Vice President Kamala Harris pledged on Saturday to work towards eliminating taxes on tips received by restaurant and service industry workers, mirroring a similar promise made by her opponent, Republican Donald Trump. This marks a rare point of agreement between the two candidates. Harris made the announcement during a rally at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a city heavily dependent on the hotel, restaurant, and entertainment sectors. Trump had previously made the same commitment at a rally in the city in June, though implementing such a policy would likely require congressional action.
“It is my promise to everyone here that, when I am president, we will continue our fight for working families of America,” Harris stated. “Including raising the minimum wage and eliminating taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.”
Trump quickly responded on social media, accusing Harris of copying his policy on tip taxation. He claimed, “The difference is, she won’t do it, she just wants it for Political Purposes! This was a TRUMP idea – She has no ideas, she can only steal from me.”
Harris’ campaign clarified that, as president, she would collaborate with Congress to draft a proposal that includes income limits and other measures to prevent high-income earners, such as hedge fund managers and lawyers, from exploiting the policy. Harris also plans to push for an increase in the federal minimum wage alongside this proposal.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, concluded a five-state battleground tour in Nevada, where their party has gained new momentum following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race and his endorsement of Harris. On Sunday, Harris is set to hold a San Francisco fundraiser, which has already raised over $12 million, with House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi among the speakers. Approximately 12,000 people attended Saturday’s rally, and local law enforcement had to halt entry due to the 109-degree heat causing attendees to become ill while waiting in line.
Walz acknowledged the situation during his speech but turned it into a moment of encouragement, assuring the crowd, “Don’t worry, we’re going to be back a lot.”
As part of her visit, Harris is also working to increase support among Latino voters. In 2020, Biden narrowly defeated Trump in Nevada by 2.4 percentage points. The Culinary Workers Union, which represents 60,000 members, has endorsed Harris. The union, with a membership that is 54% Latino, 55% women, and 60% immigrants, also supports Harris’ call for a higher minimum wage and the elimination of taxes on tips for service workers.
Harris framed her promise to eliminate tip taxation as part of a broader effort to bolster the middle class, echoing themes central to Biden’s now-defunct reelection campaign. “We believe in a future where we lower the cost of living for America’s families so they have a chance, not just to get by, but to get ahead,” she said.
In 2020, AP VoteCast found that 14% of Nevada voters were Hispanic, with Biden receiving 54% of their votes. Harris emphasized the importance of not taking this voter bloc for granted.
Imer Cespedes-Alvarado, a 21-year-old political science student at UNLV, expressed excitement for Harris’ campaign. “There’s an incredible energy here among the college students and community members who are coming together to support and listen to our next president, Kamala Harris,” said Cespedes-Alvarado, who is a first-generation American citizen and spent his childhood in Costa Rica before returning alone to the U.S. at age 16 for better opportunities.
Harris also addressed immigration during her rally, echoing sentiments from a previous rally in Arizona. She criticized Trump for his rhetoric on border security, stating, “We know that our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it.” Harris supports an “earned pathway to citizenship” for certain undocumented immigrants and has sought to reclaim the immigration issue from Trump and the Republicans, who have often used it to criticize her and the Biden administration.
Many at the Las Vegas rally expressed enthusiasm for Harris and Walz, with some comparing the energy to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Krista Hall, 60, and her husband, Thaddeus Hager, 58, said they haven’t been this excited about an election since then. Hager expressed confidence that Harris and Walz would “win in a landslide.”
The Democratic ticket’s recent tour included stops in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, as well as Nevada and Arizona—states that could be crucial for securing the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Meanwhile, Brian Shaw, a Republican from northern Nevada, suggested that Harris’ candidacy could make it more challenging for Trump to win, as he considered Biden a “pitiful candidate” and noted that there was limited time to highlight Harris’ “incompetence.” Shaw also attended a rally for Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance in Reno, where he found Vance to be “likable, capable, polished as a politician, but not veneered.”
