Donald Trump held a rally on Sunday June 9 in Las Vegas – one of his first since being convicted by a New York jury late last month.
The former president made a stop in the Silver State to try and sway divided voters, as recent polls have shown Trump with an edge over President Joe Biden.
But progressive groups and leaders are convinced a second Trump presidency would be detrimental to Nevada.
State Rep. Howard Watts – D-Las Vegas – said many Nevada communities are already feeling the effects of climate change, but only one presidential candidate has made it a priority.
“On day one, President Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement that Trump backed out of,” said Watts. “Biden has taken over 320 climate actions during his time in office, and put us on the path to cut climate pollution in half by the end of this decade.”
Watts said in Nevada, these actions have led to new clean-energy projects, generating more than $12 billion in investments for the state and creating almost 16,000 jobs.
He noted that during the Trump presidency, more than 100 environmental protections were rolled back.
But voters are also frustrated about other issues – like housing, the economy, and immigration – and could look to Trump for solutions.
Jarrett Clark, communications director with the group “For Our Future Nevada,” said this year’s presidential election could be determined by Nevada voters.
He recalled that at the end of the Trump presidency, Nevada families were struggling with impacts of the pandemic and reeling from high unemployment.
Clark pointed to Biden’s achievements – like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act – as significant for the Silver State.
“Billions of dollars are already being invested in Nevada to build clean energy projects, affordable housing, roads and even high-speed rail,” said Clark, “something that we’ve been wanting here for a long, long time. Something that has not happened in America yet, and it’s happening right here in the Silver State.”
The City of Las Vegas is landlocked by federally managed public lands, preventing growth in suburban communities.
Earlier this year, Nevada leaders – including Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo – asked the Biden administration to allow the Bureau of Land Management to release some lands to allow more housing development to meet the demands.
