Trump takes final step for Nevadans and welcomes GOP early vote results

Former President Donald Trump likely made his final stop in Nevada before Election Day on Thursday afternoon, flaunting strong Republican turnout in early voting, deriding Vice President Kamala Harris as “low IQ” and bemoaning the state of the economy and a surge in unauthorized immigration . .

“You wouldn’t put Kamala in charge of a literal kindergarten,” Trump said near the end of his nearly 95-minute speech to the nearly full 5,600-seat Lee Family Forum in Henderson. The speech was accompanied by video clips and longer versions of his campaign ads.

“At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself: Can you afford to put someone completely incompetent in charge of the future of our country? I don’t think so,” Trump said.

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony and Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown warmed up the audience and spoke to Trump, who noted their presence from the stage. .

Trump acknowledged Brown several times. He sat in the chamber next to Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyoming).

Lombardo’s appearance is especially significant: It was his first time on stage at a Trump rally this year, although he endorsed the candidate back in January. Lombardo earlier expressed concern To Nevada Independents CEO and editor John Ralston on Trump’s legal troubles and distancing himself from six state Republicans who falsely confirmed that Trump won in 2020.

In his speech, Lombardo reminded voters of the local stakes of the election and that Democrats are just one seat shy of a supermajority in the state Senate, which, if secured, could give them the ability to override his veto.

“If we want to return President Trump to power, it will have a direct impact on our position in the Senate, the position of Congress and, more importantly, on our Legislature,” Lombardo said, suggesting that his election to the Legislature could bring Trump to authorities. .

Trump acknowledged Lombardo’s presence at the beginning of the speech but did not bring him on stage.

Gaetz argued that Trump would combat political corruption by imposing term limits on Congress and banning trading of individual stocks. However, the Florida Republican has faced ethics scrutiny himself. under investigation by the House Ethics Committee on allegations that he sexually abused a minor and used illegal drugs.

Several times during the conversation, Trump raised the issue comment earlier this week from President Joe Biden, prompting immediate backlash from many who interpreted them as referring to Trump supporters as “trash.”

“I think I’ve heard that word more than any other word,” Trump said. “It’s so stupid to say that, isn’t it? How stupid is Kamala to say that?”

Trump also appeared angered by comments from retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, his longest-serving chief of staff, who said in an interview with CNN book by reporter Jim Sciutto, Return of the Great Powersthat Trump praised aspects of Hitler’s leadership.

“He said, ‘Well, but Hitler did some good things,’” Kelly recalls. “I said, ‘So what?’ And he said, “Well, (Hitler) restored the economy.” But what did he do with this restored economy? He turned it against his people and against the whole world.”

Kelly warned Trump: “I said, ‘Sir, you’ll never have anything good to say about this guy. Nothing.'”

Trump, citing his late father, returned fire.

“My father was a great guy. He was a strong guy, but a good guy with a big heart,” Trump said. “He once told me… never call yourself a Nazi. You don’t use this name. Do you understand me? And never use the name Hitler. I am now accused of being Hitler these crazy people who have lost control of our country.”

Here Nevada Independents main conclusions:

Desire for early voting

Trump again advertised unprecedented Leads early voting turnout in Nevada. As of Thursday afternoon The Republican Party has a significant Lead of 42,000 ballots, just under 5 percent.

“We’re setting records for early voting, but we can’t relax,” Trump said of the results in Nevada, reminding those in attendance that the last day of early voting is Friday.

He also nodded in favor of changes to the election system, such as voter ID laws, and said that CBS News and other major media companies such as NBC participated in election interference, arguing that they should be stripped of their licenses and “jailed.”

“We’ll see how things change,” he said.

Trump also encouraged those who have not yet voted to do so on Tuesday.

“With your help, we are going to win Nevada. We are going to defeat Kamala,” he said.

Immigration

At the start of the rally, Trump played a clip of the mother of 12-year-old Jocelyn Noongaray, who was found dead in the Houston area in June. Two illegal immigrants from Venezuela are suspected of the crime.

“For thousands of people across our country, this is a constant,” Trump said.

Despite the lack of national statistics, research shows that undocumented people do not commit crimes at higher rates than American citizens, and there have been some There were 21,000 murders recorded in 2020.

Trump reaffirmed his plans to launch a mass deportation campaign if elected and vowed to impose the death penalty on immigrants who kill U.S. citizens or law enforcement officers. Later at the rally, he brought Gary Quets, father Arizona resident Nicholas Kets who died while driving in Mexico.

Gary Kets added that Mexicans who kill American citizens should be extradited to the United States to face justice.

Toward the end of his speech, Trump again brought up the topic of illegal immigration, promising to protect the border.

“We will stop illegal immigration once and for all,” Trump said. “We will not be captured, we will not be occupied, we will not be invaded, we will not be conquered.”

According to Pew Research CenterThe number of illegal immigrants living in the US in 2022 was still below the 2007 peak of 12.2 million.

Tax reduction

Trump has softened his plan to eliminate taxes on overtime, Social Security and tips. The latter, he said, was inspired by a waitress he met at his non-gaming Trump International hotel off the Strip, which he owns in partnership with billionaire Phil Ruffin, owner of Circus Circus and Treasure Island.

He repeated his plan, saying he would “significantly cut taxes on workers and small businesses, and we will have no tip tax, no overtime tax, and no Social Security benefit tax.”

Trump told the audience that Harris would “start a war on tipped workers” by increasing the tip distribution tax by 60 percent.

Harris has her own plan to cut the tip tax—it would still exempt tips from federal income taxes, but tip earnings would still be subject to payroll taxes because the funds would go to Social Security and Medicare. Harris’ plan would also limit the amount of income workers can earn from tips.

Washington Post Harris’ advisers reportedly discussed only exempting tip taxes for service and hospitality workers who earn $75,000 a year or less.