‘Here to say thank you’: Trump takes victory lap in Las Vegas
President Trump was supposed to conclude his first week since returning to the White House with a speech Saturday in Las Vegas on an economic plan that he suggested was crucial to his election victory.
But despite the huge sign on stage stating “No Tax on Tips,” any details on how to turn that promise into reality were merely afterthoughts.
“I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m really here for a different reason,” Trump told the crowd at a Las Vegas casino. “I’m here to say thank you.”
Instead of focusing on his economic plan, Mr. Trump held a victory lap in front of hundreds of supporters.
He celebrated a series of executive orders that would limit immigration and other orders that shut down the government’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs. “We’ve done away with the foolishness of being woke,” he said of the DEI movements.
The president also criticized the World Health Organization and spoke about his decision to pardon those who rioted on January 6, in the presence of the founder of a militia group. He continued to attack former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., a day after sparring with Democrats during a news conference about California wildfire recovery.
Despite his election victory and his first week in office drawing to a close, Trump appeared to still be in campaign mode.
“They put America last, and they put you last,” Trump said, adding that he did not know if Mr. Biden knew “he was alive” while in office. “Bad things used to happen, and now there’s light.”
The final day of his first trip in his second term signaled the collision of his lofty campaign promises with the reality of governance. Mr. Trump told the crowd gathered at Circa Resort and Casino that he would work with Congress in the coming weeks on legislation that “keeps my promise” to not tax tips.
Trump said the pledge, which has become a staple of his campaign, arose at the suggestion of a waitress he met at a hotel. After she suggested the idea, he said: “I said to her: Thank you very much, I just won the election.”
But he didn’t have much to say about how to pave the way for the proposal through Congress. Republicans have introduced legislation interpreting Trump’s pledge in different ways, with some caution about the cost of keeping it.
Among the details under discussion is what type of taxes people should be allowed to be exempt from. Many workers pay income taxes and payroll taxes, which fund Social Security and Medicare, although low-wage workers often owe very little or no income tax.
One proposal floated in Congress would exempt tips from income tax, but keep them for payroll taxes, in a proposal estimated to cost $106 billion over a decade.
Creating a form of tax-free income could also incentivize many Americans, including high-paid professionals, to change the way they get paid, making the tax break more expensive. To address this problem, Republicans could set an income cap, preventing wealthier Americans from taking advantage of the tax break, or they could allow taxpayers to exclude only a certain amount of tips from their taxable income.
Trump’s fans at the casino on Saturday seemed quite satisfied with Trump’s performance, even if it came without details about the delivery.
The crowd cheered when it was announced that Pete Hegseth had been confirmed as Defense Secretary the night before. They cheered when Trump said he was “very proud to pardon the J6 hostages” before a crowd that included Stuart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers militia who was serving 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy until his sentence was commuted. By Mr. Trump.
Mr. Trump laughed when he appeared to joke about a third term, an idea that sparked controversy A far-reaching proposal In Congress from a Republican in the House of Representatives to change the term limits of the Twenty-Second Amendment.
“It would be the greatest honor of my life to serve not once but twice, three times, four times,” Trump said with a laugh. He said: No, but it is for service twice.
After his speech, Mr. Trump went downstairs to the casino, where he was greeted by cheers from customers as he watched a game of craps.
“Roll the dice,” Trump said, deflecting a reporter’s question about his firing of at least a dozen federal inspectors general. “Not bad,” Mr. Trump said after the gamble.