In his first rally since being convicted in the New York hush money case, former President Donald Trump drew thousands of supporters in Las Vegas on Sunday. Addressing the crowd, Trump emphasized Nevada’s crucial role in the 2024 election.
Despite his recent conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, rallygoers remained steadfast in their support. Many endured 100-degree heat and arrived early at Sunset Park to see the leading Republican presidential candidate.
In his speech, Trump criticized President Joe Biden’s economic and border policies, vowing to reverse the country’s direction. He claimed that illegal immigration is severely impacting Black and Hispanic communities and undermining union efforts. According to Trump, unions have struggled to secure wage increases, and almost all net new jobs under Biden’s administration have gone to illegal immigrants.
Trump also took aim at Biden’s recent executive order on illegal immigration at the southern border, labeling it as “pro-invasion, pro-child trafficking, pro-women trafficking, pro-human trafficking, and pro-drug dealers.” He criticized the order as weak and ineffective, sparking chants of “bulls***” from the crowd as he expressed his disapproval.
Nevada has consistently voted Democratic in the elections where Trump was on the ballot. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Trump by just over two percentage points in 2016, and Joe Biden won the state by a similar margin in 2020.
However, the latest polling data shows Trump leading Biden in Nevada for the 2024 election, with the RealClearPolitics average indicating Trump ahead at 48.3% to Biden’s 43%. At the Vegas rally, Trump emphasized the importance of winning Nevada for a national victory.
As of Monday morning, Trump also holds a lead over Biden in each of the seven key battleground states, with polling averages showing a near tie in Virginia, shifting the traditionally blue state into a “toss-up” category.