Trump said Las Vegas server told him "they’re taxing me to death" over federal taxes on tips

In August, Trump recounted a conversation with a Las Vegas server who complained about federal taxes on her gratuities, prompting him to champion a repeal that was later packaged with broader tax cuts and signed into law last year. The change is a focal point of the Republican campaign of Marty O’Donnell, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Susie Lee in Nevada’s competitive Las Vegas‑adjacent district, with Trump‑aligned groups spending millions on ads. Lee criticized the legislation, saying she opposed it because it paired the gratuity‑tax relief with cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and health care, while union leaders note the relief is limited to $25,000 of tipped income and excludes mandatory service charges. Both candidates argue the policy’s impact is muted as tourism has declined, reducing overall benefit to local workers.