President Donald Trump is heading to Nevada on Wednesday to sell voters on his signature tax cuts, betting that popular policies like “no tax on tips” can blunt a growing dissatisfaction with the economy that Republicans fear could cost them their House majority
The president’s rally at Red Rock Casino comes as recent polls show voters remain deeply pessimistic about the economy and skeptical of the GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the sprawling tax-and-spending package that transformed Trump’s campaign promises on taxes into law
As part of a swing through the West Coast, the president’s stop will take him to a competitive House district, where Republican nominee Marty O’Donnell is trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Susie Lee — one of the GOP’s top targets this fall
Trump acting like economy is doing well is ‘almost insulting’ to Americans: WaldmanAugust 3, 2026 / 07:45
O’Donnell, a video game studio owner, says he will attend the rally in Las Vegas, where Trump is sure to bring up his “no tax on tips” policy. That policy is especially popular in Nevada, which has the nation’s highest concentration of tipped workers. And the tax break is even more popular in Las Vegas, where many workers rely on their tips to make ends meet.The White House hopes the IRS provision — along with tax breaks on overtime pay and Social Security benefits — will help boost O’Donnell and other vulnerable Republicans across the country.
But that may be a difficult sell
Only 22% of Americans said the tax-and-spending legislation had improved their financial situation, while 32% said it made their finances worse, according to a Politico poll in July.
In an effort to improve the law’s standing with voters, Republicans tried rebranding their reconciliation bill as the “Working Families Tax Cuts” late last year. But Democrats have seized on many of the policies in the bill, like tighter eligibility rules for Medicaid and food assistance programs, to argue that the legislation hurts lower-income Americans and primarily prioritized helping the rich
Still, Republicans seem to think their reconciliation bill is a political winner
“If Susie Lee had it her way, Nevada families would have seen their tax bill skyrocket and tipped workers would have lost more of their money this year,” O’Donnell wrote on X ahead of Trump’s visit
Americans are ‘souring’ on Trump’s economy faster than at any point in his presidency: WSJ ReporterJuly 27, 2026 / 11:49
In a statement, White House spokesperson Liz Huston said Trump “will remind Nevadans that every single Democrat opposed these commonsense reforms and fought to massively raise taxes on working families.”
“By passing no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime,” Huston added, “President Trump and Republicans guaranteed Americans receive bigger paychecks and keep more of their hard-earned money.”
According to the Cook Political Report, Nevada’s 3rd congressional district leans Democratic, giving Lee the statistical edge over O’Donnell. Republicans, however, hope a broad anti-incumbent mood will help O’Donnell, who — like Trump in 2016 — is running as a political outsider. Lee has represented the district since 2019, and she won the Democratic primary by nearly 50 points in June
Democrats, for their part, are betting that voter concerns about the economy will help them retake control of the House. A CNN/SSRS poll released at the end of July found that 65% of voters believe Trump’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the U.S., while only 22% believe they have improved them
As the war in Iran drags on, gas prices are also on the rise. The average fuel price nationwide was around $4.10 on Tuesday. And in Nevada, gas prices are even higher, averaging $4.81
