By Bo Erickson
LAS VEGAS, Aug 5 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to tout his administration’s tax cut policies and sharpen contrasts with Democrats, as Republicans look to defend their congressional majorities in the November midterm election.
The trip is part of a more aggressive political push by the White House as Republicans confront voter concerns about the economy and the Iran war, which entered its sixth month this week. Trump has increasingly mixed official events with campaign-style appearances, using recent stops in Michigan and Georgia to praise Republican candidates and attack Democrats.
Trump is expected to appear with Republican congressional candidate Marty O’Donnell in the Las Vegas-area district represented by Democratic Representative Susie Lee, one of the closely watched House battlegrounds.
White House officials said Trump would focus on tax provisions in last year’s Republican spending package, including measures eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security income for many Americans.
“By passing no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, and no tax on overtime, President Trump and Republicans guaranteed Americans receive bigger paychecks and keep more of their hard-earned money,” White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said in a statement.
Trump has frequently credited Las Vegas’ service industry workers, a critical voting bloc in Nevada, with inspiring the legislation’s temporary “no tax on tips” provision.
O’Donnell, a music composer who produced the Mr. Clean jingle and the Halo video game music, has criticized his opponent for voting against Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
“Nevadans see you for who you are — someone so blinded by Trump Derangement Syndrome that you voted against putting more money in their pockets,” the Republican wrote in a social media post on Monday.
Democrats unanimously opposed the legislation, which they said was a giveaway to wealthy Americans at the expense of social safety net programs such as Medicaid and food assistance.
People are “working harder and their dollar is going less far,” Lee, a four-term congresswoman, said in a recent video criticizing the legislation.
Democrats have sought to make the Iran war and rising prices central issues in the midterms. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found only one in three Americans support the military campaign, underscoring the challenge Republicans face as cost-of-living concerns remain voters’ top issue.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson in Las Vegas; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Lincoln Feast.)
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