POLITICS
Donald Trump
Trump makes economic case in Las Vegas amid affordability woes
James PowelUSA TODAY
Aug. 5, 2026, 9:22 p.m. ET
LAS VEGAS – President Donald Trump returned to Las Vegas on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to make a familiar pitch: that his economic policies are lowering costs for Americans and putting more money back in workers’ pockets
Speaking at Red Rock Casino, Trump highlighted several signature initiatives from his second term, including tax breaks on tipped income, lower prescription drug prices and so-called “Trump accounts.” He argued that inflation has eased and said his administration has helped reduce costs for consumers
“The economy is the greatest economy we’ve ever had,” Trump told supporters
But Trump’s economic message landed in a state where many residents continue to feel squeezed by housing costs, higher-than-average gas prices and a slowing tourism industry
Richard Gatti, a Las Vegas resident who moved to Nevada in 2021, recognized in an interview before the event that housing costs are having an impact that makes it difficult for young people to build a life
“It’s outrageous how you see the cost of living and the cost of homes and it is terrible how they made it so difficult, if not impossible, for young people to own a home,” Gatti said
However, when asked if the Trump administration was doing enough to address affordability Gatti pointed to Democratic policies
“Democratic controlled areas keep pushing up the cost of living and the cost of homes, making it impossible for young people to have a future,” Gatti said
It is the second time Trump has visited Sin City this year to speak on tax policy, touching on many of the same issuers he addressed during his April 16 visit
During that visit, he said that the U.S. war in Iran, which began Feb. 28, was going “swimmingly” and wouldn’t last much longer. “It should be ending pretty soon,” Trump said
Trump said at the Aug. 5 event that negotiations to end the war are ongoing, a statement Iranian officials have denied
He said that “oil will go down to the floor” at the end of the war in a section of the speech dedicated to affordability. “We’ve done a great job in bringing down prices,” Trump said
The cost of a gallon of gas in Nevada is more than 70 cents higher than the national average, with drivers paying $4.80 per gallon on average
Nevada’s political landscape
The Silver State is in the midst of a contentious gubernatorial race
Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo spoke ahead of Trump and attempted to tie his Democratic challenger, state Attorney General Aaron Ford, to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and thedemocratic socialist wing of the Democratic Party
He also said that Ford’s proposals would lead to higher taxes in the state, according to an analysis done by his campaign
“My opponent — whose name shall not be mentioned — his proposal was evaluated on how he was gonna move the economy forward in Nevada, and that proposal was $18 billion,” Lombardo said. “So let me ask you something, how are we gonna pay for that?”
Ford said in a statement to USA TODAY that Trump and Lombardo were trying to “gaslight voters” about the state’s economy
“While Lombardo chooses to be a human doormat for Trump, I’ll keep fighting to lower costs and put money back in Nevadan’s pockets,” the statement reads
Trump asked the crowd to propel to Lombardo to “win big” in November
In a Civiqs’ rolling online tracking poll of Nevada residents, 57% say they disapprove of Trump’s performance in office. The disapproval number has remained within a percentage point of where it was when the Iran war started in late February
Las Vegas faces tourism slump in second Trump term
Trump’s visit comes as the city’s tourism-dependent economy has faced headwinds throughout his second term
Las Vegas drew about 3.1 million fewer visitors in 2025 than in 2024, a 7.5% drop, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority. It was the largest drop in visitors since record-keeping began in 1970, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic
Through June, visitor volume has remained nearly flat year-over-year, budging up 0.2% convention travel has grown more than 12% compared with last year
