President Donald Trump to Double Down on Tax-Free Tip Pledge Upon Return to Las Vegas
Posted on: January 24, 2025, 11:09h.
Last updated on: January 24, 2025, 11:26h.
Circa Las Vegas will welcome President Donald Trump back to Southern Nevada for the first time since the Republican turned the Silver State red during the 2024 election and became the 47th commander-in-chief.

Trump departed the White House Friday morning for Andrews Air Force Base where he traveled to hurricane-ravaged western North Carolina. After meeting with families affected by September’s Category 4 Hurricane Helene, Air Force One will depart Asheville Regional Airport for Los Angeles International where the president will tour the Pacific Palisades and other neighborhoods impacted by the wildfires.
From there, the former casino tycoon will fly to Harry Reid International and spend the night at his Trump International Hotel, which his real estate empire jointly owns with billionaire Phil Ruffin. On Saturday, Trump will head downtown to Circa Resort & Casino, Fremont Street’s marquee property that opened in late 2020.
Trump will hold a rally at Circa where he’s expected to double down on his campaign pledge to lift federal taxes on tips. Trump said previously he’s going to Las Vegas to thank Nevadans for delivering him the state’s six Electoral College votes.
Nevada is a key swing state, as voters there have correctly predicted the outcome of 11 of the previous 12 presidential elections. The lone exception was in 2016 when Trump upset Hillary Clinton.
Trump’s Las Vegas Union Appeal
As expected, the Culinary Union campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris (after initially supporting President Joe Biden’s reelection until he dropped out) and urged its approximately 60K members in Las Vegas and Reno to vote blue. That was no surprise, as the casino and hospitality trade group hasn’t endorsed a Republican presidential candidate in decades.
Despite being told to vote for Harris, many union members voted for Trump. Last June, the 45th and now 47th president pledged during a Las Vegas rally that he would instruct the IRS to stop considering tips as taxable income if elected.
The pledge resonated with many hospitality and gaming workers, prompting Harris to copy the campaign statement the following month with her own guarantee that gratuities would no longer be subject to federal taxes.
Harris has no imagination,” Trump said after hearing that Harris would also cancel the tax on tips. “She played ‘copycat.'”
Trump was the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to win over 50% of the Nevada vote. In Clark County, home to Las Vegas, Trump won 47.8% of the vote to Harris’ 50.4%. Trump’s performance, however, was 3.5% better than in 2020, and 5.8% stronger than he fared in 2016.
Circa Host Derek Stevens
Trump holding his Saturday rally at Circa comes as a bit of a surprise, as he has many billionaire casino friends in town with lavish properties. Along with his and Ruffin’s Trump International, Trump is close with Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Golden Nugget downtown and has been tapped by Trump to become the US ambassador to Italy.
Circa is owned by downtown visionary Derek Stevens, whose empire also includes The D and Golden Gate. Stevens isn’t nearly as political as Ruffin or Fertitta. Stevens did donate $6,600 to US Rep. Dina Titus’ (D-Las Vegas, Henderson) reelection campaign, but also gave $3K to Republican candidate Drew Johnson’s unsuccessful 2024 bid to unseat Rep. Susie Lee (D-Las Vegas) from Congress.
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Last Comments ( 2 )
Tips and overtime should not be taxed.
Tips are income and should be taxed as such.