LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — President Donald Trump, in a sweeping address to a joint session of Congress, declared "America is back," touted his efforts after his opening months in office and predicted the golden age had just begun.
Along the way, he said some things of particular interest to those of us who live in Nevada. (He even name-checked the Hoover Dam in a section of the speech on human achievements.)
Here are five takeaways from Trump's speech.
1. Mine, baby, mine
Trump announced an expansion of domestic energy sources, including a natural gas pipeline in Alaska that he said was shovel-ready. But he also mentioned mining.
"And later this week, I will also take historic action to dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths here in the U.S.A.," Trump said.
Nevada boasts big deposits of lithium, an element used in batteries for everything from cellular telephones to electric cars. In fact, the state is home to the only active lithium mine in North America.
But those projects have been bedeviled by environmental concerns about the effects on native plants and wildlife, as well as the process of taking minerals from the earth.
▶ Related Nevada lithium mine will crush rare plant habitat US said is critical to its survival, lawsuit says
It's not clear how Trump's promise might affect the push to dig up lithium in Nevada yet, especially since some of those projects face action in court before they can proceed.
2. No tax on tips!
It's one of Trump's most popular campaign proposals, one born right here in Las Vegas, when Trump first uttered it at a campaign rally in Sunset Park last summer.
It proved to be popular with tipped workers in Las Vegas, so much so that Trump credited his promise with winning the Silver State for the first time in three elections.
▶ Watch President Trump discusses 'no tax on tips' in Las Vegas in January
Trump repeated the pledge on Tuesday, along with a few other items he sometimes included on the campaign trail as well.
"And to get urgently needed relief to Americans hit especially hard by inflation, I'm calling for no tax on tips. no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great senior citizens," Trump said.
The idea has been embraced by Democrats as well as Republicans, although Democrats also want to eliminate the sub-minimum wage and include safeguards so that wealthy individuals don't reclassify income as tips to dodge taxes.
▶ Watch Congressman Steven Horsford pushes for no taxes on tips with some changes
3. Bipartisanship, sort of
Trump repeatedly criticized his predecessor, whom he called "the worst president in American history."
Trump slammed Biden's policies on immigration, on dealing with the rising prices of goods, imposing environmental regulations on business and on failing to act to get a wrongfully accused teacher released from custody in Russia.
During an early section of the speech, as Trump touted his win over then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats booed, and Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green stood to yell that Trump lacked an electoral mandate.
That prompted House Speaker Mike Johnson to call for order, and eventually to order the House sergeant at arms to escort Green from the chamber.
▶ Watch Rep. Al Green removed from chamber after disrupting Trump's speech
Later, Trump looked at Democrats and acknowledged there wasn't much he could do to win their support.
"It's very sad and it shouldn't be this way," he said. "For the good of the nation, let's work together and let's truly make America great again."
But the president also jeered Democrats, at one point referring to Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas," a reference to her claiming Native American heritage in a faculty directory at Harvard University. (Genetic tests later showed she did have distant Native ancestors.)
4. Immigration fast pass
Trump repeatedly said his tough-on-immigration policies had led to a reduction in illegal border crossings, and that government agents were hunting for criminals who'd come to the country illegally in the past.
But he also repeated a more recent idea — a "gold card" with a $5 million price tag that would allow wealthy foreign entrepreneurs to buy a pathway to American citizenship, not only to escape taxation in their home countries, but to create jobs in the United States.
That stands in contrast to Trump's approach to immigration in general, where he's pledged to deport not just illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, but everyone who's come here illegally. A new ad featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledges to deport everyone in the country illegally, in fact.
5. Tariffs for everyone
During a September interview with Channel 13 here in Las Vegas, Trump touted tariffs as necessary and even beneficial for the country. He doubled down on that during his speech, promising it has already resulted in a boost to American manufacturing.
▶ Watch We asked Donald Trump questions on the issue that matters most to locals in Southern Nevada
And, Trump said, starting April 2, he would impose reciprocal tariffs on all nations that tax American-made goods. (He picked the date to avoid the traditional April Fool's Day on April 1.)
But not everyone agreed with Trump on that issue. Ted Pappageorge, the Culinary Union's secretary-treasurer, denounced Trump's plans as bad for Las Vegas.
"Trump’s tariffs are a direct attack on the workers who power Nevada’s economy: Hospitality workers, construction workers, and agricultural workers," Pappageorge said in a statement. "Closing the border, deporting 11 million undocumented workers who help power the greatest economy in the world, and enacting reckless tariffs will blow up our economy and push us into a recession. We cannot allow that."
He added: "Tariffs will jack up the cost of food, housing, and everyday essentials for working families while putting thousands of hospitality jobs at risk. Instead of taking on corporate price gouging, Republicans are choosing to create economic chaos that will make it harder for workers to make ends meet."
Trump said that tariffs may result in "a little disturbance," or "a little bit of an adjustment period," but said it would benefit the country in the long run.
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