As Donald Trump wreaks havoc on Nevada’s economy, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen alongside U.S. Representatives Dina Titus, Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee penned a letter to Trump slamming his reckless tariffs policies that are raising costs for working families, causing confusion among small businesses, worsening Nevada’s housing crisis, and hurting our tourism and outdoor recreation industries.
Recent reports show that Las Vegas saw a 5.1% drop in visitors compared to April 2024. In March, travel to Las Vegas was down 7.8% and hotel occupancy was down 2.4%, when compared to this time last year. This comes as British Airways has suspended service to Las Vegas. United Kingdom tourists account for nearly 500,000 visitors to Las Vegas annually, Nevada’s third largest international traveler.
Trump’s budget that passed the U.S. House last week is also threatening Nevada tourism through cuts to critical funding, firing of national park employees, and raising costs on families. This could have a grave effect on tourism as well as outdoor recreation – industries that contribute $8 billion annually to the state’s economy.
As Trump’s reckless tariffs pummel the economy, this is the “pain” Joe Lombardo apparently wanted Nevadans to feel. Reports reveal that since Trump started his trade wars, travel to Las Vegas has declined by hundreds of thousands of visitors each month as foreign visitors opt not to come to the United States.
Read more below:
Las Vegas Sun: Nevada’s congressional Democrats slam Trump tariffs over tourism toll, housing costs
- Nevada’s five congressional Democrats are urging the Trump administration to end its global trade war, writing to President Donald Trump that his tariffs are severely undermining tourism to Las Vegas.
- “We write to express our deep concern that your reckless and uncoordinated tariffs imposed on American allies and partners will have a destructive effect on the economy in our home state of Nevada,” Democratic U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, along with Democratic U.S. Reps. Steven Horsford, Susie Lee and Dina Titus wrote to Trump in a letter delivered this morning.
- The Democrats emphasized that they don’t oppose tariffs in their entirety, just that they should be targeted at “our adversaries,” specifically China. The delegation also questioned Trump’s authority to issue blanket tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
- Last week, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s justification to use the law — that the U.S. has trade deficits with trade partners — was insufficient. A federal appeals court temporarily blocked the decision from going into effect as the case is further deliberated.
- Visitation to Southern Nevada has lagged in comparison to 2024, with nearly 700,000 fewer people coming through Harry Reid International Airport over the first four months of 2025. Las Vegas’ tourism board recently cited “consumer uncertainty with evolving federal policies” as the reason for the decline.
- Referring to travel experts estimating a 9.4% drop in international visitation across the country this year, the Nevada Democrats called the decline in travel a “direct consequence” of the trade war.
- “Your administration’s tariff actions are already undermining Nevada’s tourism economy and, if not reversed, will have devastating impacts on the state’s entire economy in the years ahead,” they wrote.
- They also wrote that Nevadans purchase more than $3 billion in goods from Mexico and Canada. Most of those imported goods are now subject to a 25% tariff imposed by Trump. That, along with the rest of Trump’s tariffs, may cost households thousands of dollars a year, according to a Yale University research center.
- The increase in construction costs is especially damaging amid the state’s ongoing housing shortage, the Nevadans wrote. The state needs to build 23,000 new homes a year, and doing that requires lower costs for lumber, steel and aluminum, the delegation continued.
- “Your administration’s sweeping tariffs will instead raise the cost for these essential items, exacerbating Nevada’s housing crisis by making it more expensive to build or purchase a home,” the lawmakers wrote.
- “We are deeply concerned that in addition to thrusting the broader U.S. economy into a recession, your reckless tariff actions will specifically harm Nevada’s key industries, sharply raise costs on its hardworking families, and threaten its small businesses,” the Democratic delegation wrote.
KOLO: Nevada Democrats demand Trump reverse tariffs
- A group of Nevada Democrats are calling on President Trump to reverse his tariff policy.
- Catherine Cortez Masto, Jacky Rosen, Dina Titus, Susie Lee, and Steven Horsford all sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reverse the policy that they say has had a negative impact on Nevadans.
- They expressed concern that the tariffs will raise costs for Nevada families, make small business harder to operate, worsen the housing shortage and threaten the state’s tourism economy.
- “We write to express our deep concern that your reckless and uncoordinated tariffs imposed on American allies and partners will have a destructive effect on the economy in our home state of Nevada,” wrote the delegation. “Targeted tariffs on our adversaries can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and support our national security; however, your blanket tariffs are the opposite of that. We urge you to reverse your approach and remove harmful tariffs that will only create uncertainty and higher costs for hardworking families and small businesses across Nevada.”
- “That is why we believe U.S. trade policy must be thoughtfully implemented to strengthen our economic bonds with our allies, while strongly confronting adversaries like China. Your administration’s implementation of blunt, widespread tariffs is just the opposite,” concluded the delegation. “It has only served to create chaos and uncertainty across the economy. Your tariffs are raising prices of everyday items for Nevada families and imposing higher costs on Nevada businesses including manufacturers, tourism, and other companies, stunting our state’s previously booming economic growth. We urge your administration to reverse course and commit to working with Congress to modernize our trade policies to ensure they work in the best interest of Nevada and the United States.”
###
