admit the president is "bleeding a bit" with working-class voters, but they're not yet convinced they'll change their allegiance to Democratic candidates in November's election.
“Along partisan lines, it’s falling where you’d expect," said one Nevada GOP operative. "But when it comes to voters in the middle, it’s more along the lines of … ‘things have sucked for so long, we’ve been feeling the pinch for so long.' There’s frustration because there were high hopes and expectations that prices would drop under the president, but I think they’re just mad at the longevity of this.”
“I’ve seen conflicting data about whether he’s bleeding them back into Dems or if he’s just bleeding them out of participation,” that operative added. “I’ve seen data that suggests both — but I’ve seen more data suggesting [that people say] ‘I’m just going to stay home.’”